Consumers’ exploitation

LAHORE: Air travellers going abroad from Pakistan are being exploited as the airlines on cancellation of their flight offer full refund (which is not a big deal), but the passengers are not rebooked on the next available flight for the same fare.

These ticket rates are cheaper if booking is made fifteen days or earlier. The charges increase when booking is made closer to the departure date. Naturally the passengers of the cancelled flight would like to go by the next available flight. The passengers are asked to pay additional charges for no fault of theirs.

Rules have changed in favour of airlines after Covid-19. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a general understanding of the common practices was to rebook the passengers to alternate flights.

Typically, if a flight was cancelled due to reasons within the airline’s control (like maintenance issues or scheduling changes), airlines would try to rebook passengers on the next available flight to their destination without charging extra fees. This was often done automatically, and passengers would be informed of the new itinerary.

Airlines generally allowed passengers to reschedule their travel plans without incurring change fees if the cancellation was due to circumstances beyond their control, such as weather-related disruptions. Passengers could choose to travel on another flight within a certain timeframe, depending on seat availability.

If rebooking was not feasible for the passenger due to limited availability or if the passenger preferred not to travel, airlines would often provide options for refunds or travel vouchers for the value of the cancelled flight. These vouchers could be used for future travel with the same airline.

But exploitative practices are in vogue in Pakistan and Gulf countries. In most developed countries, passengers’ rights are strongly protected. In the European Union for instance, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (commonly referred to as EU 261) mandates compensation and assistance for passengers in cases of flight cancellations, delays, and denied boarding, depending on the circumstances. This regulation outlined passengers’ rights to compensation, rebooking, refunds, and assistance, depending on the length of the delay and the flight distance.

Covid-19 events have not denied the passengers rights. If one is flying on a European airline even in 2023, one has more rights than one may think. The reason? EC 261 (also referred to as the EU 261), the European consumer regulation, gives broad protection for passengers — far broader than anything that even the US airlines offer.

Airlines do have clauses in their terms and conditions that pertain to force majeure events (extraordinary circumstances beyond their control) that could limit their liability to passengers. These events might include strikes, natural disasters, and political unrest but not usual cancellations due to airlines’ fault.

It is true that airline policies could vary, and it is important for passengers to review the terms and conditions of their specific booking or contact the airline’s customer service for accurate information regarding re-accommodation, refunds, and related policies in case of flight cancellations.

But in many cases the passengers travelling from Pakistan have no choice. For instance, only one airline operates direct flights from Lahore to Toronto. This saves passengers the hassle of changing flights during the journey. It may take them 24 hours or more to reach Toronto. The ticket though is around Rs200,000 cheaper than direct flight. Is it not exploitation?