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Consumer NZ has delivered a petition to Parliament signed by more than 10,500 people calling on the government to require airlines to clearly inform passengers of their rights when flights are delayed or cancelled.
The petition asks associate minister of transport James Meager to use existing powers under the Civil Aviation Act to compel airlines to provide passengers with clear information about their rights during flight disruptions.
Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy says passengers are often left without the information they need when delays or cancellations occur.
“Thousands of New Zealanders have told us they’re sick of being left in the dark,” Jon says.
“When a cancellation or delay is the airline’s fault, passengers have rights. The problem is that, unlike other jurisdictions, airlines don’t have to tell them.”
Consumer NZ says many travellers are paying out of pocket for costs that airlines may be legally required to cover.
Research by the organisation found four in 10 people who flew in the past two years experienced a flight delay or cancellation.
More than three quarters of travellers rely on airlines to provide information about their rights, while nine in 10 say they are not fully aware of what those rights are.
Under the Civil Aviation Act, when a domestic flight disruption is caused by something within the airline’s control – such as staffing, mechanical or operational issues – passengers may be entitled to a refund or reimbursement of reasonable costs.
Compensation can cover costs incurred because of the disruption up to 10 times the price of the ticket, or the actual cost of the delay, whichever is lower.
Jon says passengers also need to know whether a disruption was caused by factors within the airline’s control, as this determines whether reimbursement may apply.
“Disrupted passengers are being left out of pocket because they are not being given the information they need from their airline,” he says.
The issue was highlighted last year when Jetstar was fined $2.25 million for misleading passengers about their entitlements under the Civil Aviation Act.
The Commerce Commission is also investigating whether Air New Zealand breached the Fair Trading Act in its communications with passengers about their rights when flights are disrupted.
Jon says the minister already has the authority to require airlines to provide clearer information to travellers.
“The law is complex and most people don’t fully understand it. More than 10,500 people want airlines to tell them their rights when their flights are disrupted,” he says.
“The minister already has the power to fix this.”
