Qantas has come under fire for being labeled ‘deceptive’ and ‘misleading’ after it continued to offer $2,000 flights to the Middle East, despite the closure of the region’s airspace due to ongoing conflict.
The skies over Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar have been off-limits for several days following the escalation of violence that started on February 28, sparked by US-Israel airstrikes targeting Iran.
While airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi reopened on Monday to allow a limited number of flights to operate, Hamad International Airport in Qatar remains shut down.
Despite this, Qantas is still marketing codeshare flights scheduled to depart for Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night. Currently, a one-way economy ticket from Sydney to Dubai, departing at 9:10 PM, is listed for $2,043 on the airline’s website.
An additional flight leaving Sydney just 35 minutes later is also offered at the same rate.
“It’s pretty bad to take people’s money for flights that everyone knows won’t take off. Businesses shouldn’t sell services they are certain they can’t provide,” expressed one online commentator.
Another referred to Qantas’ $120million loss in the Federal Court after the watchdog found it had sold cancelled ‘ghost flights’ between 2022 and 2024.
‘Qantas have form in this space,’ they wrote. ‘[They] agreed to a total penalty and compensation package of $120million for selling tickets on over 70,000 “ghost flights” that were already cancelled.’
Qantas has been referred to Australia’s consumer protection watchdog amid the conflict
Aussies shared their concerns online, with some labelling Qantas’s conduct as ‘deceptive’
However, Qantas is still selling flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi that are due to depart on Tuesday, in a move described by Aussies as ‘misleading and deceptive’ (pictured)
However, others suggested it ‘takes two to tango’.
‘I’d pin this more back on the individual who books those flights. We should focus more on personal responsibility not looking for corporate malfeasance,’ one said.
The Daily Mail has seen multiple reports of people referring Qantas to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding the matter.
When asked to confirm if the ACCC was investigating the airline, a spokesperson refused to comment, citing the commission’s policy of not commenting on ‘individual businesses or specific examples.’
‘Airlines are required to meet the consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) when they supply their services. These include providing services in a reasonable time, and supplying services with due care and skill,’ they continued.
‘Whether an airline has failed to meet these consumer guarantees will depend on the circumstances in any particular case.
‘Where services are cancelled in circumstances where the airline has not met these consumer guarantees, consumers are entitled to a remedy, which may be a replacement service, credit, or refund, depending on the circumstances.’
The ACCC spokesperson also noted consumer guarantees are unlikely to apply if an airline delays or cancels a flight due to the actions of a third party (such as a government implementing restrictions on the flight).
The Daily Mail has contacted Qantas for comment (pictured Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson)
The Daily Mail has contacted Qantas and Emirates for comment.
Emirates and Etihad Airways are also selling one-way tickets to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Thursday morning, with some seats retailing for over $7,000.
It comes as the 115,000 Australians stuck in the Middle East suffered a fresh blow on Monday night when the main repatriation route through Cyprus was suddenly closed.
The passenger terminal in Paphos, Cyprus, was evacuated about midday after a suspicious object was detected on the radar.
During past conflicts in the Middle East, Australians have been evacuated from the Gulf to Cyprus by ferry and then flown home, however, the escalation on Monday saw maritime routes to the island in southern Europe also shut.
Many have complained of a delay in hearing from consular officials and that the embassy phone line was not working.
