Airlines

Qantas flights take off from Melbourne to Jakarta

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With the national carrier’s today-launched new flights direct to Jakarta, Victorian passengers now have access to another overseas route from Melbourne.

The year-round service will complement Qantas’ currently scheduled flights from Sydney to Jakarta by operating three days per week on an Airbus A330. Together, these flights give passengers more flight options and nearly 300,000 annual seats between Australia and Jakarta than any other airline.

Following the introduction of flights to Delhi and Dallas-Fort Worth, the new service marks the fourth foreign route to be added to Qantas’ network from Melbourne since borders were once again opened. Last month, Qantas started flying flights from Melbourne to Tokyo again, using Haneda Airport for the first time. This allowed passengers to travel to and from downtown Tokyo in just under two hours less time than they would have had to use Narita Airport, where the trip had been operating prior to the pandemic.

The route is anticipated to be well-traveled by passengers heading to and from other significant Indonesian cities including Surabaya and Medan.

The Qantas Group operates up to 106 return flights per week from Australia to Indonesia, including Qantas and Jetstar flights from Melbourne to Bali.

Qantas recently announced a multi-million dollar investment in new menus, larger meals and premium produce across all cabins in its regional, domestic and international network. The new menu changes started to roll out last month and feature seasonal ingredients, including plant-based options, coinciding with Autumn. Grilled snapper with red chilli sambal, stir fried kai lan and steamed jasmine rice, and a beef goulash with capsicum, buttered green beans, roasted potatoes and black pepper sour cream are some of the menu items which feature on Qantas’ Melbourne-Jakarta flights.

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.

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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.