Family hit with shock $100K flight bill after Qanats takes back its ‘good will’ offer

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPC (MSN 564)

A Brisbane man was astounded when, after booking four inexpensive first-class flights to the US due to a Qantas website error, he received a bill exceeding $100,000. This occurred despite the airline's promise to rebook customers in business class without additional charges.

In the early hours of the 23rd of August, Qantas mistakenly offered first-class tickets between Australia and the US at discounts of up to 85%.

While the airline's policy allows for cancellation and refunds in the event of a clear pricing error, it chose to rebook affected passengers in business class as a goodwill gesture, offering seats at up to 65% below the regular business class fare. However, passenger A Paul and his family, who were excitedly planning their trip and notifying friends in the States of their visit, were let down when Qantas did not honor its commitment.

Mr. Paul had secured four first-class return flights to Dallas, Texas, for the following year at approximately $17,500, opting for Qantas' 'Book Now, Pay Later' service with a $100 deposit to reserve the flights. Mr. Paul, like others who had paid in full, received an encouraging email from Qantas Customer Care stating that they would be rebooked in business class on the same flight at no extra cost.

The email assured Mr. Paul that no action was needed on his part and that updated tickets would be sent to him. Yet, without further communication, Mr. Paul discovered four days later that the total amount due had surged from $17,465 to $100,121. He described to reporters his shock at the situation, suspecting it might be "another pricing error."

Mr. Paul recounted the start of a "frustrating" week filled with calls to Qantas and various customer service representatives. "The experience is quite dreadful; regrettably, each representative tells a completely different story," He stated.

"There's no consistency in the information they provide," he added.

He mentioned that while some representatives offered solutions that never materialised, others seemed confused and were of no help at all, but all Qantas staff lacked compassion.

Eventually, he was advised to submit a complaint form, which he did, only to receive a call the following Friday inquiring if he wished to pay $56,000 for the business class tickets.

Mr. Paul expressed that he would have been understanding if he had been promptly informed of a pricing error and that the terms and conditions did not permit honoring it, accepting a refund of his deposit instead.

"That would have concluded the matter," he remarked.

However, he expressed significant frustration over the inconsistent information from staff, the lack of empathy, and from those who seemed unsure about the website error.

Turkish Airlines announces Sydney-Istanbul flights

TURKISH AIRLINES BOEING 787-9 TC-LLI (MSN 65809)

In December 2024, Turkish Airlines will inaugurate its first flight to Sydney, establishing a direct connection between Australia and Istanbul. The eagerly awaited service will be the first uninterrupted route from Sydney to Istanbul, initially operating four times weekly via Kuala Lumpur starting from the 5th of December.

The route to Sydney will be serviced by an Airbus A350-900, featuring 329 seats—32 in Business Class and 297 in Economy. The transition to a direct service will provide a quick, uninterrupted link to Istanbul, connecting passengers to over 340 destinations in 130 countries through Turkish Airlines' extensive network.

Scott Charlton, CEO of Sydney Airport, stated: "This direct flight is a significant breakthrough for European travel, granting passengers direct access to Turkish Airlines' hub in Istanbul."

"With a substantial Turkish community in New South Wales and Türkiye being a favored destination for Australian tourists, we expect this new service to be well-received."

The first flight is scheduled to land in Sydney on the 5th of December 2024, at 6:30 pm AEST.

Remembering 9/11 - 23 years ago today

The September 11 attacks, commonly referred to as 9/11, consisted of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the extremist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

On that morning, four commercial airliners traveling from the northeastern United States to California were hijacked mid-flight by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. The hijackers were organized into three groups of five hijackers and one group of four. Each group had one hijacker who had received flight training and took over control of the aircraft. Their explicit goal was to crash each plane into a prominent American building, causing mass casualities and partial or complete destruction of the targeted buildings.

The first plane to hit its target was American Airlines Flight 11. It was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan at 8:46 am. Seventeen minutes later at 9:03 am, the World Trade Center's South Tower was hit by United Airlines Flight 175. Both 110-story towers collapsed an hour and forty-two minutes later, leading to the collapse of the other World Trade Center structures including 7 World Trade Center, and significantly damaging surrounding buildings.

