Qantas faces class action over COVID credits

The news: Plaintiff firm Echo Law has launched a class action against Qantas, alleging the airline pushed customers towards flight credits during the pandemic when they should have been eligible for cash refunds. It is also calling for reimbursement for lost interest for customers who were unable to access their money for three years.

The numbers: During the pandemic, Qantas cancelled $2 billion of booked flights for hundreds of thousands of customers and has since returned $1.2 billion. According to recent half-year results, Qantas still had $800 million in unclaimed credits.

The context: Qantas has rejected the claims. A spokesman for the airline told the Australian Financial Review that most customers with COVID credits could get a refund, and Qantas had been encouraging those wanting refunds to contact it directly.