Australia’s consumer watchdog has started to scrutinise local airlines after finding airfares have increased dramatically since early this year, with no sign of relief for the upcoming Christmas holidays. As the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its latest quarterly airline competition report, the agency said it would keep a close eye on aviation…

An industrial dispute between Qantas and the the airline’s 1,200 flight attendants may cause delays around Christmas after 99 percent of the airline’s attendants voted in favour of a 24-hour strike if the carrier does not agree with a better deal. The union has said it would try to limit the impact on Australian travellers by taking…

Qantas says ongoing strong travel demand means it now expects to make $150 million (US$99.6 million)more than it previously forecast for the current half-year. The national carrier now expects an underlying pre-tax profit of between $1.35 billion to $1.45 billion for the six months to December 31, up from its October forecast of $1.2 billion and…

Farmers have criticised Qantas for serving foreign-sourced cheese and crackers aboard its flights. However, the Flying Kangaroo has hit right back, saying the claim is misinformed. New South Wales (NSW) Farmers chief executive Peter Arkle said serving New Zealand-produced snacks to Qantas passengers was “hardly in the spirit of Australia.” “The cheese isn’t from an…

Qantas, the national airline carrier of Australia, has said the worst of the COVID-19 crisis is now over, despite posting an annual loss for the third year since the pandemic. “With the existential crisis posed by the pandemic now over, the Group is focused on responding to current operational challenges,” reads a statement by the…

Engineers at the Australian flag carrier Qantas and its wholly owned subsidiary Jetstar are planning to take industrial action in an attempt to make the companies agree to their pay rise demand. In a ballot held by the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALEA), the majority of members have backed industrial action in the upcoming…

Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier, has asked its senior executives to work as baggage handlers as the company struggles to hire employees. “The high levels of winter flu and a Covid spike across the community, coupled with the ongoing tight labor market, make resourcing a challenge across our industry,” said Colin Hughes, Qantas chief operating officer, in an…

Australians hoping to get away for Christmas need to start booking flights now as last-minute travel is a thing of the past, travel experts have warned. Aussies should not expect to be able to book a flight within a month to any desired destination at any kind of discount, said Quentin Long, co-founder of Australian…

Flight delays and long queues are expected to worsen from today as ground crews at Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane airports launch the first steps of industrial action. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) applied to the Fair Work Commission on July 26 for a ballot on strike action as it negotiates a new workplace agreement with…

Domestic airfares in Australia have risen sharply since May by as much as 96 percent in some areas, with industry experts expecting that air ticket prices will remain high for some time. The average round-trip price for a domestic flight was AU $409 (US$282) in July, up 24 percent from May, according to a market…