Qantas Fined $120 Million for Selling Tickets on Cancelled Flights: Too Little, Too Late?
As I sat in my local café in Melbourne, sipping on a flat white and scrolling through my news feed, I came across a story that left me feeling rather unimpressed. Qantas, our national carrier, had just been fined a whopping $120 million for selling tickets on flights that they had cancelled. Now, I’m all for corporations being held accountable for their actions, but a penalty of $120 million for a company that made a post-tax profit of $1.25 billion last year seems like a slap on the wrist.
What really caught my attention, however, was the fact that Qantas had engaged in this practice over 86,000 times. Eighty-six thousand! It’s staggering to think about the number of people who were affected by this, and the amount of money that Qantas made from selling tickets on flights that they had no intention of operating.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said that Qantas’ actions were “unconscionable” and that the company had engaged in conduct that was “likely to deceive or mislead” consumers. Strong words, but ones that are entirely justified.
As I continued to read through the comments and articles about this issue, I was struck by the sheer breadth of public opinion. Some people were calling for Qantas to be nationalized, while others were saying that the fine was too small and that the company’s executives should be held personally accountable.
One comment that caught my eye was from a user who pointed out that Qantas had received over $900 million in job keeper payments and other government subsidies during the pandemic, and yet they were still engaging in this kind of behavior. It’s a stark reminder of the challenges of regulating corporate behavior and ensuring that companies are acting in the best interests of their customers.
As a Melburnian, I’m no stranger to the challenges of dealing with Qantas. I’ve had my fair share of flights delayed or cancelled, and I’ve experienced firsthand the frustration of trying to get help from the company’s customer service team.
But this issue is bigger than just Qantas. It’s about the broader culture of corporate accountability and the need for regulators to take strong action to protect consumers. It’s about ensuring that companies are acting in a way that is fair, transparent, and honest.
As one commenter pointed out, $120 million is a drop in the ocean compared to Qantas’ annual revenue. It’s a reminder that fines like this need to be commensurate with the company’s revenue and profits if they’re going to have any real impact.
So what’s the solution? For starters, we need stronger regulation and stricter penalties for corporate misconduct. We need companies to be held accountable for their actions, and for executives to be held personally responsible when they engage in wrongdoing.
We also need a cultural shift in the way that companies operate. We need them to prioritize their customers and to act in a way that is fair, transparent, and honest.
And finally, we need to hold our politicians accountable for their role in regulating corporate behavior. We need them to take a stronger stance on issues like this and to ensure that companies are acting in the best interests of their customers.
It’s a big ask, but it’s one that’s essential if we’re going to create a fairer, more just society. So let’s keep pushing for change and holding companies like Qantas to account. Our consumer rights depend on it.