Sydney, Australia - Qantas Airways, a prominent Australian carrier, has admitted to selling tickets for flights that it already knew had been canceled due to internal systems' limitations. The airline, currently facing legal action from Australia's consumer watchdog, recently acknowledged that its systems were unable to handle the volume of changes made to flight schedules during the first half of 2022, mainly due to aircraft and staff shortages.
To alleviate the strain on their call centers and allow time to arrange alternative flights, Qantas delayed informing customers about the cancellations. During this period, the airline's systems failed to automatically remove the canceled flights from sale.
Qantas reassured customers that all affected passengers were promptly offered either an alternative flight or a refund. The airline clarified that it did not charge any additional fees for these services, negating the claim of a "fee for no service."
Contrary to allegations made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Qantas denied intentionally delaying the acknowledgment of cancellations in order to protect takeoff and landing slots at airports.
In August, the ACCC initiated legal proceedings against Qantas for allegedly engaging in false, misleading, or deceptive conduct by selling tickets for over 8,000 canceled flights. According to the ACCC, tickets were sold, on average, more than two weeks after the cancellations took place. In some instances, tickets were sold up to 47 days post-cancellation.
Qantas Airways is determined to address these challenges and rectify the issues faced by its systems to ensure seamless service for its customers going forward.
Qantas Faces Criticism and Struggles Amidst Flight Cancellations
Qantas, the Australian airline, is facing backlash for failing to notify ticket-holders of flight cancellations and causing significant inconvenience to its customers. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the carrier neglected to inform passengers of over 10,000 flight cancellations for an average period of 18 days, with some cases lasting up to 48 days. This lack of communication left customers with limited time to make alternate arrangements, potentially resulting in higher costs for them.
ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb emphasized that this case does not involve any alleged breaches related to the actual cancellation of flights. Instead, it focuses on Qantas's conduct after the flights were canceled.
Qantas has attributed its difficulties to aircraft and staff shortages, which it claims affected the airline more severely than others due to its rapid expansion following the relaxation of Covid-era travel restrictions. The company stated that it was caught off guard by supply chain issues and a significant number of staff absences resulting from the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Recognizing the need for improvement, Qantas has already taken steps to update its systems to prevent similar issues in the future.
As Qantas prepares for its annual general meeting, some directors are facing election or re-election. Alan Joyce, the former chief executive, recently stepped down early, while Chairman Richard Goyder plans to retire before the next year's AGM. These changes are part of the company's ongoing efforts to rebuild its reputation among customers following these challenging times.
