New aviation industry ombudsman & customer rights charter in Australia

[CaptJCool]

Likely announcement Monday morning

aviation industry ombudsman

Airline ‘customer rights charter’ to specify when cash refunds required

An “aviation industry ombuds scheme with a disability will be among measures the federal government will announce on Monday to force airlines to address the extensive public discontent.

au.news.yahoo.com

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/federal-government-to-establish-aviation-industry-ombudsman-to-handle-disputes/news-story/c453fb98eb0729d032e9acbde6eb0838

 

[Saab34]

better scrutiny for airlines and airports would be enforced

Hilarious.

 

[Mwenenzi]

abc.net,au Airline 'Charter of Rights' to establish refunds for delayed or cancelled flights

In short:
The federal government will establish a charter of rights for airline customers to seek compensation for delays and cancellations.
The charter will be introduced in the government's aviation white paper.

What's next?
The scheme is expected to be operational by 2026.

The details will be interesting.
Doubt if will be EU261 types rules.

 

[UP4014]

Yes, the White Paper is out today and we can all read and have our 2 cents of input.

It's a start and an Acting Ombudsman starts today.

 

[UP4014]

abc.net,au Airline 'Charter of Rights' to establish refunds for delayed or cancelled flights

The details will be interesting.
Doubt if will be EU261 types rules.

The Govt has already said it's not going to be an EU rules type set up, but more like the Banking Ombudsman.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

abc.net,au Airline 'Charter of Rights' to establish refunds for delayed or cancelled flights

The details will be interesting.
Doubt if will be EU261 types rules.

Canada’s system is pretty much toothless. Delays for weather are considered outside the airline’s control (not just extraordinary weather events, like europe), and delays due to maintenance on the day of travel are also excluded.

So pretty much zero avenue to claim

 

[jb747]

How to be seen doing something, whilst actually doing very little.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I assume the ombudsmen and staff will be treated nicely to CL (and Virgins' equivalent) access?

 

[Saab34]

A frustration of mine is overbooking. It’s a non negotiable when it comes to a scheme like this, and enabling significant compensation. Being bumped by Jetstar and given a $100 voucher and put on a flight a few hours later isn’t acceptable. By being the last to online checkin to whatever, and being a victim, with such rubbish compo, is a disgrace. A321 downgrades, and pushed to a much later flight, also, not my problem.

Any Compo scheme would make an airline work harder, that is a good thing. It would mean they need to invest in decent rostering platforms, better customer digital platforms, and better people planning.

<redacted>

 

[Hunter4vr]

Looks like the White Paper is out, I can see there's a lot of "The Australian Government will consult/review/consider/report" rather than concrete details.

We might be waiting a while to find out more around this.

Aviation White Paper—Towards 2050

The Australian Government released the Aviation White Pap

www.infrastructure.gov.au

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Looks like the White Paper is out, I can see there's a lot of "The Australian Government will consult/review/consider/report" rather than concrete details.

We might be waiting a while to find out more around this.

Aviation White Paper—Towards 2050

The Australian Government released the Aviation White Pap

www.infrastructure.gov.au

Yes. Interim ombudsman to be appointed 2025. They’ll have a year to work on the details. So maybe 2026!

 

[Saab34]

Will the Ombudsman have a CL and Club Membership?

 

[kookaburra75]

How to be seen doing something, whilst actually doing very little.

Agree - the old quote "...like being savaged by a dead sheep", came to mind.

 

[SydneySwan]

You don’t want to have to take a case to an ombudsman to get redress. You should have an automatic right to compensation if you are bumped or unreasonably delayed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You don’t want to have to take a case to an ombudsman to get redress. You should have an automatic right to compensation if you are bumped or unreasonably delayed.

But the talk doesn’t seem to be about compensation… but rather the speedy processing of refunds. Which we all know… a refund is unlikely to meet the cost of a full-fare walk-up on the day of travel. Well.. we used to have Rex for that, but not anymore

I don’t see a lot of opportunity for compensation for domestic services… flight frequency is such that you should arrive within 1-3 hours of your scheduled flight anyway. But downgrades and international is where the money might come in. I think VA will come away relatively unscathed by any compensation scheme. Qantas may not.

