Watchdog says plane passengers are being denied compensation for delayed flights because the payout schemes are ‘broken and powerless’ and need urgent replacement
- Most carriers are signed up to two different dispute resolution bodies
- Watchdog Which? is calling for it to be replaced by a single mandatory scheme
- Ryanair left one of the schemes in November after it had to pay over £3.6million
- There were more than 14,000 complaints against the budget carrier in 2018
Airline passengers are being denied compensation by a ‘broken and powerless’ complaints system, campaigners say.
Consumer group Which? is calling for the two current schemes to be replaced with a single mandatory system.
Most carriers are signed up to either the Aviation ADR (Airline Dispute Resolution) or the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), but Ryanair left the former in November after being made to pay more than £3.6million, according to Which?
Most carriers are signed up to either the Aviation ADR (Airline Dispute Resolution) or the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), but Ryanair left the former in November after being made to pay more than £3.6million, according to Which? (pictured: file photo of a Ryanair jet)
There were more than 14,000 complaints against the budget carrier in 2018.
Rory Boland, travel editor at Which?, said: ‘The broken aviation complaints system favours the interests of airlines over passengers.’ He added that holidaymakers faced an ‘uphill struggle’ trying to get compensation.
Passengers can claim up to £531 if their flight is delayed by more than four hours.
Yet many have complained of year-long delays – despite industry rules stating claims must be processed within 90 days. British Airways is covered by CEDR, while companies including Emirates, Virgin and Easyjet are signed up to Aviation ADR.
Passengers can claim up to £531 if their flight is delayed by more than four hours (pictured: file photo taken at Heathrow)
Martyn James, from complaints website Resolver, said: ‘It is time to introduce one single service that has clear rules and is compulsory to join.’
An Aviation ADR spokesman said: ‘Most airlines have subscribed to ADR. This is a system that is therefore far from broken.’
CEDR did not offer a comment.