Government announces the "travel advocate" service (Air Travel Ombudsman service)

[markis10]

It’s struggling for media oxygen in the swirling controversies of federal politics, but the announcement yesterday by the Transport Minister Anthony Albanese of the creation of a national airline “customer advocate” has the potential to be one of the most useful initiatives in years for travellers.
In effect, it’s an air travel ombudsman – a long overdue consumer initiative considering every Australian, on average, takes an interstate flight at least once a year and a third of the population now travels overseas annually.
It’s a result of the federal government’s Aviation White Paper in December 2010, which proposed a number of consumer initiatives, but it’s far more than a piece of top-down government regulation imposed on the industry.

Read more: Passengers finally get outlet for airline complaints
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[straitman]

This is way overdue particularly for Tiger and Jetstar. With Qantas and Virgin to a lesser degree.

I am surprised that there are no comments about this since markis10 posted.

 

[markis10]

Maybe some think AFF provides such a service!

 

[coyote25]

Will be interesting to see how Tiger deals with this LCC hate these kind of things.

I hope they have enough staff to handle complaints. A lot of PAX don't seem to understand the component pricing airlines now charge ie extra fees for everything once included

 

[Alanslegal]

Positive news for airline travellers especially with the rise of the LCC's; Tiger, Scoot, Air Asia, JQ et al.

Now awaiting for the government to make a decision on the second SYD airport.

 

[serfty]

To be honest, I can't see the advocate being able to do much other than enforce the airlines' own CoC's, basic consumer regulation and the Montreal convention where applicable.

It would have far more benefit for the consumer if there existed laws similar to EU regulation 261/2004 in Oz - that would give them something real to uphold.

 

[samh004]

Immediately thought of Tiger when reading the thread title. Can’t help their business model if they want to expand back into Australia again, but seeing Jetstar being taken down a few notches will be nice too

Unless of course, as noted by serfty above.

 

[VHOEJ]

I don't really see the point - if the average traveller chooses to ignore/not understand/not care about specific airlines policies (like Tiger), what is this advocate going to do? What is the advocate going to do when people don't leave enough of a connection time and blame the airline if they are delayed?

 

[whatmeworry]

A new national airline “customer advocate”

We are getting a air travel ombudsman this June. Don't know effective it will be...

Passengers finally get outlet for airline complaints

 

[lovestotravel]

I don't really see the point - if the average traveller chooses to ignore/not understand/not care about specific airlines policies (like Tiger), what is this advocate going to do? What is the advocate going to do when people don't leave enough of a connection time and blame the airline if they are delayed?

Much the same as the Telecommunications industry which gets screwed over the the TIO, it will simply add more costs to the industry that will be passed on to everyone

EG: Telco Industry
Customer rings up to have international roaming activated
Customer is warned about data use overseas
Customer gets a $5000 Bill
Customer lodges a TIO complaint
Telco recieves a small "penalty"
Customer not happy with the reduced bill of say $2500 and makes another complaint/raises the complaint
Telco recieves another "penalty"
Etc etc
Then the bill is reduced to $0

 

[amaroo]

Lets hope it's a little better than some of the other initiatives created by this motley crew - think, Fuel & Grocery watch:!:

 

[Jkyn]

I think this will be a good thing always helps if there is an independent arbitrator, always 2 sides to story.


Sent from my iPad using AustFreqFly app

 

[seanpodge]

Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully the committee members from the airlines don't have too much influence. I would also hope that the advocate is proactive in raising issues where airlines need to lift their game.

Does anyone know if they will be able to take action against foreign airlines operating in Australia? The articles I've read about this only seem to mention that Australian airlines are involved.

 

[froggerADL]

Much the same as the Telecommunications industry which gets screwed over the the TIO, it will simply add more costs to the industry that will be passed on to everyone

EG: Telco Industry
Customer rings up to have international roaming activated
Customer is warned about data use overseas
Customer gets a $5000 Bill
Customer lodges a TIO complaint
Telco recieves a small "penalty"
Customer not happy with the reduced bill of say $2500 and makes another complaint/raises the complaint
Telco recieves another "penalty"
Etc etc
Then the bill is reduced to $0

Gee, if that's how it works I must start enabling global roaming. I hope if it doesn't work you'll cover my $5000 bill

 

[whatmeworry]

Seems most people don't know about the airline ombudsman.

Australian Airline Customer Advocate | Resolving Complaints

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