In agreeing to pay a $100m penalty and compensate tens of thousands of customers to the tune of $20m for selling them tickets on already-cancelled flights, Qantas has abandoned its farcical claim that as an airline it doesn’t sell seats on a specific service, but rather a “bundle of rights”. For new CEO Vanessa Hudson – who stepped into the top job eight months ago after allegations aired in the consumer watchdog’s legal action against Qantas hastened former boss Alan Joyce’s retirement – the landmark settlement is a retreat from her predecessor’s confrontational style that many argued had trashed the airline’s brand. While the move away from the “bundle of rights” argument – where Qantas claimed it did not sell customers tickets to any particular flight, but rather a “bundle of rights” that includes alternative options in the event of cancellations – is a positive step, the airline seems keen to deliver the headline of their concession without delving into the details of the settlement. Related: Qantas to pay $120m for allegedly selling tickets to flights that had already been cancelled For an airline that knows how to choreograph a media opportunity when there’s good news to trumpet, Hudson’s telephone-only...