Lawyer books 58 free flights with Jetstar loophole: ‘Pay me what’s mine’
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Navigating airline policies and promotions can sometimes leave passengers feeling out of pocket.
But for one Kiwi lawyer, it became a quest to exploit a loophole, which led to a legal battle with Jetstar, the subsidiary of Australia's national carrier, Qantas.
This tale of wits and wills might just have you rethinking your approach to booking flights–or at least leave you with a fascinating story to share at your next gathering.
Barugh's journey began with a 'return for free' promotion by Jetstar New Zealand, which he approached with a lawyer's eye for opportunity.
He booked a flight from Auckland to Sydney, only to cancel the outbound leg and receive a credit from the airline.
He used this credit to book a return trip from Sydney to Auckland and repeated the cancellation process.
The result? Barugh ended up with two flights for which he paid absolutely nothing.
Barugh continued this process 57 more times, accumulating 58 free flights.
Barugh, who runs a small law firm in New Zealand and is also admitted to practice in New South Wales, has become a significant irritant for Jetstar.
Rather than using the flights, he's seeking a settlement from the airline, claiming he's entitled to a refund on the taxes associated with the flights, amounting to approximately $4,500 AUD.
‘F*** yeah, I did, and what? Nothing unlawful about booking 58 separate SYD-AKL $0 flights. Now asking Jetstar NZ to refund the taxes. but they're having a sook,’ he said.
‘I'm just asking Jetstar to pay me what's mine by virtue of the deeming provision in s 10(2) of the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act.’
Barugh referred to a specific provision in the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act that entitles a refund of the $60 tax collected by the Australian government on outgoing passengers.
‘Honestly, even if I lose this, I'm f*****g proud of this effort,’ he said.
His claim is currently before the Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand, and he's taken to social media to document his quest, garnering both support and criticism.
‘Jetstar and Qantas are very quick to rely on the fine print rather than talking about fairness when it comes to dealing with customers who have experienced disruption to their travel plans,’ he said.
Jetstar, for its part, has contested the claim, arguing that the New Zealand tribunal lacks jurisdiction over a matter centred around Australian law and that Barugh is not entitled to a refund.
You may see Barugh’s post below:
Credit: @BarughTyrone / Twitter
This legal battle follows Qantas’ admission that it misled customers by selling tickets for flights it knew would be cancelled, dubbed as ‘ghost flights’.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took Qantas to court, and the airline agreed to refund approximately $20 million to 86,597 affected customers.
Have you ever found yourself on the losing end of a travel deal? Or perhaps you've discovered a loophole of your own? Share your stories with us in the comments below!
But for one Kiwi lawyer, it became a quest to exploit a loophole, which led to a legal battle with Jetstar, the subsidiary of Australia's national carrier, Qantas.
This tale of wits and wills might just have you rethinking your approach to booking flights–or at least leave you with a fascinating story to share at your next gathering.
Barugh's journey began with a 'return for free' promotion by Jetstar New Zealand, which he approached with a lawyer's eye for opportunity.
He booked a flight from Auckland to Sydney, only to cancel the outbound leg and receive a credit from the airline.
A young lawyer asked for a settlement from Jetstar because of the airline’s loophole. Credit: Shutterstock
He used this credit to book a return trip from Sydney to Auckland and repeated the cancellation process.
The result? Barugh ended up with two flights for which he paid absolutely nothing.
Barugh continued this process 57 more times, accumulating 58 free flights.
Barugh, who runs a small law firm in New Zealand and is also admitted to practice in New South Wales, has become a significant irritant for Jetstar.
Rather than using the flights, he's seeking a settlement from the airline, claiming he's entitled to a refund on the taxes associated with the flights, amounting to approximately $4,500 AUD.
‘F*** yeah, I did, and what? Nothing unlawful about booking 58 separate SYD-AKL $0 flights. Now asking Jetstar NZ to refund the taxes. but they're having a sook,’ he said.
‘I'm just asking Jetstar to pay me what's mine by virtue of the deeming provision in s 10(2) of the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act.’
Barugh referred to a specific provision in the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act that entitles a refund of the $60 tax collected by the Australian government on outgoing passengers.
‘Honestly, even if I lose this, I'm f*****g proud of this effort,’ he said.
His claim is currently before the Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand, and he's taken to social media to document his quest, garnering both support and criticism.
‘Jetstar and Qantas are very quick to rely on the fine print rather than talking about fairness when it comes to dealing with customers who have experienced disruption to their travel plans,’ he said.
Jetstar, for its part, has contested the claim, arguing that the New Zealand tribunal lacks jurisdiction over a matter centred around Australian law and that Barugh is not entitled to a refund.
You may see Barugh’s post below:
Credit: @BarughTyrone / Twitter
This legal battle follows Qantas’ admission that it misled customers by selling tickets for flights it knew would be cancelled, dubbed as ‘ghost flights’.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took Qantas to court, and the airline agreed to refund approximately $20 million to 86,597 affected customers.
