EU261 seems to go too far to me.....JMO... but OK.... lets have something like that...
But lets also apply it to EVERYTHING! Why should airlines be the only ones punished for failing to live up to "promises"...??
I doubt I have EVER seen my doctor at the scheduled time... I have sat waiting in other offices too and watched appointment times fly by......Government offices for one!
Why do OTHER business/organisations not get their feet held to the fire the way airlines do? Most don't have anything like the operational difficulties airlines face...yet many seem completely incapable of making their much simpler schedules work...
If YOUR business was subject to financial sanctions every time delivery dates were not met.... or appointment times not honoured (within a reasonable timeframe...and sorry...for an office based organisation that should be about 5 minutes) would you think that "fair"...and if not... why not?
Just curious if those in business would be happy to be subject to similar rules....and if not... what rational justification is there for not being held accountable that way?
This isn't comparing like with like.
'Normal businesses' delivering late are subject to consumer protection laws, or if those aren't suitable, you can take the business to court under normal contract law.
Doctors and the like aren't the same as airlines... if your doctor is running 15 minutes late you can walk out and you pay nothing.
Airlines have adhesion contracts - entirely in their favour with little or no recourse for the passenger. If the airline is running an hour late you can't simply cancel and get a full refund. Or if they cancel their flight you might get a refund, but not enough to walk over to another airline and buy a last-minute walk up fare.
Just like consumer protection laws have made it easier for consumers (you don't have to go to court to get a retailer to fix a fault), EU261 has done the same. And EU261 has made it easy for international flights where the Montreal Convention already applies. That Convention says passengers can claim compensation from the airlines for delays... but good luck trying to get that enforced in court with the associated costs. EU261 simply makes it easy for passengers to claim, like consumer protection does for faulty goods.
Airlines may face operational difficulties, but the ones subject to an EU-type claim are caused by their own doing, or are part of doing business as an airline. Weather and ATC and other unforeseen events are not covered by EU261. The have 25 minute turnarounds for domestic flights (their choice), they work planes harder than ever (their choice), they have grown in size with huge logistics (crew, catering, baggage), they oversell - all their choice. Some airlines like BA have back-up planes sitting on standby to cope with delays or cancellations of the scheduled fleet. If another airline chooses not to do that then again, it's their choice. But why should the passenger suffer?
The consequences for passengers for airlines cancelling flights is huge... disrupts holidays and other plans, and the financial burden is high for passengers wanting to make alternative arrangements. That's why we need effective consumer protection that doesn't require going to court every time we want redress.
Sample AFF with no advertisements? More..
