Should airlines compensate for delays?
Back to Forum- This topic has 34 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 22 May 2013
at 11:17 by 1nfrequent.
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BigDog.ParticipantPlane passengers who are delayed by more than three hours will get compensation from their airlines, the European Union’s highest court has ruled.
26 Oct 2012
at 12:07
VintageKrugParticipantAnother ridiculous assertion by the bureaucrats, exposing businesses to unlimited liability with little proportionality to the actual costs incurred, and no burden of responsibility on the individual to make proper provision.
19 May 2013
at 22:11
Trust747ParticipantThe EU has established regulations for compensating passengers on all forms of transport. The significant point is that all bar the airlines have their liability limited with reference to the fare paid i.e. it is a percentage or a multiple. Airlines remain under an excessive burden with fixed compensation amounts that often represent gross multiples of the actual fare paid – that is plainly unfair, uncompetitive and punitive.
No-one mentions that the cost of air travel in the EU has fallen in real terms since the national carriers dominated it – or rather dictated it. Excessive penalties will stifle development, especially if penalties are imposed on airlines for events quite clearly outside their control.
Travellers, including Business travellers who pay much higher fares than the masses in Economy, often overlook the fact that airlines operate on the smallest of margins – I once worked for an airline that promised a party if it achieved 4.5% – and the imposition of heavily punitive compensation regimes will only serve to see more of them go out of business, further industry consolidation and the emergence of very dominant players who will drive fares up.
All in all, be careful what you wish for!
22 May 2013
at 08:43
FrequentPRParticipantWhile it is true that not all delays are the fault of an airline – fog is a classic example – I live in Australia.
In Melbourne, passenger train operators such as V/Line are required to compensate passengers who have suffered a delay of an hour or more – irrespective of the cause.
This helps to drive accountability. In V/Line’s case it has to provide the passenger with a free daily return economy class ticket for use on a future occasion – there are no time or day limits, no school holiday exclusions and so on.
Airlines require passengers to abide by minimum checkin times, baggage size and weight limits and in some cases even ‘correct attire’, not to mention some airlines excluding the bringing on of hot drinks onto the aircraft (Virgin Australia does the latter).
While many low cost carriers have written in their terms and conditions of carriage that uplift is not guaranteed on the day booked, it’s equitable that airlines be held accountable for delays.
After all, they advertise fast transit for passengers. I can think of some cases (Melbourne to Mildura is one) where QANTASLink flights have on occasion been so late that it would have been quicker to travel on the V/Line train to Swan Hill and the connecting road coach to Mildura, yet the airline charges most passengers in excess of A$120 for the one way trip (compared with the V/Line fare of about A$40 first class or A$34 economy).
In an airlines’ case, forcing it to pay monetary compensation is best because if it ‘gives’ a ‘free’ ticket, airline accountants and managers will impose all sorts of devious conditions to reduce the value of the ‘freebie’ or it will expire in a month or two with passengers mysteriously unable to find a flight that has an allocation of seats for such a ‘class’ of ticket.
22 May 2013
at 09:32
1nfrequentParticipantI agree that airlines shouldn’t be forced to compensate for events beyond their control (the ash cloud is probably the best example – I’m amazed they were found liable for that). However they are absolutely responsible for technical problems on their aircraft and the way some of them treat their passengers during such delays can be atrocious.
I’ve just put in a claim for some friends of mine who took a BA flight in economy that was delayed for 4 hours. There was no information at all. The ground staff took rudeness to aggressive levels and they only grudgingly handed out the care vouchers (a measly £5 per passenger, which wasn’t enough to buy food and drink) when a few passengers demanded them, citing EU regulations.
I get that delays are part of the business and I get that airlines operate on low margins but they don’t get to treat paying customers like absolute rubbish and get away with it. I’m going to take very great pleasure in getting back the €1200 Euros my friends are entitled to – not least because it’ll pay for most of their holiday.
I also don’t subscribe to the “you should take out insurance” argument. Many policies don’t pay out much for delays to fares and not everyone can afford comprehensive cover. It’s all very good saying that people should take responsibility but that doesn’t mean that airlines should be able to avoid it.
1F
22 May 2013
at 11:17 -
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