Qantas could face second class action over Covid credits

Commercial law firm Piper Alderman told a court it is potentially weeks out from filing a competing class action against Qantas for failing to give customers full cash refunds for cancelled flights during the pandemic. Appearing in the Federal Court on Thursday morning, Thomas Bagley, counsel for Piper Alderman, said the firm had spent six months investigating the major airline and could be prepared to file its own proceedings within the next fortnight. Piper Alderman’s potential class action will clash with proceedings lodged two months ago by Echo Law. Both firms alleged Qantas has “enjoyed significant financial benefits at its customers’ expense” for issuing travel credits or vouchers instead of full cash refunds for their cancelled COVID-19 flights. The vouchers were subject to “significant restrictions” and could expire, which Echo Law submitted meant they were of “much lower value to customers than the refunds to which they were entitled”. Echo Law counsel Dr Oren Bigos objected to Piper Alderman’s class action, telling the court because they did not have a lead applicant or had filed anything, that they had “simply turned up and said they want in”. Dr Bigos said that allowing Piper Alderman to interrupt the proceedings would delay the progress of setting down a timetable. “If the proceedings are put on hold … it will set a precedent that a person could turn up, without filing any proceeding of their own. He has turned up and hasn’t got his own proceeding,” Dr Bigos said. Having heard from Qantas that they are prepared to issue refunds to customers – and have started this process with Echo Law’s own lead applicant – Justice Murphy said without this competing class action, he would have sent them to a registrar instead to find an agreement.<br/>