Australians stranded overseas as airlines fly with as few as four economy passengers | Australia news | The Guardian
▻https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/aug/19/australians-stranded-overseas-as-airlines-fly-with-as-few-as-four-econo
▻https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/0846a4c7a702158b8575ac895d7ecba68a160ba9/0_0_3200_1921/master/3200.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-ali
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Qatar Airways – one of the few remaining airlines to fly to Australia – told the Guardian that when finalising passenger lists to make sure each flight complied with the limits the airline considered the “commercial value” of tickets.“In order to ensure the continued viability of our operations to Australia, [the] commercial value of tickets sold must also be taken into consideration to be able to operate each flight.” She said the airline continued to assess each passenger “on an individual basis regardless of what cabin class they have booked” when considering priority travel and compassionate grounds. Many Australians have been forced to wait months overseas for flights home, triggering concerns the airlines will fail to honour bookings unless passengers pay thousands of dollars more to upgrade from economy. The Guardian has been contacted by scores of Australians – including doctors, nurses and other essential workers, families trapped in post-Beirut explosion Lebanon and Australians who have briefly travelled overseas to visit dying relatives – who are facing an indefinite period away from their jobs, schools, families and secure accommodation.
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