While the Labor government’s attempts to empower and bolster the rights of airline customers is a step in the right direction, consumer advocacy group, Choice has warned the rights charter is too weak.
The Charter was open for consultation in December 2024. In response, Choice said it was too vague to make actual change, arguing that the charter may be weaker than existing consumer protections under the Australian Consumer Law.
“Consumers are entitled to a refund or replacement where flights are delayed or cancelled due to weather events under consumer guarantee rights, but may not be under the draft Charter," Choice Senior Campaigns and Policy Advisor, Bea Sherwood said.
“When the pandemic caused travel to halt in early 2020, many people faced difficulties obtaining refunds, using travel credits, navigating inconsistent policies and understanding their rights.
“These issues continue today, and the Charter must address them to protect consumers in the future.”
Choice has outlined four key recommendations that they believe could help boost consumer protection in the aviation industry.
The first recommendation is that the Charter should include the right to refunds or replacement flights when it is cancelled or severely delayed.
"Consumers should have the same rights to be rebooked or receive a refund across all Australian airlines when a flight is not delivered on time,” Sherwood said.
Following on from this, Choice suggests that there should be a minimum compensation amount for different scenarios. Sherwood said this includes situations like compensation for meals, accommodations and airport transfers in the case of cancellations or large delays.
“These measures will ensure that a consumer knows what to expect regardless of the airline they fly with, and ensure that the Charter has all of the information a consumer needs in the event their flight is delayed or cancelled," she said.
The consumer advocacy group also proposed that there should be a standardised format for airline terms and conditions of carriage.
“It would make it easier for consumers to find and understand their rights and ensure greater transparency across the aviation industry," says Sherwood.
Choice’s final recommendation is to set up standard procedures for claim times and compensation for lost, damaged or delayed baggage.
“We strongly recommend the Charter includes specific standards to ensure consumers have one source of information and that all airlines treat consumers the same," Sherwood said.
