Qantas technical glitch sees first-class tickets sold 85% cheaper

On Aug. 22, around 300 first-class tickets were sold on the Australian airline's website at the unusually low prices within eight hours, Bloomberg reported.

Typically, first-class fares are A$13,000-20,000, and offer passengers access to airport lounges, sommelier-recommended champagnes, spacious seating with bedding, a pillow menu, and other premium amenities, according to the carrier's website.

"Unfortunately, this is a case where the fare was actually too good to be true," a Qantas spokesperson said in a statement.

The airline attributed the mistake to a "technical coding error," Business Insider reported.

The airline’s statement added: "As a gesture of goodwill, we’re rebooking customers in business class at no additional cost, or they have the option of a full refund."

Business-class tickets on Qantas between Australia and the U.S. typically cost around A$11,000.

This is not the first time an airline has mistakenly sold premium tickets at a steep discount.

In 2019 Cathay Pacific offered first- and business-class seats from Vietnam to North American cities for as low as $675 for a round trip.

But the Hong Kong carrier honored the error, tweeting #promisemadepromisekept and #lessonlearnt.