Qantas could be in more trouble.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is taking legal action against the airline for allegedly selling tickets for thousands of flights that were already cancelled.
It relates to cancelled flights from May to July 2022.
The ACCC alleges Qantas kept ticket sales open on its website for 8,000 flights for two weeks on average after they were cancelled.
Qantas failed to inform customers immediately on thousands of flights that flights they were booked on had been cancelled.
The ACCC said it conducted a detailed investigation.
ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said: “Qantas’ conduct left customers with less time to make alternative arrangements and may have led to them paying higher prices.”
“It continued to sell tickets to cancelled flights and not updated ticketholders.”
The ACCC says it found tickets were sold for up to 47 days after a flight had been cancelled.
The commission is seeking penalties, injunctions and costs.
Qantas acknowledged service ‘fell well short’ of acceptable standards.
The ACCC believes Qantas cancelled many flights for reasons ‘within their control.’
These were for ‘network optimisation, consumer demand and retention of slots.’
