Decoding Qantas' "Ghost Flights" Scandal, Which Led To $66 Million Penalty
NDTV
Australian airline Qantas has found itself embroiled in a "ghost flights" scandal, as a result of which the company has agreed to a substantial $66 million fine on Monday.
Australia's competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), revealed that Qantas “admitted that it misled consumers" by advertising seats on tens of thousands of flights, despite the fact that these flights had already been cancelled.
Having long held the moniker "Spirit of Australia," the national carrier Qantas found itself making headlines for all the wrong reasons over the last several months. The airline was accused of selling tickets for flights that were already cancelled. The scandal also extended to the company inadequately informing customers about these cancellations, and providing flight credits with expiration dates for trips affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Allegations against Qantas included a delay in notifying ticket holders about cancellations, with an average notification period of 18 days for 10,000 flights. As a result, several consumers had to suffer through botched and inconvenient attempts at rescheduling, even resulting in financial loss for many.
