Choice Shonky Awards Highlight Expiring Airline Credits, Ticket Pricing Tactics and Prolonged Laundry Cycles

Consumer advocacy organisation Choice released the results of its 21st annual Shonky Awards, naming several Australian products and services as the year’s worst. The awards, which aim to draw attention to practices that disadvantage consumers, highlighted Virgin Australia’s handling of Covid‑era flight credits, ticketing platforms Ticketmaster and Ticketek, and a household appliance with an unusually long wash cycle.

Virgin Australia received a Shonky gong for imposing a strict deadline on customers to use credits issued for cancelled flights between 2020 and 2022. The deadline required travel bookings by 30 June 2026 and flight departures before 27 May 2027, leaving an estimated $75 million in credits unused, according to Choice. A Virgin spokesperson countered that more than 93 % of the credits had been redeemed and that the airline had communicated extensions and the final expiry date to customers.

Ticketmaster and Ticketek were criticised for employing what Choice described as “sneaky” dynamic pricing and “in‑demand” seat labels that raised ticket costs for live events. Examples cited included John Farnham tribute concert tickets on Ticketek reaching $1,650 and NRL match tickets on Ticketmaster selling for $50 more than regular seats despite minimal seat differences. Ticketmaster responded that price changes are set by event organisers, not by automated surge algorithms, and that “in‑demand” pricing reflects market‑value adjustments rather than real‑time demand spikes.

The awards also called out a washer‑dryer model that runs a 25‑hour cycle, labeling it inefficient and wasteful. Choice’s assessment of the appliance was based on the unusually long duration compared with standard cycles, which it said contributes to higher energy consumption and water use.