Published
July 7, 2026
Updated
October 3, 2026
Qantas agreed to pay $105 million AUD to settle a class action over the flight credits it issued instead of refunds during the pandemic, and the registration deadline for its more than a million potential group members was October 2, 2026. The Federal Court of Australia approval hearing is set for October 13, 2026; for U.S. readers it is an Australian case to watch, not a settlement with money to claim here.
What Happened
Qantas has agreed to a $105 million AUD settlement to resolve a class action over its handling of COVID-era flight credits. When the airline cancelled large numbers of domestic and international flights during the pandemic, it issued travel credits rather than promptly refunding customers. The class action alleged that this breached Qantas's contractual obligations and the Australian Consumer Law by failing to refund passengers within a reasonable time. Qantas agreed to settle in March 2026 without admitting liability, and the settlement is now subject to court approval.The case is Haverkort v Qantas Airways Limited (VID650/2023), filed in August 2023 in the Federal Court of Australia and run by law firm Echo Law, with Piper Alderman also acting. Under orders of the court, notices were sent to more than 1 million potential group members by email and SMS between June 29 and July 10, 2026, using the contact details customers originally provided to Qantas. The deadlines to opt out or object passed on September 4, 2026, and the registration deadline passed on October 2, 2026.
Status
Settlement Reached · Pending Court Approval
Approval hearing set for October 13, 2026; no admission of liability
Registration Deadline
Closed · October 2, 2026 · 4:00 PM AEST
Registration is closed · group members who did not register receive nothing if the settlement is approved
Payment
At least $50 AUD each
Gross fund $105M AUD (~$68M net after costs) · more for multiple bookings or long refund delays · payments late December 2026 at the earliest, if approved
Can I Claim?
Australian group members only
Not a U.S. claim · flights cancelled Jan 1, 2020 – Nov 1, 2022
Who Qualifies
You are likely a group member if all of the following apply:- You held or paid for a ticket (for yourself or someone else) on a Qantas flight;
- The flight was scheduled to depart between January 1, 2020 and November 1, 2022;
- Qantas cancelled that flight and a flight credit was issued.
You may still be eligible even if you later used the credit or eventually received a refund — the claim is that Qantas should have given a refund, not a credit, in the first place. There are estimated to be more than 1 million potential group members.
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Registration Has Closed
Unlike some settlements where payments are automatic, this one required eligible customers to register. Each notice contained a personalized link and a unique ID for Echo Law's online registration portal, and customers who never received a notice could ask class counsel for portal access. Registration was free, and the deadline was 4:00 p.m. AEST on October 2, 2026. As of October 3, 2026, class counsel had not announced any extension. Under the court-approved notice, anyone who did not register by the deadline will not share in the settlement if it is approved, even if they otherwise qualify, and will still be bound by it.How Much Customers Could Receive
The gross settlement is $105 million AUD. After deductions for legal costs, litigation-funding commission, and administration, roughly $68 million — about 65% — is expected to be available to distribute to registered members. Under the proposed Settlement Distribution Scheme, any payment to an eligible registered group member will be at least $50 AUD, with higher amounts for customers who had multiple affected bookings or experienced significant delays in getting their money back. Class counsel says eligible registrants are to receive an estimate of their payment by October 16, 2026. The court will decide whether the settlement is fair and reasonable at the October 13, 2026 approval hearing; if it is approved, class counsel expects payments to begin in late December 2026 at the earliest, and possibly some months after that.Why It Matters
The Qantas case is part of a broader reckoning over how airlines treated customers during the pandemic, when mass cancellations left travelers holding credits they often struggled to use before they expired. It also follows a bruising period for Qantas's reputation on consumer issues. For Australian customers, the next step is the October 13, 2026 approval hearing; anyone unsure whether their registration was received can log in to the registration portal linked from Echo Law's Qantas class action page.Sources
- Haverkort v Qantas Airways Limited, VID650/2023, Federal Court of Australia — Notice of Proposed Settlement, Registration and Opt Out.
- Echo Law (class counsel) — Flight Credits Class Action against Qantas, including the court-approved notice, the proposed Settlement Distribution Scheme and the registration portal.
- Qantas Newsroom — Qantas Settles Flight Credit Class Action.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Status
Registration Closed · Pending Approval
Case Title
Haverkort v Qantas Airways Limited
Case Number
VID650/2023
Court
Federal Court of Australia
Registration Deadline
Closed October 2, 2026 · 4:00 PM AEST
Approval Hearing
October 13, 2026
Class Counsel
Echo Law · Piper Alderman
Official Website
Echo Law — Qantas Class Action
