Ultimately, it’s incumbent on lawmakers to take steps to ensure this practice is discouraged.

Major airline faces backlash after using ‘ghost flights’ to exploit a legal loophole: ‘They weren’t even selling tickets’::Ultimately, it’s incumbent on lawmakers to take steps to ensure this practice is discouraged.

  • InverseParallax@lemmy.worldEnglish
    841·
    9 months ago

    In this case, Qatar Airways was making these extra journeys to avoid caps that allow it to make only 28 weekly trips to Australia’s major airports, which includes Melbourne. Landing at Adelaide Airport, which is not among that list, as the final destination enabled the airline to make additional journeys to Melbourne, as there were no limits on flights to non-major airports.

    Cute.

    • ShakeThatYam@lemmy.worldEnglish
      601·
      9 months ago

      Love the double standard. When you do this as a passenger to get a cheaper fare the airliner will ban you for life.

      • Kiernian@lemmy.worldEnglish
        28·
        9 months ago

        When you do this as a passenger to get a cheaper fare the airliner will ban you for life.

        Wait, are you saying if you buy a ticket from Orlando to Las Vegas and the flight stops for a planned plane change in Atlanta, if you get off in Atlanta because that was your actual destination and DON’T continue on to Vegas you can get in trouble?

        • CmdrShepard@lemmy.oneEnglish
          29·
          9 months ago

          Correct. “In trouble” depends on your definition though. They ban ot because they give discounts for common destinations but they don’t like it if you take advantage of the discount to fly to some less popular destination as a layover that would typically cost more if booked directly.

          • pazukaza@lemmy.mlEnglish
            2·
            9 months ago

            How can they even find out? You just go down with the other people who paid the direct trip there. Do they keep track somehow?

            • CmdrShepard@lemmy.oneEnglish
              10·
              9 months ago

              They know who’s aboard the plane and aboard any connecting flights. Not sure if they’d be able to tell if it was one where you stay on the same plane the whole time, but those aren’t as common IME.

    • Jackcooper@lemmy.world
      English
      81·
      9 months ago

      So I get how that’s bad for the environment and all

      But why are their flights limited to 28 in the first place?

      • doczombie@lemmy.worldEnglish
        21·
        9 months ago

        There is a bit of a scandal in aus at the moment about this. Qatar asked for more international flights (they back Virgin Australia, one of 2 major domestic carriers in Australia). Government said no, for undisclosed reasons.

        The “national” carrier Qantas are scumbags with the government in their pocket and likely quietly lobbied against it, but also Qatar International Airport did this to Australian citizens not that long ago:

        https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12817070

        So it’s just kind of dickheads all the way down.

        • Kanzar@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          9 months ago

          At the time, the airline also said it wasn’t their fault or responsibility it happened (i.e., they had no power over it happening), but now at the hearing they claim they will ensure it won’t happen again. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️