Airlines

Qantas expands Frequent Flyer deal with China Airlines

Frequent flyers can now use their Qantas Points to travel to more than 75 destinations around the world with China Airlines, as Qantas expands its partnership with the Taipei-based carrier.

The expansion means Qantas Frequent Flyers can use points to book Classic Flight Reward seats on all China Airlines flights, adding more destinations to the 1,200 they can already fly to using points and providing another option to many other destinations particularly across Asia and Europe.

Qantas Frequent Flyer and PETstock launch new partnership(Opens in a new browser tab)

Frequent Flyers were previously able to use points to travel on China Airlines between Australia and Taipei only. Members can travel from Sydney to Da Nang in Economy using 37,800 points, from Melbourne to Amsterdam in Business using 159,000 points or from Sydney to Taipei in Business using 75,000 points (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges). Bookings will also be able to be made through the Contact Centre shortly.

China Airlines offers full-service (Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins), and operates thousands of flights each week across its extensive international network spanning 23 countries.

Qantas recently extended its commitment to 50 percent more reward seat availability on international flights for an additional six months, releasing tens of thousands of new reward seats.

China Airlines Classic Flight Reward seats include:

Route (one-way)	ECONOMY		BUSINESS
Route (one-way)	Qantas Points	TFCCs	Qantas Points	TFCCs
Sydney to New York	66,200	248.7	159,000	248.7
Brisbane to London	66,200	192.6	159,000	192.6
Melbourne to Amsterdam	66,200	179.77	159,000	179.77
Brisbane to Tokyo	37,800	167.6	90,000	167.6
Sydney to Osaka	37,800	165.3	90,000	165.3
Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh	45,000	154.77	104,500	154.77

*Values displayed are current as at 14 March 2023 and are subject to change. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable to Qantas (excluding any amounts payable to third parties at the airport) in addition to the points required.

Airlines

Federal Court Imposes $100M Fine on Qantas for “Ghost Flights” Scandal

In a major ruling, the Federal Court has confirmed a hefty A$100 million penalty against Qantas for its involvement in the “ghost flights” scandal. As reported by FlightGlobal.

The court found that Qantas misled consumers by offering and selling tickets for flights that the airline had already decided to cancel. Adding to the controversy, Qantas failed to promptly notify ticket holders about these cancellations.

The penalty follows Qantas’ admission of violating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The airline agreed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the penalty amount, aiming to deter Qantas and other businesses from similar breaches in the future.

Embraer Opens Applications for 2025 Software and Data Science Training Initiative

The ACCC emphasized that this substantial fine sends a clear message: misleading customers will lead to serious consequences, regardless of a company’s size. In addition to the penalty, Qantas has committed to paying approximately A$20 million to affected passengers who unknowingly purchased tickets for canceled flights.

This compensation comes on top of any refunds or alternative flight arrangements already provided. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb praised the penalty, underscoring the importance of robust compliance programs red energy qantas in large corporations like Qantas.

She pointed out that Qantas has since made changes to its operating and scheduling procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.