A couple who were unable to board their Qantas flight during Covid lockdowns and were told they were not eligible for a refund because they were a “no-show” have finally won their battle to get their funds returned, after three years of wrangling.
Healthcare worker Kieran McGregor and his partner booked their flights through travel agency Expedia and were due to fly from Melbourne to Darwin on 18 July 2021.
When Covid cases began to rise again, McGregor brought forward his departure date to July 16 in the hope of avoiding another lockdown in Victoria.
However, then Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the state’s fifth lockdown on July 15, preventing McGregor and his partner from travelling.
“How could I possibly fly if Victoria was in lockdown and I couldn’t get more than 5km from home?” McGregor said. News.com.au last week.
In seeking a refund, they had to repeatedly deal with Expedia and Qantas; Expedia blamed Qantas for not issuing the refund, while Qantas insisted Expedia had the couple’s money.
It wasn’t until last week, more than three years after their missed flight, that the couple finally received a refund.
A couple who were unable to board their Qantas flight during Covid lockdowns in 2021 were told they were not eligible for a refund because they were a ‘no-show’
Expedia (pictured) blamed Qantas for failing to issue the refund while Qantas insisted Expedia held the couple’s money.
During an exchange on X last year, Expedia said: ‘We just got off the phone with the airline and as they informed us, the ticket is listed as suspended due to a no-show.
“Your ticket is non-refundable and has no value according to the airline. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Qantas, meanwhile, told McGregor that “the funds will remain with the agency you booked with” and insisted he contact Expedia to request a refund.
Mr McGregor was infuriated by the reaction of both companies and said his claim of $2,500 was nothing compared to the “billions of dollars in profits” they rake in.
The companies have promised McGregor he will receive a refund this week, but it is unclear which one will pick up the bill.
“For flight bookings on Expedia, we generally follow the policies of our travel partners, so any refunds are determined by the airline,” an Expedia spokeswoman said.
“We have reviewed this case with Qantas and will be in touch with the traveller to process the refund.”
A Qantas spokesperson said: “We apologise for the lengthy delay in resolving this issue and are processing a full refund for your bookings.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Qantas and Expedia for further comment.
Qantas told McGregor that “the funds will remain with the agency you booked with” and insisted that he contact Expedia to request a refund (pictured)
Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce (pictured) was questioned last year over the expiry date of credits issued during the Covid pandemic.
Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson announced last week that the company had posted an underlying, pre-tax profit of $2.08 billion for the 2023-24 financial year.
The figure was 16 percent lower than the previous year.
Ms Hudson called the result “strong” and attributed the decline to lower airfares and lower freight revenue.
Last year, Qantas faced a massive backlash over the expiry dates of credits issued for Covid refunds, worth $370 million.
The then outgoing chief executive, Alan Joyce, faced intense questioning from politicians over the controversy at a Senate hearing in August 2023.
Shortly afterward, the airline retracted its decision on the expiration date and scrapped the limit amid growing public outcry.
The massive backlog of travel credits built up during the Covid pandemic when flights around the world were cancelled amid widespread border closures.
The policy reversal allowed customers who had flights cancelled before October 2021 to keep flight credits indefinitely or obtain refunds.
They also offered a limited-time offer to double your frequent flyer points for flights booked with relevant travel credits before December 31, 2023.
Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson (pictured) announced last week that the company had an underlying, pre-tax profit of $2.08 billion for the 2023-24 financial year.
“Qantas Group will remove the expiry date on Covid travel credits that were due to expire at the end of this year,” a spokesperson said at the time.
‘Qantas customers with Covid credits can request a cash refund, and Jetstar customers can use their Covid vouchers for flights, indefinitely.
It was the fourth change the airline has made to its flight refund policy in the wake of the pandemic.