Auckland lawyer uses secret hack to buy 58 free flights, claims $2,900 compensation

A lawyer from Auckland booked 58 flights from Auckland to Sydney for $0, thanks to a loophole he found in the airline's "Return for Free" promotional policy, the New York Post reported.

Tyrone Barugh first booked an outbound flight to Sydney for US$171, for which he received the return fare for free as part of the promotion.

He then cancelled the flight and received a Jetstar Airlines credit as a refund, with the free flight remaining on the booking.

After that, he used the credit points to book another flight before repeating the process another 57 times.

Barugh, in an interview, said that he does not intend on boarding any of the flights.

He has taken the matter to the Disputes Tribunal of New Zealand, claiming he is entitled to about US $2,971 thanks to Australian legislation and the airline's policies.

He claims he is entitled to the money because he paid the Passenger Movement Charge's US $40 fee to the Australian government, which collects it when a person leaves the country.

Barugh said he was enjoying the "banter" of the case and that he would be happy with a settlement of a "small flight credit and a toy plane."