Covid-19 flight voucher scheme sparks legal action in Australia

Canberra: Australians affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions have been encouraged to take legal action against airlines which exchanged tickets on disrupted flights for vouchers.

On Monday, law firm Slater and Gordon said they believed that leading Australian airlines, including flag carrier Qantas and Jetstar, may have been unlawful in offering vouchers rather than cash exchanges, reports Xinhua news agency.

The firm reported being in contact with Australians who said they were thousands of dollars out of pocket after receiving vouchers which could be used for future flights that they may never be able to redeem. "We understand that everyone is doing it tough at present, including the major airlines and travel companies, but that doesn't give them an excuse to take advantage of their customers," Practice Group Leader Andrew Paull said.