CCJS

• Passenger numbers were up 30% in the northern hemisphere in June 2023, versus the previous year.
• Air travellers caught up in these events are legally entitled to care and assistance from airlines under UK law post-Brexit.
• But our research shows that people are often unsure or completely unaware of their rights when travel is disrupted.
• At present the regulator is unable to directly and independently fine an airline, it must bring a court action.

Uncertainty about legal rights of air passengers

• But the mass cancellation of flights during the COVID pandemic and the failure of many airlines to refund some passengers really brought the problem to the wider public’s attention.
• We have researched passenger experiences of flight cancellations during the pandemic, as well as the level of awareness among air passengers of both their legal rights and routes to redress.
• These problems are even more acute for passengers who have booked through an online travel agent rather than directly with the airline.

How to get redress for travel disruption

• If you don’t get a response, or are unsatisfied with the response, there are other options.
• Further, not all airlines are members of the schemes and ADR decisions are not binding.
• Alternatively, you could bring a court action against an airline, although this can be tricky if the airline is based abroad.
• This allows you to make a claim to the bank or provider of the credit card you used to pay for your flights.

What about the airline regulator?

• This pits the weaker consumer against the powerful interests and deeper pockets of the airlines.
• The Department for Transport proposed reforms in January 2022, but the UK government has yet to act.