There are renewed calls for the Airline Customer Advocate to be replaced by an independent ombudsman, after consumer advocacy group CHOICE found it has failed to resolve airline complaints – especially during COVID-19. Since 2012, the Airline Customer Advocate (ACA) should have been helping Australians to resolve airline complaints. But its scope is limited and … Continued
Consumer group CHOICE recently surveyed more than 4,000 Australians whose travel plans were disrupted by COVID-19. Unfortunately, their findings do not paint a pretty picture of the travel industry. This week, CHOICE published its findings in a report called Consumer protection for Australian travellers: a plan for clarity, consistency and fairness. According to CHOICE, only 17% … Continued
Qantas announced last year that it would close airport service desks and sales counters as part of a cost-cutting drive. Many Australian frequent flyers were concerned that this would lead to disastrous consequences during disruptions or when urgent assistance is needed. Rather than having airport staff on hand to help, customers would be forced to … Continued
The US Department of Transportation is fining Air Canada US$25.5 million (~AU$34 million) for “extreme delays in providing required refunds” during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to US law, airlines are legally required to refund customers for cancelled or significantly changed flights to, from, within or via the United States within seven days. But from the … Continued
Last week, Qantas launched Embraer E190 flights for the first time. Operated by Alliance Airlines on behalf of QantasLink, the E190s will be initially used on the Adelaide-Alice Springs, Alice Springs-Darwin and Darwin-Adelaide routes. Over the coming months, Alliance-operated E190s will also be used on many new Qantas routes including Adelaide-Gold Coast, Darwin-Canberra and Sydney-Townsville. … Continued