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Qantas cancels 150,000-point offer after promotion listing error
A Sydney man’s attempt to earn 150,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points by buying 10 pairs of earbuds for $990 was cancelled after the airline said the promotion had been listed in error. The points could have covered a one-way Emirates business-class flight to Dubai, making the cancellation significant for customers pursuing unusually generous rewards offers.
Andrew Stavrou said the offer of 15,000 bonus points per $99 pair had been advertised over the weekend, and questioned whether Qantas withdrew it after a video he posted gained attention online. The 150,000 points would exceed the 143,000 required for the flight, which he said would cost about $9,000 in cash. Stavrou tracks frequent-flyer deals and cited an earlier Big W promotion that awarded 1,000 Everyday Rewards points for each $3.50 rubber duck.
In short
- Qantas cancelled a $990 earbuds order and its promised 150,000 points.
- The points could have covered a one-way business-class flight to Dubai.
- The buyer questioned the airline’s explanation after the offer ran all weekend.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Qantas can reasonably cancel an offer that was published by mistake, particularly if the advertised points were far beyond the intended reward and accepting all purchases would create substantial costs. Correcting the listing may protect the programme’s fairness and prevent an accidental promotion from setting expectations for future offers.
The case against
Customers can reasonably argue that a clearly advertised offer should be honoured when they relied on it and spent money, especially if the retailer did not promptly flag an error or explain the cancellation. Keeping the points would recognise customers’ trust in published promotions and encourage Qantas to take responsibility for checking its listings.
Explained simply
Qantas Frequent Flyer is an airline loyalty scheme: members collect points, often through flights or shopping offers, and can use them to book flights and other rewards. The number of points needed depends on the route, cabin and availability; business-class seats typically require more points than economy seats.
Retail promotions sometimes offer bonus points when customers buy particular products, and frequent-flyer deal trackers share unusually generous offers. Qantas runs the scheme, while Emirates is a separate airline whose flights can be booked with Qantas points under the airlines’ partnership.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Qantas cancels 150,000 points Aussie bloke received: ‘That’s almost unheard of’”.