Points and miles enthusiasts love to see how far (figuratively, not literally) they can go with their points and miles. I mean, to this very day, Joe is proud that he got us on $25,000 worth of flights around the world and our out-of-pocket cost was only about $1000 (that accomplishment broke his previous best award flight he ever booked – about $18,500 worth for 136,000 miles and $264 in taxes – which wasn’t even for us!).
The most expensive flight out there, at least before COVID, was “The Residence,” which is a 3-room suite (a SUITE! On a PLANE! With a CHEF and a BUTLER!) on an Etihad A380. The one-way ticket between New York and Abu Dhabi would set you back between $31,000 and $68,000, as per Arabian Business in late 2019 (or about 2.5 million Etihad miles, as per TPG in 2016).
Don’t start saving up your miles or even pennies for your chance in The Residence – apparently the airline is phasing out their Airbus A380s and, along with them, The Residence. Whomp whomp.
Anyway, another airline almost set the record for a higher-priced airline ticket the other day – a MUCH higher-priced ticket!
Dave O’Neil, an Australian comedian, had booked a flight on Qantas from Melbourne to Perth, and decided to upgrade his seat. The airline was happy to oblige, for quite a cost…
Hey @Qantas all I wanted was extra leg room on my flight to Perth, very happy to pay for it but this seems a bit expensive…. pic.twitter.com/rB1GyXACUe
— Dave O'Neil (@itsdaveoneil) April 18, 2021
Yup, nearly a BILLION Australian dollars (which converts to less than $800 million in U.S. dollars – a comparative pittance, right?).
The fare was, obviously, a mistake, and Qantas quickly said they would investigate.
“While we know that customers really value extra legroom, the price displayed was definitely a bit of a stretch,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
“We can confirm the passenger was charged the correct amount of $70 per sector for the extra legroom and we’re investigating what caused the incorrect amount to be displayed.”
Smart move on Qantas’ part. But man, for a little while there, one seat on their plane cost almost 12,000 times the cost of The Residence (to say nothing of it being nearly twice as much as an entire Airbus A380) 😉
Feature Image: Pictures of Money / flickr
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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