Fancy a quick flight between Sydney and Melbourne? An overnight glitch in Qantas' IT system threw up fares of over $11,000 for the one-way trip – in economy class!
That's almost the same price as a Qantas first class return ticket between Sydney and London, and works out at a staggering $122 for every minute you spend on the short flight.
The sky-high fares were listed across the board, from the cheapest Red-e Deal fares to the most expensive business class seats.
Return tickets came in at a staggering $22,000.
Australian Business Traveller reader Clarence Fong spotted the SNAFU, which a good-humoured Qantas spokesperson confirmed was the result of "an IT issue" which was being fixed this morning.
It's a turnabout from the usual 'online oops' which sees tickets listed at phenomenally lower rates which eagle-eyed flyers are quick to snap up. But we don't think anybody would have made a rush on these fares...
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Aug 2012
Total posts 65
Maybe if Qantas FF points were on a point-per-dollar basis like Virgin Australia, I might have been tempted ;)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jan 2013
Total posts 698
On the plus side, no penalty to fly Business with that glitch lol
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jun 2013
Total posts 8
it would be hilarious if someone actually paid that price.
19 Jan 2012
Total posts 427
Actually, the QF online booking system is filled with money pits for the unwary, in ways that are clearly not considered to be glitches:
1. Routing multi-sector premium fares (first/business) onto Jetstar legs (no service economy) rather than flights with premium cabins
2. Charging the full premium fare for multi-sector routes when only one of the legs is in premium, including n cases where the sort positioning flight is in biz and the main flight ends up in economy even though its a QF flight with premium cabin (e.g. $6000 one way HNL to CNS with the HNL-SYD leg in economy)
3. Presenting the Jetstar option as the first choice even when there are QF flights on the route if you know to check for alternative flights
Maybe not quite on the $11,000 level but certainly on the $5000 level of entrapment.
Go QF continue to treat your customers with such abject arrogance and disrespect.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards (Plat)
03 Jan 2012
Total posts 10
No where near as good as when Virgin's Sabre changeover stuffed up. A few hundred people scored reward return VA business class flights from Hobart to BALI for $0 plus the cost of taxes (which was only a 10,000 points plus a few dollars).
I may, or may not, have booked 2 return trips, along with many of my friends.
Oh combine that with full status credit earn on reward flights, plus my regular flying for work... won't be long and I'll be after a Status-Credit-Based level above Plat ;)
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