 

[Quickstatus]

The 2024 Aviation White Paper has been released.

.........

If it is to be modelled on the Telecommunications Ombudsman then it is likely to be a toothless tiger unless real enforcement powers are attached

 

[jb747]

But downgrades and international is where the money might come in. I think VA will come away relatively unscathed by any compensation scheme. Qantas may not.

And you're correct that this really needs to be trodden upon. Weaseling out of reasonable refunds, by not using like for like fare structures (i.e. sale business vs max full fare economy) is nothing other than theft.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And you're correct that this really needs to be trodden upon. Weaseling out of reasonable refunds, by not using like for like fare structures (i.e. sale business vs max full fare economy) is nothing other than theft.

exactly.

But there are international examples to look at. EU261 says 75% of the dongraded fare. American Airlines and some other US carriers base the fare difference on fare paid vs the lowest fare paid by a passenger in the cabin you end up flying on that flight. So if you paid $3500 one way LAX-SYD but someone in economy paid $750, you get that difference.

 

[Quickstatus]

So who has the most to lose here?

 

[Mwenenzi]

A frustration of mine is overbooking. It’s a non negotiable when it comes to a scheme like this, and enabling significant compensation. Being bumped by Jetstar and given a $100 voucher and put on a flight a few hours later isn’t acceptable. By being the last to online checkin to whatever, and being a victim, with such rubbish compo, is a disgrace. A321 downgrades, and pushed to a much later flight, also, not my problem.

Any Compo scheme would make an airline work harder, that is a good thing. It would mean they need to invest in decent rostering platforms, better customer digital platforms, and better people planning.

Pretty gutless response from Labor here.

You don’t want to have to take a case to an ombudsman to get redress. You should have an automatic right to compensation if you are bumped or unreasonably delayed.

Need to legislation before full comments. Not make on a guess or opinion of what it may be/may not be.

Agree far better if definitive compensation- reimbursement on a measured failure. Not due to some bureaucrat making a decision
wikipedia

The requirements for an entitlement to compensation and the specific amount owed depend on the length of a flight, whereas the relevant distance is determined according to the great circle method. The Regulation differentiates between three types of flights:

1. Flights of less than 1,500 km (930 mi) in distance;
2. Flights within the EU of greater than 1,500 km (930 mi) in distance, or any other flight of greater than 1,500 km (930 mi) but less than 3,500 km (2,200 mi) in distance;
3. Flights not within the EU of greater than 3,500 km (2,200 mi) in distance.

Passengers are entitled to refreshments and communication if the expected delay of the arrival exceeds:

• two hours, in the case of a type 1 flight,
• three hours, in the case of a type 2 flight, or
• four hours, in the case of a type 3 flight

.Furthermore, if the flight is expected to depart on the day after the original scheduled departure time,passengers are entitled to accommodation.[13]
If a flight is delayed by five hours, passengers are additionally entitled to abandon their journey and receive a refund for all unused tickets. They may also ask for a refund on tickets used already if the flight no longer serves any purpose in relation to their original travel plan, and, if relevant, a flight back to their original point of departure at the earliest opportunity.[14]
Flight delay is based on the scheduled arrival time. This is defined as when the doors are opened on the plane and not when it lands.[15]

In AU not that many flights are over 2 hours late, but some are. In AU aviation can be "extraordinary" delays not in the airline control. 2 to1 runway due to weather, ATC staffing, extreme weather like MEL ~16:00 25-08-2024 and more. [normal weather variations are not a EU261 let out]

For that in EU some airlines (ULCC & LCC) can game the EU261 system by having say 4 fights 1:59hr late instead of 1 flight 2:01 late . {rolling delays] So nil cash compensation paid out but 4 times as many pax effected, by some amount.