SYDNEY - Embattled Australian carrier Qantas said on Sunday it would hand out 100,000 free air tickets in a bid to win back passengers after the shock two-day grounding of its global fleet.

Some 70,000 travelers were stranded in 22 cities across the world when Qantas CEO Alan Joyce grounded the airline on Oct 29 to force an end to months of strike action by pilots, engineers and ground staff.

The gamble paid off for Joyce, with Canberra stepping in to prevent huge damage to the Australian economy by forcing an end to all industrial action at the airline, but furious passengers have vowed never to fly Qantas again.