Steve Hart: Days of being bumped off flights may be over

COMMENT

A new law to protect the travelling public from being left high and dry after being bumped at the airport check-in will see holidaymakers compensated.

Ticket-holders travelling in the European Union will be legally entitled to have the full cost of their tickets refunded, and airlines will have to pay them hundreds of dollars in compensation.

It means the days of airlines overbooking their aircraft and then denying ticket-holders a seat may be at an end, in some parts of the world at least.

The new law, due to be introduced in 18 months' time, covers travellers in Europe - members of the European parliament voted through the legislation on July 3.

Some cut-price European-based airlines are already saying fares will have to rise to cover compensation payouts.

The law may encourage them to be more efficient and deliver a better service. Some could even use it as a marketing tool - "Book with us and you'll never be bumped".

For far too long the perception of airlines being a law unto themselves, seemingly able to do what they like to counter their standard practice of overbooking flights, has led to misery and resentment.

Some airlines have been known to cancel flights "for operational reasons" just because there were not enough passengers to make the flight financially viable. Now they may think twice before cancelling.

Delays and denied boardings happen countless times across the world every day. Just because airlines have always done this doesn't mean it should continue that way forever.

This new law may just be the start of something extraordinary - it may start a new "best practice" culture that will ripple across the globe and benefit everyone.

Under the Euro law payments to people bumped at the check-in in Europe will amount to £180 ($500) for short-haul flights and £415 ($1150) for long-haul flights. It's a lot of money that should make the airlines think twice before pulling a passenger to one side at the check-in counter.

People whose flights are cancelled will be entitled to the same treatment as those denied boarding - they will get the same levels of compensation plus the same choice of a refund or an alternative flight.

Travellers who experience delays will be entitled to full reimbursement of their fare provided the delay is more than two hours for short-haul flights or more than four hours for longer flights.

Airlines will also be legally bound "where appropriate" to provide refreshments, meals and hotels for stranded passengers. That is something many of them routinely offer.



Bravo Europe, let's hope some non-European countries introduce similar laws.

It really would be a good fit for New Zealand. After all, in a user-pays society, the service provider should cough up when they don't deliver as expected and give us the choice to shop elsewhere.