Online portal for out-of-luck passengers takes flight

Cancelled flights, missing baggage, and delays are quintessential travel experiences. So typical, in fact, that advocacy organisation Consumer NZ has launched an online complaints portal. 

It follows a petition signed by more than 10,500 people, which was discussed with the Parliamentary petitions committee last week. 

“We urged the committee to make regulations requiring airlines to clearly inform passengers of their rights at the point of disruption – just like in Europe,” Consumer campaigns manager Jessica Walker told rova. 

“This is a no-brainer; compared to other countries, we're really left behind. It's not fair for consumers to be out of pocket for costs that really should be falling on the airlines,” she continued. 

Unlike many other countries, New Zealand has no rules requiring airlines to tell passengers about compensation rights. 

Which is where the complaints portal comes in.

Trends and themes will be identified in the responses, which will then be passed on to providers. 

As Walker explained, Consumer has a good relationship with both Air New Zealand and Jetstar. 

“We'll be able to put this kind of thing in front of them and say, 'we've seen a real influx in people being told they're not entitled to a refund in this situation when we think, by law, they are.’” 

It will also be consolidated and shared with the Government. Thanks to a Civil Aviation Act amendment, the Associate Minister for Transport has regulatory powers - which Walker describes as a game changer:

“The Minister could compel airlines to tell people their rights at the point of a disruption.”

She added that there should be no extra cost for airlines.

“They've already got all of the passengers' information. They're already communicating with them about changes to flights…”

It could look like an email, an app notification, or a conversation with a staff member for those who are carrying a hard copy ticket.

“As far as we're concerned, there's just there's no good reason for not making this information clear and transparent when people need it the most.”

In the meantime, Consumer has launched a new information hub to keep people informed.

Its research found that nine out of 10 people aren’t fully aware of their options when service is disrupted. 

“Many passengers don’t know that they have legal protections under the Civil Aviation Act and the Consumer Guarantees Act,” Walker explained. 

“The most important thing to do is find out what the cause of [disruption] is, because if it’s something within the airline's control - like operational issues - chances are you have got rights.”

For example, if a domestic flight is delayed due to operational issues, the passenger can ask the airline to reimburse any reasonable costs they incur because of the delay, up to 10 times the ticket price.

Walker said more than one set of rules might apply to the same journey. 

“The law is so complex, so unclear and so poorly communicated that most people don’t realise they have rights – let alone how to enforce them. And if people don’t know their rights, those rights might as well not exist.”