Qantas agrees to pay $79 million in compensation and a fine for selling seats on canceled flights

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Qantas Airways has agreed to pay $79 million in compensation and a fine for selling tickets on thousands of cancelled flights. The airline and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced the settlement on Monday to end the watchdog’s federal lawsuit. Qantas had engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by advertising tickets for more than 8,000 flights from May 2021 through to July 2022 that were canceled but not removed from sale. Qantas agreed to settle the suit by paying a $66 million fine to the Australian government and a projected $13 million to more than 86,000 affected customers. The settlement has not yet been accepted by a judge.