Do you ever dream of living in a world in which you were paid big money every time you were slightly inconvenienced? And what if that money were to increase the more you were put out? Sounds like a fire sign’s dream, doesn’t it? Well, I have good news for you friends, airlines could soon be made to PAY you when a flight is delayed or cancelled.
There is truly no greater pain than waking up early and packed for a flight only to find out it’s either been delayed for hours or cancelled completely. The following scramble to work out your shit so you don’t miss out on a planned holiday completely is truly one of life’s greatest displeasures. You can really feel the devil tee-hee-ing and ha-ha-ing on your shoulder while prettily kicking his feet.
The good news is that three groups (The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Consumer Advocate Choice and the Australian Lawyers Alliance) have independently highlighted the importance of having a proper compensation scheme in place for when Aussie airlines cancel or delay flights for the fuck of it.
Hopefully, this encourages the government to listen and put something into action.
These three groups would like Aussie airlines to have to abide by compensation laws similar to those in place in Europe.
Over there, if a flight is delayed by more than three hours, you get a refund of €250-600 (AUD$405-970. If you face an extremely long delay, you are entitled to a full refund, no questions asked.
On top of this, if you miss a connecting flight because your airline fucked you around, the airline will give you extra compensation.
Not only does the money sound beautiful, but so does the efficiency. With compensation laws in place, there’s no messing around. Everyone knows their rights and what they are entitled to when shit hits the fan, instead of how it is now in Australia — where some airlines offer compensation but the rules and regulations are quite unclear and often hidden in a wall of text in the terms and conditions section of an agreement.
One thing you have to remember though is that random bouts of extreme weather do not entitle you to compensation — after all, airlines can’t control the storms, but they can control their own competence.
“Typically in Australia, if your flight with a cheaper carrier is delayed you might get a voucher, which at the airport can buy you a coffee if you’re lucky,” Money and Travel Expert at Choice Australia Jodi Bird told The Guardian Australia.
“There is currently no real incentive for airlines not to cancel or delay flights … there is no obligation to deliver a service.
“Airlines would rather not have [a compensation scheme] because it would affect their commercial models and force them to concentrate more on flights leaving as close to on-time as possible.
“Australian airlines don’t seem to care much about customer service after they’ve sold you the ticket, and something like this would mean they’d have to.”
Drag them through the dirt, king.
It’s time for a compensation scheme to come to Australia… we so desperately need one to hold airlines accountable for their own fuckery.
