Australia’s national carrier is offering vouchers and lounge passes to frequent flyers

Qantas is offering $50 vouchers, loyalty extensions, and lounge passes to frequent flyers as part of its push to make up for delays, cancellations and lost baggage.

The airline has been in the grips of a global aviation crisis, which has been fuelled by the pandemic, staff shortages, and supply chain issues.

The home of Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce was also recently pelted with eggs.

The airline says it has hired 1,500 people since April, adjusted schedules and invested $15 million to help smooth the travel experience.

“We’re already seeing a sustained improvement in baggage handling and on-time performance, and while factors out of our control like weather can have an impact on our schedule, we expect things to keep improving each week,” Joyce says.

Airlines around the world are facing similar problems as staff shortages put a strain on the airline sector.

Flights across Europe and the U.S. have been cancelled, as passengers have been forced to find alternative routes to travel.

Qantas axed thousands of jobs during the height of pandemic lockdowns. Staff were also placed on leave without pay.

The airline will release its financial results later this week.