For all you folk who are sick and tired of having your flights delayed, or even cancelled at the last minute, a new bill being introduced in Parliament could bring the changes you so desperately seek.
In the bill being introduced by Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie, customers would be compensated by airlines for delays to their travel plans.
Given the nickname the “Pay on Delay” bill, passengers would have additional financial protections that hopefully encourages/forces the airlines of Australia to pick up their game when it comes to delaying flights.
More than 2200 flights were cancelled in Australia last year, in only the month of December.
Additionally over 2023, two out of five Aussies had a flight cancelled and were not informed why.
“Australians deserve an aviation industry where planes take off and arrive on time, and their bags arrive with them,” McKenzie said in a statement. Don’t even get me started on lost baggage.
Last year Qantas saw itself in the middle of a class action lawsuit over its failure to refund flights cancelled due to COVID, which resulted in the airline being forced to refund customers.
“In light of the Qantas ticketing scandal and alleged ghost flights, the Pay on Delay Bill is designed to clean up Australia’s airline industry through ensuring concrete protections for passengers to, from and within Australia and its territories in the event of flight delays, cancellations, or denials of boarding.”
This bill proposed by McKenzie would mean Aussies can travel without the fear of disappointment.
“Australians travelling to see friends and family or for work are constantly let down by cancelled and delayed flights,” stated the Coalition senator.
“In November alone, 45.3% of flights were cancelled or delayed across Australia’s busiest routes, the ‘Golden Triangle’, of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, leading to widespread disruption and customer dissatisfaction.”
There is no framework yet for how much passengers would be reimbursed for a delayed flight, however a Australia could adapt the model used by the European Union, which sees between $485 and $1,165 awarded to passengers who suffer more than three hours of delay.
Not gonna lie, if a bill like that were to be introduced, I think I would quit my job and make all my money from those sweet sweet reimbursements. It’s basically guaranteed money with the airline industry in the state it is.
The Pay on Delay will be introduced sometime in February as Senate resumes.
