Emirates slip up sees free fares to Brazil

Emirates slip up sees free fares to Brazil

Emirates are in hot water after they accidentally offered fares between Brazil and Australia for AUD214, just the cost of taxes and charges, with the actual fare being zero.

The jubilation for some 300 people who bought them, expecting the airline to fly them at that rate after receiving email confirmation and e-tickets, turned to despair as the next day all bookings were cancelled, according to an article in the Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.

After some confusion the airline blamed a “technical error” which had lasted three hours, stating that any ticket issued in that time frame was void and would be cancelled, the paper reported.

Emirates are not the first airline to fall victim to such a glitch, with Qantas, American, Delta and Etihad also experiencing the error in the past year.

Emirates are taking a harsher stand in not honouring the tickets, unlike Etihad who honoured thousands of tickets when in 2014 mistakenly sold seats for AUD197 on Abu Dhabi-New York flights.

The Australian Consumer Law does not provide specific remedies for electronic airfare mistakes.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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