Compensation scheme coming to Australia?

[MEL_Traveller]

The T's and C's state the airlines do not guarantee their schedules and they are not part of the Contract of Carriage. This makes a mockery of having a schedule as the airlines do not actually have to do anything except get you to your destination 'eventually' despite everyone relying on the schedule when they book, and making complimentary arrangements based on the published schedule of the airline. If when they eventually do transport you it is not suitable you can cancel and get a voucher ! Introduce a AUS261 and make the airlines pay when they do not meet their obligations. QF operates under the UK and USA compensation schemes already and if they do not like it they have the option of not operating. It's about time something happened to remove the imbalance between the rights of the airlines and the passengers. But wait and see how the pollies delay and procrastinate while the airlines lobby to kill it off.

At least in australia we have the consumer protection laws which do hold the airlines accountable for flight schedules. They must fly within a reasonable time of the stated time. Although the only compensation if you decide not to fly is a full refund, which is not always a bad thing. (i’ve had several tickets where I’ve not needed the return after flying outbound… waiting till the day of departure schedule changes have meant I could cancel, free of any penalty!)

 

[CMA222]

At least in australia we have the consumer protection laws which do hold the airlines accountable for flight schedules. They must fly within a reasonable time of the stated time. Although the only compensation if you decide not to fly is a full refund, which is not always a bad thing. (i’ve had several tickets where I’ve not needed the return after flying outbound… waiting till the day of departure schedule changes have meant I could cancel, free of any penalty!)

If an airline decides to cancel or delays a flight to suit the airline, I suggest that having to pay legislated compensation as opposed to a wet tissue slap of a threat by the passenger demanding their Australian Consumer Law rights, would be more effective for the passengers. QF pays lip service to consumer rights in their T's and C's to placate the ACCC.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If an airline decides to cancel or delays a flight to suit the airline, I suggest that having to pay legislated compensation as opposed to a wet tissue slap of a threat by the passenger demanding their Australian Consumer Law rights, would be more effective for the passengers. QF pays lip service to consumer rights in their T's and C's to placate the ACCC.

I have found QF and VA to go above and beyond their terms and conditions when it comes to flight disruption. Both airlines are allowing a full cancellation and refund without penalty for flight cancellations even if a new flight can be offered 15 or 30 minutes later.

 

[dajop]

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I have found QF and VA to go above and beyond their terms and conditions when it comes to flight disruption. Both airlines are allowing a full cancellation and refund without penalty for flight cancellations even if a new flight can be offered 15 or 30 minutes later.

Yet the flip side of this is that for people that genuinely want to travel that day (and this probably more effects international travel than MEL/SYD xx:15 cancellations) can get a full refund of the fare they paid and be faced with paying multiple times more when they want to travel instead.

 

[JohnK]

The Canadian scheme mightn't have weather, but it does have "safety". AC seems to claim every delay is a safety issue, & routinely offers CA$ 100-300 as a "one off" goodwill payment. You can take them to the tribunal, but with around a 2 year delay there, it's easier to accept the offer.

That sounds great actually. I'd love to get $100-$300 for every delay or even just for every cancellation.

My on-time performance when I was commuting SYD-BNE regularly was well below 50%.

 

[dajop]

My on-time performance when I was commuting SYD-BNE regularly was well below 50%.

The question is though what was your “near enough is good enough” time performance (I.e. reached destination within 3hrs of scheduled arrival.). Using overseas practice you would need to be delayed more than 3 hrs (and not because of weather or ATC) to be eligible for compensation.

 

[crazycruiser]

Fully agree with ACCC. The compensation system works well in Europe so arguments that it cannot work in Australia are ridiculous. An independent advocate is well overdue. Like many others, I have found it difficult trying to get responses from Qantas on issues. Other large service providers are held accountable for customer response times but our airlines have not treated its customers in Australia poorly. I received a response from British Airways within a few days about an issue which took several months of chasing with Qantas to get resolved even though Qantas was the primary ticket provider.

 

[VPS]

It might also stop cough like this happening

Rex Airlines skips scheduled stop mid-flight, leaving passengers stranded

Those onboard a delayed Rex Airlines flight intending to travel from Perth to Monkey Mia were told mid-flight the plane wouldn't be stopping and they would need to find their own way to their destination.

www.abc.net.au

 

[OZDUCK]

It might also stop cough like this happening

Rex Airlines skips scheduled stop mid-flight, leaving passengers stranded

Those onboard a delayed Rex Airlines flight intending to travel from Perth to Monkey Mia were told mid-flight the plane wouldn't be stopping and they would need to find their own way to their destination.

www.abc.net.au

I was just about to post that. The WA Government has been complaining of late about the unreliability of Rex and this is unlikely to endear them. Almost makes you long for the days of MacRobertson-Miller Airlines (MMA - also known as Mickey Mouse Airlines.

 

[Zanzara]

We'll all be paying for it in the end - the airlines won't absorb the cost, it will be added to the fare one way or another.

Just like European airlines like Ryanair do? Guess they spread the cost by offering off peak such as €29 and a lot more for other dates/times.

