Qantas will remove the expiry dates on $570 million worth of COVID travel credits issued to passengers impacted by the pandemic. Qantas passengers with credits issued after 30 September 2021 can now request a cash refund and Jetstar customers can use their travel credits indefinitely.
In a video statement yesterday, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said all travel credits and vouchers that came out of COVID will never expire.
He acknowledged that people lost faith in the credit system process despite three prior deadline extensions.
“We hope this helps change that. All up, this is one of the most flexible approaches that any airline has taken to its COVID credits,” he said.
Mr Joyce also announced a double Frequent Flyer Point offer for customers who book with a Qantas COVID credit before 31 December 2023.
Affected customers will receive information via email on how to redeem their COVID-19 credit or vouchers or can contact their travel advisor for more information.
ACCC & Australian Senate Committee fallout
In the recent Senate committee hearing, Qantas was accused of “misleading the Australian public” about the total value of the unredeemed flight credits held by Qantas ticketholders and the airline’s suggestion that the credits would expire at the end of December 2023.
Qantas and Jetstar COVID travel credits were due to expire on 31 December 2023 for travel up until 19 December 2024. The airline offered several incentives for customers to use their credits such as double Frequent Flyer Points offers.
ABC News also reported the ACCC is launching legal action against the Qantas Group for allegedly selling tickets for 10,000 flights that had already been cancelled over three months in 2022.
Its investigation identified that Qantas cancelled almost one in four flights from May to July 2022 with about 15,000 out of 66,000 domestic and international flights from airports in all states and mainland territories in Qantas’ schedule cancelled.
The ACCC court proceedings relate to more than 10,000 of those 15,000 cancelled flights.
It comes as the Qantas Group reported a $1.74 billion profit for FY23.