A third flight, American Airlines Flight 77, flown from Dulles International Airport, was hijacked over Ohio. At 9:37 am, it crashed into the west side of the Pentagon (the headquarters of the American military) in Arlington County, Virginia, causing a partial collapse of the building's side. The fourth, and final flight, United Airlines Flight 93, was flown in the direction of Washington, D.C. This flight was the only plane not to hit its intended target, instead crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 am. The plane's passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft away from the hijackers and ultimately diverted the flight from its intended target. Investigators determined that Flight 93's target was either the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term health consequences, in addition to at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 340 and 72 killed, respectively.

“The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were not only assaults on the United States of America, they were also aimed at the global air transportation system,”.

The 19 hijackers involved killed almost 3,000 people that day.

American Airlines flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175 were the first to crash into the buildings – both killing over 2,500 people, including the terrorists and the flight crew.

Then, American Airlines flight 77 crashed and killed almost 200 people.

The “ultimate sacrifice” of all flight crew, especially on the last flight, United Airlines flight 93, who disrupted the final attack, resulting in the death of all onboard.

United Airlines flight 93 coming from Newark was the one hijack attempt that failed to reach the buildings, as flight crew were able to deter the jet, landing in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Although all died, many commemorate the first responders on that aircraft who potentially saved thousands of other lives that would have been lost if it crashed into the buildings.

Aircraft in September 11 attacks:

American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767-200ER with 92 people on board, registration N334AA

United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767-200 with 65 people on board, registration N612UA.

American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-200 with 64 people on board, registration N644AA

United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757-200 with 44 people on board, registration N591UA

TO EVERYONE THAT LOST A LOVED ONE THAT DAY AND TO THOSE LEFT BEHIND WHO STILL SUFFER, WE RESPECTFULLY SEND OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO YOU ALL ON THIS DAY.

New travel rules for Australian's heading to the UK

Starting January 2025, Australians traveling to the UK will be required to complete a new form and pay an associated fee before their flight. This new requirement is the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), an online application that must be approved prior to boarding a flight to the UK.

The ETA is very similar to the USA's ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) and upcoming similar systems for Europe, Thailand, and Japan. It is a digital visa-waiver intended mainly for tourists and business visitors, not a substitute for a standard visa.

Currently mandatory for visitors from Gulf countries like Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the UK ETA will be globally implemented in two phases. From the 8th of January 2025, most non-European travelers will need an ETA for UK entry, except those with an eVisa.

This includes citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, who can apply starting 27 November 2024.

The ETA costs £10 ($19.66 Aus), payable by credit or debit card during the online application. It allows multiple entries into the UK for up to six months per visit, valid for two years or until the passport expires.

Most European nationals will require an ETA from the 2nd of April 2025.

Applications for the UK ETA can be made online via the UK Government website or through the UK ETA app for Apple and Android devices.

The process requires submitting contact and passport information, a valid digital photo, answering a questionnaire, and paying the £10 fee with a credit or debit card.

Seven passengers injured on a Scoot flight

SCOOT BOEING 787-9 9V-OJE (MSN 37116)

A Scoot Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operating flight TR100 from Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN/WSSS) to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN/ZGGG) suddenly encountered turbulence during its approach to Guangzhou, causing seven passengers to receive injuries, one of whom required hospitalisation, according to a report released to the media.

The aircraft took off on 6th of September 2024, at 5:45 am local Singapore time. The flight lasted three and a half hours and landed without further incident. In a statement to the media, the airline's spokesperson said:

"We can confirm that four passengers and three crew members received medical assistance immediately upon arrival in Guangzhou. As at 8.30 pm local time, one passenger was hospitalised for further observation."

Scoot, owned by Singapore Airlines Group, added that this was a case of clear air turbulence, which occurred at an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet (6000 metres).

Singapore Airlines has announced a compensation package and reiterated its commitment to provide full support and assistance to all passengers traveling on the flight.

Clear air turbulence (CAT) is invisible and dangerous, as pilots have little warning when navigating through it. CAT is a unique meteorological phenomenon that occurs when turbulent masses of air moving at different speeds collide without visual clues, such as clouds, to indicate such movement. As a result, pilots are often blindsided when commercial airliners, even those as large as a Boeing 777 or Boeing 787, encounter clear air turbulence.

