Compensation scheme coming to Australia?

[papeto]

I found this aricle in the gaurdian. I didn’t know there was a white paper out for discussion on avaition, but some good submissions made to get a compensation scheme for travellers. Fingers crossed we get something similiar to EU261.

Australian airline passengers could soon receive compensation for delays and cancellations

Advocates for a compensation scheme claim Australia lags behind the rest of the world

www.theguardian.com

 

[Forg]

I have a suspection that QF may have shot themselves in the foot, what with sacking half the staff & taking gumbyment handouts & then making record profits while every single person involved in making that decision & who’s travelled has been affected by their unembiggened service … whatever pushback-power they had against whatever it’ll cost them has been markedly reduced.

 

[tdimdad]

Is EU261 a good scheme? Those of you who have dealt with it, is that a good model that we should adopt here locally? Or is there an alternative model which would serve purpose even better?

Just curious because I've been lucky enough to not have needed EU261 so far. I'm keen to get a model implemented in Australia, too, but it's worth taking the lessons from EU261 and others and crafting a version that combines the good and any potential improvements.

 

[Seat0B]

Is EU261 a good scheme? Those of you who have dealt with it, is that a good model that we should adopt here locally? Or is there an alternative model which would serve purpose even better?

Just curious because I've been lucky enough to not have needed EU261 so far. I'm keen to get a model implemented in Australia, too, but it's worth taking the lessons from EU261 and others and crafting a version that combines the good and any potential improvements.

Seat Son has benefited fro EU261 several times over the past few years. On one occasion he received something like €600 for a lengthy maintenance delay. When my flight SYD-LHR on QF1 was delayed from roughly 4pm until 9am the next day all I got was an overnight hotel and a drink voucher (as a P1 flying J class). I’d say EU261 is way way better than our current system, and from the article also seems better than US schemes.

 

[justinbrett]

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.

 

[Forg]

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.

While in many ways this is true, the Australia Tax is purely about them profiting from us because we travel a fair bit. It’s a monetary variable that doesn’t really relate to anything … and this new cost could easily be absorbed into that Profit Margin without Strayan customers noticing … that cost could end-up being apportioned across the cheaper tickets everywhere else in the world.

 

[papeto]

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.

Still be cheaper than having to book a last minute flight on another airline because they cancelled on you. Europe/ US / Canada has it and airfares haven’t sky rocketed.

 

[lovestotravel]

Airlines will just add on costs of compensation and work the scheme - high airfares

Biggest fail of EU261 is the 14 day notice period for flights to be cancelled etc.

Happened to me several times while in the EU, 14 days out from the flight, email saying flight cancelled and usually very poor options.

Yep a refund if you want but trying to rebook an airfare 14 days out will cost you more

 

[justinbrett]

Still be cheaper than having to book a last minute flight on another airline because they cancelled on you. Europe/ US / Canada has it and airfares haven’t sky rocketed.

The US does not have it

Flight Delays & Cancellations

When planning a trip, passengers should keep in mind that airlines do not guarantee their schedules. While airlines want to get passengers to their destinations on time, there are many things that can – and sometimes do – make it difficult for flights to arrive on time. Some problems, like bad...

www.transportation.gov

Won't be cheaper for the 99% of pax who don't have their flight cancelled.

 

[papeto]

Is EU261 a good scheme? Those of you who have dealt with it, is that a good model that we should adopt here locally? Or is there an alternative model which would serve purpose even better?

Just curious because I've been lucky enough to not have needed EU261 so far. I'm keen to get a model implemented in Australia, too, but it's worth taking the lessons from EU261 and others and crafting a version that combines the good and any potential improvements.

Canada is going one step further. Europe has a carce out for unforeseen delays such as weather. Canada was looking to do away with this loophole as it was too convenient for sirlines to use. Suggest having a look at their system

 

[justinbrett]

While in many ways this is true, the Australia Tax is purely about them profiting from us because we travel a fair bit. It’s a monetary variable that doesn’t really relate to anything … and this new cost could easily be absorbed into that Profit Margin without Strayan customers noticing … that cost could end-up being apportioned across the cheaper tickets everywhere else in the world.

Could be absorbed and will be absorbed are two different arguments!

 

[papeto]

The US does not have it

Flight Delays & Cancellations

When planning a trip, passengers should keep in mind that airlines do not guarantee their schedules. While airlines want to get passengers to their destinations on time, there are many things that can – and sometimes do – make it difficult for flights to arrive on time. Some problems, like bad...

www.transportation.gov

Won't be cheaper for the 99% of pax who don't have their flight cancelled.

99

The US does not have it

Flight Delays & Cancellations

When planning a trip, passengers should keep in mind that airlines do not guarantee their schedules. While airlines want to get passengers to their destinations on time, there are many things that can – and sometimes do – make it difficult for flights to arrive on time. Some problems, like bad...

www.transportation.gov

Won't be cheaper for the 99% of pax who don't have their flight cancelled.