It will be bundled into overall fares. Some will still be cheap, some still won’t. Australian airlines will charge what they can get away with.

Many, including myself, think it will be a good and well overdue thing. Airlines would have to think twice rather than being told ‘comeback tomorrow’ or buy your own replacement ticket at a fare with a competitor that will now, of course, at often short notice will charge a massive premium.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just like European airlines like Ryanair do? Guess they spread the cost by offering off peak such as €29 and a lot more for other dates/times.

It will be bundled into overall fares. Some will still be cheap, some still won’t. Australian airlines will charge what they can get away with.

Many, including myself, think it will be a good and well overdue thing. Airlines would have to think twice rather than being told ‘comeback tomorrow’ or buy your own replacement ticket at a fare with a competitor that will now, of course, at often short notice will charge a massive premium.

I’m not seeing higher Euro fares?! At least for the economic cabin. There are still plenty of bargains in euro business too… just look at BA. Competition will keep prices in check.

All airlines have to do is run realistic schedules, have crew trained, and/or have a spare aircraft or two - like BA does, on standby at heathrow. All part of running a business.

 

[Zanzara]

I have found QF and VA to go above and beyond their terms and conditions when it comes to flight disruption. Both airlines are allowing a full cancellation and refund without penalty for flight cancellations even if a new flight can be offered 15 or 30 minutes later.

Unfortunately that‘s not been my experience at all. As a VA platinum I was stranded in ZQN and told to come back tomorrow. (As was everyone else including intl connecting passengers despite JQ & NZ checking in & departing within a few hours). A refund of the flight with no alternative to get back to oz? Frankly a bit of a bare minimum.

 

[openseat]

The whole point of EU261 is to bring airlines in line. The regulation makes them realise that they have to make an effort. This is why the low cost carriers like Ryanair and Wizz (unlike Jetstar) have incredible on time performance. Ryanair had 96% on time in 2021. Too long have Australian governments sold consumers down the drain at the behest of oligopolies that control most of our economy.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Unfortunately that‘s not been my experience at all. As a VA platinum I was stranded in ZQN and told to come back tomorrow. (As was everyone else including intl connecting passengers despite JQ & NZ checking in & departing within a few hours). A refund of the flight with no alternative to get back to oz? Frankly a bit of a bare minimum.

I agree! I was talking about a very specific context, which is that even a cancellation and new flight 15 mins later is enough for both those airlines to refund you under ACCC *if the passenger wants it*. Which has come in really useful for me several times for unwanted tickets!

A friend of mine bought a one way SQ ticket to HKG that they ended up being unable to use… a relatively minor time change allowed them to cancel for a full refund… so it can be good sometimes.

But in the case you describe.. not useful at all!

 

[jgm]

i've just seen reports that the Canadian CTA have had some success in forcing AC to payout on some of their denied compensation claims. There is also a suggestion that they're not happy with the boilerplate "safety" excuse.

 

[JohnK]

The question is though what was your “near enough is good enough” time performance (I.e. reached destination within 3hrs of scheduled arrival.). Using overseas practice you would need to be delayed more than 3 hrs (and not because of weather or ATC) to be eligible for compensation.

Had quite a few of those longer delays in that time.

In March this year alone had a 6:00pm last flight of night cancelled and put on flight next day and a few days later had a 10:00pm international flight delayed until 4:00pm next day.

We need adequate compensation in place.

 

[toomuchtravel]

Definitely support this. Was offered and have successfully claimed compensation a couple of times overseas for prolonged delays etc. A friend flew back from the USA yesterday, arrived Brisbane and found Virgin had cancelled the flight to Canberra - next one offered was 8 hours later, a full day lost. No offer of accommodation/lounge, no food vouchers etc. Gone are the days when they would rebook you on an alternative airline (yes, they did do that!). Instead she paid to fly qantas, had lounge access dt FF status and got home at a sensible time. At very least should be some compensation. And agree it will likely offer airlines incentive to improve performance rather than increase costs

 

[Forg]

^ Did airlines really book you on a rival airline, when flights were cancelled?
11 years ago I had a CX flight which was canned, but the alternates were One World … VA can only really stick you on their competitor‘s flights if they run out of flights themselves.

 

[CaptJCool]

^ Did airlines really book you on a rival airline, when flights were cancelled?
11 years ago I had a CX flight which was canned, but the alternates were One World … VA can only really stick you on their competitor‘s flights if they run out of flights themselves.

Yes

And it did happen during the QF lockdown as I had a euro friend here in Australia who got switched to SQ to fly home

 

[MEL_Traveller]

^ Did airlines really book you on a rival airline, when flights were cancelled?
11 years ago I had a CX flight which was canned, but the alternates were One World … VA can only really stick you on their competitor‘s flights if they run out of flights themselves.

Yes. And they still do in many other parts of the world… like Asia and the USA.I had a united flight cancelled and they were willing to put me on both BA and AA to get to London. As well as Swiss, Austrian and Lufthansa. In the end I was on Lufthansa because it was the last flight out of chicago and the only one I could make.

Even in Australia pre covid..l I had a thai airways flight cancelled and they put me on BA. I had a Royal Brunei flight cancelled and they put me on Thai.