Snapshot 6:Fri, Mar 13, 2026 6:29:00 PM GMT last edited by Kevin

Qantas Pays A$105M to Settle COVID Flight Lawsuit

Published 1 day ago

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Above: Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Airways Ltd., speaks at the company's head office in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 26, 2026. Image credit: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Qantas is settling to move past a complex pandemic-era dispute, not because it broke the law. Airlines worldwide faced unprecedented shutdowns, border closures and refund backlogs that strained systems overnight. Qantas has already removed expiry dates on COVID credits and allowed indefinite refunds — showing the airline has worked to fix issues and compensate customers while stabilizing operations after an industry-wide crisis.

Qantas

ABC Australia on Youtube

The A$105 million settlement vindicates every passenger Qantas wronged by pocketing money for cancelled flights and stalling refunds for three-plus years before finally budging in 2023. The airline issued expiring credits instead of cash refunds, exploiting customers during COVID while benefiting from government support. Thankfully, parliamentary pressure and legal action forced Qantas to finally do right by customers it exploited during COVID.

Echo Law Australian Financial Review

Bridget McKenzie on X

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 50% chance that a Nobel Prize will be awarded for COVID-19-related accomplishments by Aug. 10, 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.