Qantas/Rex anti-competitive behaviour - ACCC report (and other QF issues)

[RooFlyer]

This will be paywalled, sorry, but some extracts:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/qantas-travel-credits-treatment-under-investigation-as-airline-cleared-of-any-predatory-behaviour-on-regional-routes-by-accc/news-story/3ab4ba4eccd840497003725ce9c316c2

Qantas has been cleared of any predatory behaviour on regional routes flown by rival Rex, but the flying kangaroo remains under investigation for its treatment of travel credits.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s latest report on the airline industry showed Qantas had reclaimed its spot as the largest carrier of domestic travellers, taking market share from low fares partner Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

Rex alleged Qantas, which is led by Alan Joyce, had misused its market power by entering routes with low passenger numbers and adding capacity on intercity routes after Rex had begun to fly.

But the ACCC said “a range of factors impacted the competitive dynamics in the market at the time, particularly the Covid-19 movement restrictions and border closures”.

“The ACCC will continue to pay close attention to any behaviour that may be anti-competitive,” the report said.

on other issues:

The watchdog also referred to the “significant number of consumer concerns” raised with the commission and elsewhere, about dealings with Qantas, particularly in relation to call waiting times and travel credits.

Although the report noted Australian Consumer Law did not cover long call wait times, the ACCC had raised the issue with Qantas and “encouraged improvements”.

On the issue of travel credits – whereby Qantas passengers had found they were forced to book a more expensive flight with their credits than they would if they were paying cash – the ACCC was “continuing to investigate”.

Other problems experienced by travellers, such as having their credit cards debited multiple times for a booking, were not addressed in the report.

 

[Mattg]

Now that the ACCC has come out and said this (again) about Qantas' entry onto regional routes, I wonder if Rex will stop making defamatory statements saying that Qantas' actions were "illegal".

(E.g. - https://www.rex.com.au/BlobViewer/B...84E67746170474967474F6D70746C3565727865513D3D)

 

[AIRwin]

Now that the ACCC has come out and said this (again) about Qantas' entry onto regional routes, I wonder if Rex will stop making defamatory statements saying that Qantas' actions were "illegal".

It's now all about pilot unions?

 

[UP4014]

Not really a surprise, nothing to see here, so REX will need another way to rationalise it's money burn as I'm sure REX Directors have been slapping each other on the back in Board Meetings about how it will all get better when the ACCC penalises QF.