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Regulators have told airlines that they must treat passengers better when dealing with disruption.
In a joint letter to carriers. the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said passengers “could experience significant harm unless airlines meet their obligations”.
They said some airlines were not doing enough to avoid “engaging in one or more harmful practices”.
These include selling more tickets for flights “than they can reasonably expect to supply”, not always “fully satisfying obligations” to offer flights on alternative airlines to passengers affected by cancellations, and failing to give consumers “sufficiently clear and upfront information about their rights”.
The letter said the CMA and CAA will continue to monitor airlines and that they “share consumer protection law enforcement powers”.
It comes as airlines continue to axe flights, adding to the tens of thousands that have already been cancelled in recent months.
One of the main reasons is staff shortages – many aviation workers were let go during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, while travel was severely restricted.
But the return to normal summer demand seems to have taken some industry bosses by surprise and many are now struggling to recruit, screen, and train workers quickly enough.
Read more:
easyJet reported over treatment of passengers with cancelled flights
Heathrow cancels flights affecting 10,000 travellers and warns of more to come
Gatwick is the worst airport for cancellations this year, data shows
Passengers have been left paying the price, with long queues, luggage problems, and flight delays and cancellations.
The CMA and CAA said airlines should “not continue marketing tickets for flights if they cannot be reasonably confident they will go ahead”.
If a flight is cancelled, airlines that cannot offer a “timely replacement” must give passengers the option of flying with another carrier, the letter said.
Some carriers…
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Source : skynews
