‘Qantas can’t guarantee flights’, airline says, after allegedly selling 8,000 flights that were already cancelled — arguing what it did was reasonable and that “airlines can’t guarantee specific fl…::Qantas has launched its legal defence in the ACCC ““ghost flights”” case — allegedly selling 8,000 flights that were already cancelled — arguing what it did was reasonable and that ““airlines can’t guarantee specific flight times””.

  • jetAEnglish
    1351·
    1 year ago

    It’s like Kickstarter, for flights. Everybody pools a bunch of money, if they get enough money the flight happens, if they don’t the flight gets canceled.

    No risk from the airlines perspective, they don’t have to fly an unprofitable flight.

    Did you pay money for specific time of travel? Haha jokes on you

    Did you have your flight canceled with a full refund at the last minute, and then needed to buy a flight of a much higher price to get to your destination on time? Sucks to be you

    But you know this is fair, as long as customers are allowed to get full refunds for flights they don’t fly. I didn’t feel like flying today it wasn’t convenient, since I wasn’t on the airplane I get a full refund right? That’s only fair

  • Marin_Rider@aussie.zoneEnglish
    106·
    1 year ago

    if they didn’t charge specific amounts for certain specific flights, charge for seat selection on said flights and give you an itinerary with a flight number, seat number, departure date and time maybe they would have a leg to stand on.

    perhaps all flights should cost the same, seeing as apparently they aren’t charging for flights…

    • SHITPOSTING_ACCOUNT@feddit.deEnglish
      8·
      1 year ago

      Most importantly, they don’t let you substitute a different passenger. If you get sick and can’t make your flight, but your friend wants to go instead, you have to let your ticket go unused and your friend has to buy a (now much more expensive) last minute ticket.

  • Womble@lemmy.worldEnglish
    532·
    1 year ago

    I mean this is perfectly reasonable, its why you can turn up at the airport 3 days late and get the next available flight to your destination, right?

            • eric@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              1 year ago

              I’m well aware, and I was only talking about non-refundable tickets. I fly most weeks within the United States, and at least a few weeks internationally. But still, US airlines are incredibly accommodating in the US to changes to missed flights while most other airlines around the world are not. Because of this, I replied thinking their sarcasm was simple hyperbole.

  • SHITPOSTING_ACCOUNT@feddit.deEnglish
    20·
    1 year ago

    I don’t understand how many business practices by airlines don’t result in criminal charges. Selling so many tickets that you know you will occasionally fail to fulfill your contract should be fraud. Jail time for leadership and full reimbursement of all damages (e.g. private air taxi to still make to to the destination on time) would quicky make the airlines competent at finding voluntary agreements that make everyone happy.

    Likewise, deciding that a flight isn’t profitable and cancelling it - WTF. That’s called making a bad business decision, you eat the cost. You don’t just decide “eh, let’s just not” and leave people stranded because it’s cheaper.

  • spittingimage@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    1 year ago

    They must think we’re idiots, pretending there’s any kind of uncertainty about the status of a flight they’d already cancelled.