Major change coming to Qantas – and it’s bad news for Aussies
Qantas has quietly increased the fees for changing or cancelling bookings for domestic flights.
The national airline is increasing the price for changing a flight, changing the name on a booking or cancelling a flight from $99 to $119 for various fare types from October 9.
The increase affects flight changes for ‘Red eDeal’ economy tickets, name changes and cancellations for economy ‘Flex’ flights and all changes and cancellations for premium economy ‘Saver’ tickets.
This applies to group tickets, tickets purchased through Qantas Business Rewards and all tickets purchased or issued from 9 October onwards.
The other tariff conditions remain unchanged.
Qantas also announced that the first change to a domestic flight booked before October 9 will be subject to the $99 fee, even after the change has been made.
Last Friday, the airline quietly implemented the first change since 2017. An FAQ with relevant information was uploaded, but no statement was made.
“Qantas continually monitors fares, surcharges and operating costs and has made adjustments to these … costs as a result,” the FAQ states.
Qantas has quietly increased the price for changing a flight, name on a booking or cancelling a flight from $99 to $119 for various fare types from October 9 (stock image)
The change was announced shortly before the publication of Qantas’ annual report and sustainability report on Thursday.
The reports were aimed at improving customer confidence after the airline posted a pre-tax profit of $2.08 billion for the 2023-24 financial year.
Changes have been announced to Qantas’ executive remuneration framework to make executive bonuses more transparent.
Customer results will also carry more weight in annual bonuses, while brand reputation is being introduced as a performance measure for long-term incentives.
The increase affects ‘Red eDeal’ and ‘Flex’ economy tickets and premium economy ‘Saver’ tickets issued after October 8 (stock image)
“Qantas has made significant progress over the past 12 months, but we know there is much more to be done to restore our customers’ confidence,” Qantas chairman Richard Goyder said in a statement.
‘We have seen strong improvements in punctuality, customer satisfaction and reputation for both Qantas and Jetstar, and the Group is performing strongly financially.
‘This financial strength allows us to continue investing in new aircraft, improving the experience for our customers and employees.
‘The Board has listened to feedback on our executive compensation structure and has implemented a number of changes that we believe will deliver better outcomes for our stakeholders.’