Axis Travel Centre director Max Najar claims Qantas error cost his clients thousands of dollars, caused trauma and embarrassment

A well-known Adelaide travel agent is preparing for a court showdown with Qantas over an alleged stuff-up that triggered tears, trauma and a dozen cancelled flights.

Axis Travel Centre Max Najar says he is preparing a Federal Court claim against Qantas over an alleged stuff-up that cost his clients tens of thousands of dollars. Picture: Keryn Stevens

An Adelaide travel agent claims a Qantas error resulted in one of the worst traumas of his life after his wealthy clients had multiple flights cancelled, leaving them in tears and costing them tens of thousands of dollars.

Axis Travel Centre director Max Najar said he was preparing a Federal Court claim against Qantas over the episode, in which the carrier allegedly cancelled a long string of international premium class flights because it was unable to verify one of the clients’ tickets.

Mr Najar claimed a Qantas staff member had not let one of the clients board a June 2022 business class flight from Adelaide to Melbourne, which was a codeshare with Emirates on a Qantas plane, after being unable to find the booking.

He said the married couple, who he called Mr and Mrs K, then booked tickets for another flight at the insistence of Qantas. The refusal of carriage set off a domino effect cancelling about 12 flights on the itinerary.

Well-known travel agent Max Najar. Picture: NewsWire/David Mariuz

These included a connecting flight from Melbourne to Dubai (first class), another flight from Dubai to Jeddah (first class), and further flights to Turkey and other Middle East locations.

“When the client arrives at Melbourne Airport, they go upstairs, they go to the check-in counter, what do you reckon happens?” Mr Najar recounted. “(A person) says, all your flights from Melbourne onwards … are wiped out totally.”

He said the clients had to spend more than 24 hours at the PARKROYAL Hotel at Melbourne Airport, which charged “an exorbitant amount”, before they departed for Dubai.

“I can’t mention the words (the client) said to me on the phone on the day, but they were pretty awful,” Mr Najar said.

“And to have the lady, a very strong lady, crying in the background, that really set me alight.

“The (client’s) meeting in Abu Dhabi was incredibly embarrassing, because of how he had extremely senior people to meet there and he didn’t make it.

“It was organised so much in advance. We had limousine transfers and all that stuff.”

Qantas said its airport staff had been unable to fix the ticketing issue on the spot because the booking was made with a codeshare partner.

Max Najar with Axis Travel Centre staff in 2013.

It said a thorough investigation was conducted with its IT provider, finding that Qantas had been provided with incorrect ticketing information.

“We know this would have been a frustrating experience for the customer and have apologised for the inconvenience,” a Qantas spokesman said.

Mr Najar rejected this explanation, claiming both Qantas and Emirates had confirmed the booking by phone with him the same day.

He said the couple paid about $11,000 extra to his agency because of the stuff-up, excluding 72 hours of emergency and after-hours fees.

“It’s one of the worst traumas I’ve had in my 47 years (in the travel industry), he said. “It was awful. Just awful.”

Originally published as Axis Travel Centre director Max Najar claims Qantas error cost his clients thousands of dollars, caused trauma and embarrassment