99%! Where have you been the last 4 years - from Bitre - March 23 stats “ Jetstar recorded the highest percentage of cancellations at 7.1 per cent during the month, followed by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 5.6 per cent, Qantas at 3.6 per cent, QantasLink at 3.2 per cent, Virgin Australia at 2.6 per cent, and Rex Airlines at 2.3 per cent.”

Whoever has the lowest cancelleations and delays will pay less compensation and be more price competitve. They will have to do the calc what is cheaper. We may pay more for better service.

 

[justinbrett]

99

99%! Where have you been the last 4 years - from Bitre - March 23 stats “ Jetstar recorded the highest percentage of cancellations at 7.1 per cent during the month, followed by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines at 5.6 per cent, Qantas at 3.6 per cent, QantasLink at 3.2 per cent, Virgin Australia at 2.6 per cent, and Rex Airlines at 2.3 per cent.”

Whoever has the lowest cancelleations and delays will pay less compensation and be more price competitve. They will have to do the calc what is cheaper. We may pay more for better service.

A cancelled flight would not automatically qualify for compensation. For QF/VA the vast majority of cancellations are on trunk routes where pax can be reacomodated on another flight with a minor change.

 

[Forg]

Could be absorbed and will be absorbed are two different arguments!

Very true … but my point is that there’s no relationship between the cost of them providing that service to us & what they charge for that service, so adding an extra cost for them doesn’t have to translate into extra charges to us. I mean - it probably will - but given the complete disconnect it doesn’t have to.

 

[sqrt()]

This will fall through pretty quickly once CL invitations start geting recinded.

 

[JohnK]

I think it's a great idea. Too easy for airlines to fob you off and not be held responsible.

 

[jb747]

If it includes weather and maintenance, then it can be argued against on safety grounds. Good arguments, I'd have thought.

 

[Scarlett]

Is EU261 a good scheme? Those of you who have dealt with it, is that a good model that we should adopt here locally? Or is there an alternative model which would serve purpose even better?

Just curious because I've been lucky enough to not have needed EU261 so far. I'm keen to get a model implemented in Australia, too, but it's worth taking the lessons from EU261 and others and crafting a version that combines the good and any potential improvements.

Something which I don’t think gets enough coverage with this scheme is how much it incentivises the airlines to look after their passengers and to make best efforts to get people on their way quickly in the event of delays.

My example from last week was with LX flying within Europe:
- Boarded a flight on time or just a little late.
- Remote stand boarding so use of busses added a little extra delay.
- Late afternoon flight so not a quick taxi.
- Issue with aircraft became apparent when instead of lining up on the runway we taxied on to it and kept rolling at taxi speed. Then took the first exit and returned to the remote stand.
- Aircraft problem (unspecified) advised by the flight crew. Engineers tried to assist, but about the one hour late mark we were told on board that the aircraft was u/s and they’d get us a new one. Told to watch monitors for new gate and boarding time. Water bottles handed out to all onboard during the maintenance process.
- Deplaned by busses back to the terminal.
- My family and I returned to the very nice ZRH LX lounge and settled back in. Within ten minutes there was an email for food/drink vouchers and an extensive list of terminal restaurants/cafes they could be used in. Good for those who didn’t have lounge access; we didn’t use or need ours.
- At the two hour delay mark, new flight departure time (planned to be 2hr:40min late) and gate appeared on monitors. Boarding flashed up shortly after that.

- Bussed to different aircraft sitting in front of a maintenance hanger and smelling like it had just been pushed out of said hanger!
- Taxi and takeoff was pretty close to the new advised departure time.
- We landed and arrived 2:48 late, which for those playing along at home is 12 minutes before LX would have liable to pay everyone on board €250.
- Throughout the process we were well informed and had access to food and drinks. There seemed to be an urgency to minimise the delay. Or maybe it was just particular Swiss efficiency?

Yes the delay was annoying, but seemed well handled. LX appeared incentivised to do the right thing and minimise problems for pax.

Now, my wife’s suitcase didn’t reappear at the other end (and was not located for three days - and was only returned to us back at home last night after 8 days total) and we missed the last train and had to take an expensive taxi instead, but those are issues for another post…

 

[jb747]

Yes the delay was annoying, but seemed well handled. LX appeared incentivised to do the right thing and minimise problems for pax.

But there's no real relationship between the existence of the penalty scheme and this outcome. All you need is a CEO who isn't Alan Joyce.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Weather delay is acceptable. ATC or government restrictions too.

Maintenance should absolutely NOT be carved out or allowed as an exception. The whole purpose of EU261 is that anything within the airline’s routine or generally considered part of running an airline should not not be excluded.

Any airline can buy new planes and reduce maintenance time. There shouldn’t be an exception for airlines choosing to have older fleets, if those require more maintenance.

As for costs increasing because of the scheme, I suspect aussie airlines will roll that one out. But it’s simply untrue. Ryanair, easyjet, wizzAir are all ultra low cost carriers, Their fares haven’t increased due to compliance.

As for the scheme itself, works really well in my experience. BA even chased me for months to make a claim even though I managed to get an earlier flight in standby at the airport!