Qantas

Qantas Airways, established in 1920, is Australia's flag carrier and largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline and the oldest in the English-speaking world.

Qantas

Basic information
Founded	1920
Type	Private
Industry	Airline
Official website	https://www.qantas.com.au

Operating from hubs in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, and Brisbane, Qantas provides an extensive network of domestic and international services. The airline connects major Australian cities and offers flights to destinations across various continents, including Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Qantas holds stakes in various other Airlines including Alliance Airlines, Jetstar (in Australia and Asia) and Fiji Airways. 

Qantas is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance. Qantas offers various travel classes and provides services such as inflight dining and entertainment. The airline also operates a freight business and a loyalty program Qantas Frequent Flyer.. Its headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia.

Consumer impact summary

Anti Consumer Behaviour

• Difficulties with Refunds and Credits - Some customers have reported challenges in obtaining refunds or utilising flight credits
• Pricing and Fare Practices -There have been occasional criticisms regarding Qantas's fare structures, particularly during peak periods or when competition is limited.
• Loyalty Program Changes - Modifications to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program have sometimes been met with criticism from members who feel the changes devalue their points or make it more difficult to redeem rewards.
• Customer Service Responsiveness: There have be repeated issues with customer service responsiveness, including long wait times and difficulties in resolving complaints and issues

Operational Transparency and Reliability

There has been concerns about the airline's operational practices, including the accuracy of flight information and the management of flight schedules, as highlighted by the flight cancellation case.

Regulatory Compliance

• Issues related to Qantas's adherence to consumer law and other relevant regulations, as evidenced by the ACCC's actions and the resulting penalties.

Incidents

Sale of tickets for cancelled services (2023)

Main article: Qantas - Sale of tickets for cancelled services (Ghost Flights)

In August 2023 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal action in the Federal Court for anti consumer behaviour conducted by Qantas. It was alleged selling tickets on its website for flights it knew were cancelled. It was alleged that 884,000 customers had been sold tickets for cancelled services and were not swiftly notified. Qantas settled the lawsuit in 2024 agreed to pay $120 Million in fines and compensation.

Flight Credits (2022)

In 2022 Qantas suffered significant customer backlash in relation to its flight credits policy. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Qantas had issued customers vouchers for cancelled services. However customers complained that the vouchers either did not have the value required to rebook the flights due to increases in flight costs, else had short expiration dates that made the vouchers unusable due to ongoing border closures.