Etihad Refuses To Honour Cheap Tickets Sold Through A Glitch

After dozens of Australians rushed to take advantage of the big bargain on Skyscanner, Etihad decided not to honour the AUD$300 round-trip flights to Europe.

After savvy Aussies saw roundtrip tickets to Berlin, Germany, at a tenth of the typical price on Thursday night, Etihad Airways removed their flights from the airline airfares site Skyscanner.

Cheap tickets for the long-haul journey might be purchased between May and August next year, coinciding with Europe’s summer.

During peak season, return tickets typically cost around AUD$3,000 if purchased in advance.

However, eager jetsetters who booked the bargain airfare had their dreams shattered on Monday when Etihad announced that the sale prices would not be honoured because it would be ‘unsustainable.’

Customers who purchased mis-priced flights are being contacted by the airline.

‘Etihad entered the initial fares accurately, and they were listed appropriately in the Skyscanner search,’ stated a spokesperson.

‘However, due to a glitch, customers were only prompted to pay the taxes for the fares when they went through to purchase them.

‘Unfortunately, Etihad cannot continue to offer such flights on that basis.

‘The airline will cancel the bookings and refund the taxes, and customers will be encouraged to rebook at the correct price,’ said the airline.

The airfares for the flights were displayed on the website at their regular price but were slashed to AUD$300 during the checkout process.

Dozens of holidaymakers were thrilled that they could afford an international trip with the premium airline, and the bargain garnered a lot of great media coverage.

Customers were notified by email about their cancelled tickets and advised to make another booking at the right price.