Qantas sells cut-price first-class fares by mistake

Recently, Qantas, the Australian airline, found itself in a tricky situation when it mistakenly offered first-class tickets at a significantly reduced price due to a coding error. A spokesperson for the airline explained, 'Unfortunately, this is a case where the fare was actually too good to be true. ' On a Thursday, the airline's website displayed these discounted fares, and within a short time, around 300 eager travelers booked return flights from Australia to the United States, paying an astonishing 85% less than the regular first-class fare. This means that instead of spending over AUD20,000, which is about £10,000, they only had to pay a few thousand Australian dollars. Passengers who purchased these bargain tickets were entitled to luxurious amenities, including whiskey, champagne, a gourmet food menu, a memory foam mattress, and even a 'pillow menu' for their comfort during the flight. However, Qantas has specific terms and conditions that state if there is an obvious mistake in the fare price, the airline has the right to cancel the booking and provide a full refund. In light of this situation, Qantas announced that they would rebook the affected customers into business class, which is one tier below first class, at no extra cost. They also offered the option of a full refund for those who preferred it. According to the airline, even with the downgrade to business class, passengers would still be paying 65% less than the usual price for their tickets. This incident is not the first of its kind in the airline industry. For instance, Cathay Pacific once mistakenly sold business-class seats worth $16,000 for only $675, and they honored those tickets for the fortunate travelers. However, not all airlines are as accommodating. In 2018, British Airways canceled tickets that were mistakenly sold at a lower price for flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, leaving some passengers disappointed.