Qantas does not plan to remove booking change fees permanently: CEO

[SYDNEY] Qantas Airways does not plan to permanently remove booking change fees as major US airlines have done because it would damage its ability to manage revenue over the longer term, its chief executive officer (CEO) said on Wednesday.

The Australia airline has temporarily waived the fees, even on its budget offshoot Jetstar, to provide passengers with more flexibility during the pandemic.

"I think when certainty comes back I am of the view it is a big part of how we revenue manage and yield," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said of the fees at the Capa Australia Pacific Aviation Summit.

"If every airfare is going to be flexible, your revenue management system I think fundamentally breaks down over the long term," he added.

REUTERS