The airline told affected customers the mix-up was caused by a “glitch” in Skyscanner's system, which saw passengers at the online check-out charged only for taxes rather than the initially displayed cost of around $3,000.

The ‘real-time’ process mirrors the web giant’s in that it will allow passengers to up their offer if they are outbid at any stage.

Operation Sea Guardian 22 aims to deter terrorism and enhance capacity-building in the region. The aircraft will be based in Italy, operating in the western and central Mediterranean until mid-October 2022. 

Qantas first began legal action against Nick Rohrlach in March 2021 after he accepted a senior role at Qantas Frequent Flyer, before ultimately taking the top job at Virgin Velocity.