Qantas customer sues airline over ‘lifetime’ membership card debacle

A loyal Qantas customer sued the airline after she was given a ‘lifetime’ membership before it was taken away from her because of an error.

Catriona Wilson had ordered a new Qantas Club membership card when one lasting a ‘lifetime’ arrived in the mail in 2018.

Her husband James said he spoke to a member of the airline believing it was an error when he was informed his wife had won it in a lucky draw.

‘I thought, “this is great, very exciting”, it’s one of those things – you don’t win raffles or prizes,’ Ms Wilson told Sydney Morning Herald.

‘For something like that to come in the mail is pretty exciting.’ 

Catriona Wilson had ordered a new Qantas Club membership card when a new one lasting a ‘lifetime’ arrived in the mail in 2018

Catriona Wilson had ordered a new Qantas Club membership card when a new one lasting a ‘lifetime’ arrived in the mail in 2018 (stock image)

Ms Wilson enjoyed free access to the Qantas lounge before her card was abruptly cancelled by the airline in May 2021.

She had been trying to access the lounge at Melbourne Airport while waiting to board a flight to South Australia to visit her sick father when she realised the card had been cancelled.

Ms Wilson claimed she tried to contact the airline to remedy the situation but did not hear back from any of its staff.

The couple had to take their complaint to the Airline Customer Advocate ombudsman before they learned the airline had issued the ‘lifetime’ card in mistake.

Ms Wilson was given the offer to renew her Qantas Club membership with a 20 per cent discount and a waived joining fee but she outright refused.

She took the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) demanding the airline honour the lifetime membership.

Ms Wilson said she would have been happy if the airline gave her the equivalent value of a membership in the form of frequent flyer points – worth an estimated $9,775. 

Qantas told VCAT the lifetime membership card had been discontinued in 2007 and that it was an error.

VCAT member Susan Burdon-Smith sided with Qantas and said Ms Wilson had only paid for the cost of a regular Qantas Club membership. 

‘This is not a situation where the respondent offered a benefit or service and failed to supply it. It was a windfall,’ she wrote in her decision.

Qantas told VCAT the lifetime membership card had been discontinued in 2007 and that it was an error

‘As such the applicable law is that which applies to a benefit obtained in error or through a mistake. 

‘The mistake vitiates any intention on the part of Qantas to give the benefit to the applicant, and gives Qantas a prima facie entitlement to restitution.’ 

The couple have since sent the card to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce saying they intend to never use the airline again.

Mr Wilson said the couple had only pushed the matter so far because of the poor customer service they had received from the airline.

‘It was all about the principle and abominable customer service,’ he said.

Their case has sparked a mixed reaction from Australians with some slamming the couple as entitled on Facebook.

‘It was an error which she benefitted from for several years,’ one person wrote.

‘They offered her numerous compromises to try and rectify the error but the level of entitlement on her behalf is bewildering and now crying to the media after the court ruled against her just shows that some people will always try to play the victim.’

A second added: ‘They didn’t pay for it in the first place, just appreciate you got a free membership for 15 years and move on.’

A Qantas spokesman said the airline had nothing to add following the decision by VCAT.