This type of turbulence is particularly hazardous because it can strike when passengers and crew are moving around the cabin or seated without their seatbelts fastened. However, even in extreme cases, injuries are uncommon if passengers receive sufficient warning and are wearing their seatbelts properly.

Scientists suggest that climate change is contributing to the increased frequency of clear air turbulence. In a comment to the BBC, Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, said:

"In simple terms, climate change is increasing the temperature difference between the warm and cold air masses that collide to form the jet stream in the upper atmosphere. This effect is making the jet stream less stable and allowing more turbulence to break out."

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Scoot

Code: TR/TGW

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: 9V-OJD

Serial Number: 37115

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 1000

First Flew: 6th May 2015

Age: 9.4 Years

Emirates will soon terminate flights between Melbourne and Singapore

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EEU (MSN 147)

Emirates has requested to cease its operations on the flight route between Singapore and Melbourne and return, thereby discontinuing all long-haul flights between the two cities.

Last week, Emirates announced that the airline would set a termination date after receiving the final assessment from the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). This assessment will outline the implications of being released from its capacity commitments established in an alliance with Qantas.

Emirates will no longer operate its own aircraft on the Singapore to Melbourne route. However, the airline has stated that it will continue to offer direct flights between Melbourne and Singapore through its codeshare partner, Qantas. Code sharing is a cooperative arrangement where airlines carry passengers holding tickets issued by another airline.

For those unfamiliar with codesharing, it means that while passengers book through one airline and their tickets display that airline's flight number, some segments of their journey may be on flights operated by a different airline and have a different flight number than what's on their ticket.

On the 8th of August, the CCCS disclosed that Emirates had sought to end its operations on this route. The decision to terminate was attributed to the "highly competitive nature of services to and from Singapore," referencing the entry of Singapore Airlines Group and Turkish Airlines onto the route in March.

Currently, the Singapore-Melbourne route is also served by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Jetstar, and Turkish Airlines. 

Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Jetstar, and Scoot each provide one daily flight, Qantas has two daily flights, while Singapore Airlines offers five daily flights.

Air New Zealand has started sending planes to the Australian desert?

Last month Air New Zealand announced it was going to send some of its out-of-service aircraft into storage in the Australian desert. The national carrier has been grappling with supply problems with Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney engines for months. In some cases, the engines of brand-new domestic jets were used on internationally configured aircraft.

In a statement, Air NZ said a combination of A321, and 787 aircraft would fly to Alice Springs for storage as “the dry and low humidity conditions are very suitable for aircraft storage, and the move frees up space at our Auckland hangars for its scheduled engineering and maintenance programme”.

Alice Springs famously became a storage area for aircraft during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic with up to 180 aircraft parked up there at one stage. (Cathay Pacific had over 60 aircraft there)

An A321, with the registration ZK-OYC (MSN11096), landed in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory on Tuesday the 27th of August at 12.28 pm. Flightradar24 shows the aircraft leaving Auckland for Adelaide on Monday afternoon, before flying to Alice Springs the next day.

This particular plane was introduced with fanfare in February 2023. It had been designed specifically for short-haul and domestic routes to fly predominantly on the airline’s trunk routes, between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin.

The next day, Wednesday the 28th of August a Boeing 777-300 with the registration B-KQG (MSN 42142) landed from Hong Kong at 8.36 am, but Flightradar24 has it in Air New Zealand colours.

Then, two days later on Friday the 30th of August a Boeing 787-9 with the registration ZK-NZF) landed at 11.06 am from Auckland 

Air NZ will have up to four aircraft on the ground in Alice Springs at any one time and it will swap them in and out as engines become available.

Last year, CEO Greg Foran warned schedules would be affected by the engine issues for up to two years. In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney said there was a condition affecting the maintenance plan for the Geared Turbofan jet engine fleet, with up to 700 engines globally impacted over three years.

As a result, Air NZ halted flights to Hobart and Seoul to help maintain “a reliable service across the rest of our network and get customers on our most in-demand routes to where they need to be,” said Foran at the time. It also entered twice into lease agreements with Spanish charter airline Wamos Air to fly on the Auckland-Perth route.

I believe there is another 787 and two more A321's yet to arrive in the next few weeks.