Qantas Class Action

Echo Law has commenced a class action on behalf of Qantas customers whose flights were cancelled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022 — including cancellations caused by COVID-19. The case alleges that Qantas breached its contracts and misled customers about their refund rights by issuing travel credits instead of cash refunds. The matter is currently before the Federal Court of Australia.

You may be eligible if you purchased or held a ticket for a Qantas domestic or international flight that was cancelled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022, and you were not automatically given a refund or rebooking — most commonly because Qantas issued you a travel credit instead. This claim was issued on an open class basis, meaning eligible customers are automatically included as Group Members.

Yes. Even if you eventually used your travel credits or received a refund from Qantas, you may still be eligible. The class action alleges that customers suffered losses because they were out of pocket for a significant period when they should have been refunded promptly — including loss of use of money and interest. Those losses do not disappear if a refund was eventually provided.

The $105 million settlement fund is intended to compensate eligible Group Members for losses including outstanding refunds, the difference between the value of credits issued versus a cash refund, interest, and compensation for the loss of use of money for a lengthy period. Individual compensation amounts will depend on each person's circumstances and will be assessed once the Court approves the settlement process.

No. Following this matter and registering as a Group Member is completely free. There are no out-of-pocket costs to participate. This proceeding is supported by third-party litigation funding from CASL and Omni Bridgeway, meaning you will not pay legal fees or bear costs if the case is unsuccessful. If compensation is recovered, legal and funding costs are deducted from the settlement — never from your own pocket.

The class action is being run by Echo Law, a class actions-focused firm, together with Piper Alderman. Echo Law is the solicitor on record and has a track record in complex class action litigation across Australia. The proceeding is funded by CASL and Omni Bridgeway, two of Australia's most experienced litigation finance organisations.

No. Following this matter creates no legal obligation, no solicitor-client relationship, and no commitment of any kind. It means you will receive public updates about court steps, notices, and published outcomes as they occur. If the Court approves a settlement distribution process, you will be notified about next steps at that time.

The Qantas Flight Credits Class Action concerns travel credits issued to customers whose Qantas flights were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proceeding alleges that customers were entitled to cash refunds, but were instead issued travel credits or vouchers that were subject to restrictions.

The Federal Court proceeding is Haverkort v Qantas Airways Limited, proceeding number VID650/2023.

The class action was brought by Echo Law and Piper Alderman on behalf of affected Qantas customers whose flights were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The settlement relates to flights scheduled to depart between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022 that were cancelled by Qantas.

The proceeding alleges that Qantas breached contractual obligations by failing to provide cash refunds, or failing to provide refunds in a timely way, for flights that were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The credits were controversial because many customers said they were difficult to use, subject to restrictions, or worth less than receiving a prompt cash refund for a cancelled flight.

In August 2023, Qantas removed expiry dates on COVID-era flight credits, meaning affected customers could request a cash refund indefinitely.

No. Qantas has stated that the proposed $105 million settlement is made with no admission of liability.

A proposed settlement has been announced. Qantas has agreed to pay $105 million to resolve the class action, but the settlement is subject to approval by the Federal Court of Australia.

Not yet. The settlement has been agreed between the parties on 13 March 2026, but it must still be approved by the Federal Court before it becomes final.

If the Federal Court approves the settlement, a court-approved settlement administration process is expected to determine eligible group members, payment steps, deductions and distribution of compensation.

Yes. Echo Law and Piper Alderman have described the settlement as compensation in addition to Qantas' earlier commitment to provide refunds to COVID credit holders. The exact interaction between refunds and compensation will depend on the approved settlement scheme.

Individual payment amounts have not been confirmed in the information currently available. Payments may depend on the final approved settlement scheme, the number of eligible participants, administration costs, legal costs, funding costs and the value or circumstances of affected bookings.