Australia’s Qantas blames ‘coding error’ for 85% discount on first-class flights

Australian airline Qantas has blamed a “coding error” for vastly reduced pricing on hundreds of first-class flights sold last week.

Around 300 travellers grabbed the tickets, priced at discounts of up to 85 per cent on the usual fare rate for flights between Australia and the US.

Currently, a first-class journey between Sydney to New York comes in at around $15,000 AUD (US$10,000).

“Unfortunately, this is a case where the fare was actually too good to be true,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Qantas’ terms and conditions allow it to rescind the offer if there is “an error or mistake that is reasonably obvious.”

“As a gesture of goodwill, we’re rebooking customers in Business Class at no additional cost,” the statement continued. “Customers also have the option of a full refund.”

Qantas unveiled new first and business-class suites for its longest routes last year. These suites feature fully enclosed sleeping spaces, lie-flat beds, and customisable lighting.

The nonstop flights, set to be launched in early 2025, are expected to be the world’s longest, connecting Sydney to New York and London.

Such journeys usually involve a stopover in places like San Francisco, Singapore, or Dubai, but in this instance, passengers will spend up to 21 hours in the air.

In May, the airline agreed to pay nearly 8,000 would-be passengers up to about US$300 after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission accused it of selling tickets for flights that it knew were cancelled.

The company did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment at the time. In a statement, it said “mistakes were made,” but that it “did not delay communicating with our passengers for commercial gain.”