Australian government to hit airlines with a wet lettuce leaf

In Europe if a commercial flight is delayed or cancelled and it is the fault of the airline then affected customers automatically get compensation. Serious money. Not vouchers.

As well as being re-booked on the next available flight.

The amount of compensation can be between €250 and €600 per passenger depending on the delay and where your flight was going.

In Australia, the Albanese Government is trying to appease travellers frustrated by years of incompetence.

But it doesn’t want to seriously impact its airline friends. It has, instead, revealed plans to hit them with a wet lettuce leaf while talking big.

So while you might get your money back if your flight is cancelled you certainly won’t see any compensation.

Transport Minister Catherine King says the government “is working hard to get Australian travellers a better deal”, by releasing the draft Aviation Customer Rights Charter for public consultation over the summer period.

She says the charter sets out the expectations of fair treatment by airlines and airports to their customers to ensure customers get what they pay for, or get their money back.

"The Australian flying public deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and this includes receiving timely and fair remedies when their flight is cancelled or delayed.

"That is exactly what this charter is about, providing clarity to consumers on their rights - giving them greater certainty about what they can expect, and where to go if these conditions are not met."

The Charter proposes that customers have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, in an accessible and inclusive environment; accurate, timely and accessible information and customer service; prompt and fair remedies and support during and after cancellations, delays and disruptions; safe and timely baggage handling and fair remedies for damage and delays; the protection of their personal information; provide feedback, make complaints and exercise their rights without retribution.

So a whole lot of talk. Not much serious change.

Consumer rights organsation CHOICE is calling for more positive action. 

“We are concerned that the proposed charter does not comprehensively acknowledge rights to compensation for delayed or cancelled flights," says head of campaigns Rosie Thomas.

"Introducing a European-style compensation scheme is one way to do this, but even without a similar scheme in Australia, consumers deserve clear guidance about their compensation rights under the consumer law’s existing consumer guarantees.

"CHOICE will engage with the consultation process to make sure this is rectified.”

King encourages the flying public, industry and other stakeholders, to give their feedback on the draft charter before submissions close on February 28, 2025.

You can make your thoughts known at www.infrastructure.gov.au/Aviation-Rights-Charter

Transport minister issues warning to Australia's major airlines

Australian transport minister Catherine King has slammed the on-time failures of the country's two biggest airlines: Qantas and Virgin Australia.

King said the latest BITRE On Time Performance (OTP) report, for November, confirmed what many Australians would expect "with the lowest average on time statistics by airlines in over a year".

Small fry Bonza and Rex led the way for the month with on time performances of 73.9% and 70.5% respectively, while Virgin Australia was the worst performer for the month, with only 54.3% of its flights arriving on time.

Qantas saw 66.3% of its flights arrive on schedule.

"Across all airlines, last month’s average on time arrivals figure of 64.1% was significantly lower than the long-term average performance of 81.1%," King said in a statement.

The on time departures figure of 65.9% was also significantly lower than the long-term average of 82.3%.

Cancellations were at 3.7% for the month, compared with the long-term average of 2.2%.

"Given these very disappointing results, it is no wonder that so many Australians remain fed up with our major airlines," King said.

"Like all Australians, the Government wants an aviation sector that supports our nation’s way of life and this means services need to be reliable, competitive and affordable.

"That's why we have committed to delivering an Aviation White Paper, expected to be released in mid-2024, to set the scene for the next generation of growth and development across the aviation sector.

"This will include consideration of how we can better protect the interests of consumers, whether that be a stronger ombudsman model or other measures implemented in overseas jurisdictions.

"As Australians gear up to travel for Christmas and the holidays, the Government will be keeping a close eye on the performance of all our major airlines."

Image: Louis Loizou, Scop.io