Qantas passenger slams airline for 'another price mistake': 'They have no consistency'
- Replies 11
Navigating the world of airline ticket sales could feel like a high-stakes gamble, especially when deals that seem too good to be true pop up.
For one Australian family, a supposed golden opportunity to travel in luxury turned into a lengthy ordeal that left them thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Brisbane local Aji Paul was over the moon when he stumbled upon an incredible deal for Qantas' first-class seats on flights to the United States.
Mr Paul and his family quickly booked their dream holiday, securing tickets that would typically be a fantasy for average travellers.
The first-class tickets cost about $17,500 for four passengers—a considerable fraction of their usual cost.
Mr Paul opted for the airline's 'Book Now, Pay Later' scheme, which required a $100 deposit to secure the tickets.
With the flights locked in, the Paul family planned their 2025 holiday with great anticipation.
However, the joy was short-lived.
Qantas soon realised the pricing error and had the right to cancel or refund the booked tickets.
As a 'gesture of goodwill', Qantas offered to rebook affected passengers into business class seats at no additional cost.
This rebooking still gave significant savings for the passengers, as business class seats were 65 per cent cheaper than usual.
Days after the initial booking, Mr Paul received a payment reminder that left him stunned: the price of his family's airfares skyrocketed to $100,121.
Thinking it was 'another price mistake', Mr Paul embarked on what would become a frustrating and time-consuming discussion with Qantas representatives.
'They had no consistency in what information they were giving.'
The situation escalated when a Qantas employee offered to 'resolve' Mr Paul's issue by asking if he wanted to pay $56,000 for business class tickets.
The ordeal dragged on for two weeks, which left Mr Paul confused and frustrated.
After a long wait, Qantas acknowledged the error and honoured the family's business class seats for the original booked price of $4,366.14 per ticket.
'We apologise to Mr Paul for the trouble and are contacting him to resolve the outstanding issues with his booking,' a Qantas spokesman stated.
Mr Paul's predicament could be a cautionary tale for travellers, especially for seniors who want to relax on their supposed holiday trips.
In the digital age, where errors could occur at the speed of light, it's essential to stay vigilant and double-check the fine print to avoid any long-standing concerns.
Have you ever encountered a similar situation with an online booking? How was it resolved? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.
For one Australian family, a supposed golden opportunity to travel in luxury turned into a lengthy ordeal that left them thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Brisbane local Aji Paul was over the moon when he stumbled upon an incredible deal for Qantas' first-class seats on flights to the United States.
Mr Paul and his family quickly booked their dream holiday, securing tickets that would typically be a fantasy for average travellers.
The first-class tickets cost about $17,500 for four passengers—a considerable fraction of their usual cost.
Mr Paul and his family's supposed stress-free holiday turned into a frustrating experience with Qantas customer support. Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dr Victor Wong
Mr Paul opted for the airline's 'Book Now, Pay Later' scheme, which required a $100 deposit to secure the tickets.
With the flights locked in, the Paul family planned their 2025 holiday with great anticipation.
However, the joy was short-lived.
The low prices were due to a glitch that happened to Qantas last 23 August, which listed its premium seats for up to an 85 per cent discount.Qantas soon realised the pricing error and had the right to cancel or refund the booked tickets.
As a 'gesture of goodwill', Qantas offered to rebook affected passengers into business class seats at no additional cost.
This rebooking still gave significant savings for the passengers, as business class seats were 65 per cent cheaper than usual.
Days after the initial booking, Mr Paul received a payment reminder that left him stunned: the price of his family's airfares skyrocketed to $100,121.
Thinking it was 'another price mistake', Mr Paul embarked on what would become a frustrating and time-consuming discussion with Qantas representatives.
'It's really terrible because, unfortunately, every person I speak to gives a totally different story,' Mr Paul lamented.'They had no consistency in what information they were giving.'
The situation escalated when a Qantas employee offered to 'resolve' Mr Paul's issue by asking if he wanted to pay $56,000 for business class tickets.
The ordeal dragged on for two weeks, which left Mr Paul confused and frustrated.
After a long wait, Qantas acknowledged the error and honoured the family's business class seats for the original booked price of $4,366.14 per ticket.
'We apologise to Mr Paul for the trouble and are contacting him to resolve the outstanding issues with his booking,' a Qantas spokesman stated.
Mr Paul's predicament could be a cautionary tale for travellers, especially for seniors who want to relax on their supposed holiday trips.
In the digital age, where errors could occur at the speed of light, it's essential to stay vigilant and double-check the fine print to avoid any long-standing concerns.
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Mr Paul was terribly naive and should have checked before booking.
