Australians whose flights are cancelled should be entitled to a full refund – not vouchers – while passengers subject to more than three hours’ delay should get help to book another option, says the federal government’s new charter of rights for airline passengers.
Lost luggage should be posted to passengers cost-free, while airlines should acknowledge customer complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 30 days. It is the first concrete guidance on customer policies given to the aviation sector by an Australian government.
For the first time, the document sets expectations for how the industry deals with issues such as delays and lost luggage.Credit: James Alcock
Transport Minister Catherine King will release the draft charter on Sunday as millions of Australians embark on holiday travel over the Christmas season.
For the first time, the document sets expectations for how airlines and airports deal with their customers – such as by outlining what constitutes an unreasonable delay and when refunds are required – although penalties are yet to be determined.
The document is open for consultation until February and then needs to be legislated, but the government will bring in an interim ombudsman to send a message to airlines that they should start following the guidelines now.
“The Australian flying public deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and this includes receiving timely and fair remedies when their flight is cancelled or delayed and protecting those who require assistance,” King said.
“The Customer Charter of Rights will make clear what has been hiding in fine print for far too long. It will give Australians greater certainty about what they can expect when flying in Australia and where to go if these conditions are not met.”
However, the Coalition criticised the government for its timeframes and said it should have been stronger on consumer protections.
“Putting out a set of draft guidelines for discussion on the eve of Christmas shows the Albanese government is not serious about dealing with the poor treatment of customers by the aviation duopoly,” said the opposition’s transport spokeswoman, Bridget McKenzie.
“Rather than another round of consultation and a vague commitment to implementing sometime after the election, the Albanese government should adopt a genuine customer compensation scheme to assist travellers impacted by excessive delays, cancellations and lost baggage.”
The charter says customers have a right to “prompt and fair remedies and support” if their flight is disrupted or delayed for more than three hours for reasons within the airline’s control.
At no cost, people should receive assistance to rebook – either with the same airline or an alternative option – while all necessary meals, accommodation and transfers should be covered. They should also be allowed to cancel with a full refund if their flight had been time-dependent.
For cancelled flights, customers should receive a full refund in their original payment method within 14 days. No vouchers should be issued, unless that is the person’s preference.
People whose bags get lost should be reimbursed as necessary for the temporary loss of luggage and their bags should be promptly returned free when they’re found.
All airlines and airports should aim to resolve customer complaints in the first instance, and customer service representatives should be at the airport or available on the phone, with a call-back option to prevent wait times.
The new set of rules comes after a turbulent few years for the aviation industry and widespread customer frustration.
The Airline Customer Advocate’s annual report from 2023 found refund requests accounted for the largest share of complaints (38 per cent) followed by delays and cancellations (35 per cent).
Virgin was the most complained about, while Qantas took the longest to address issues.
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