16 September 2009
Flight Centre has recently launched an initiative designed to protect their customers if the airline they’re booked on declares insolvency or bankruptcy.
Basically Flight Centre will cover the cost of an alternative supplier for the leg of the journey affected by the airline failure. Or if passengers are yet to travel Flight Centre will provide either a full refund or find clients an alternative to the value of the initial ticket cost.
This initiative became effective from 1 September 2009 and will be offered to all Flight Centre, Student Flights, Flight Centre Active and Travel Associates passengers at no additional cost. Executive General Manager of Flight Centre South Africa, Ms Janine Salame, says, “I believe this is a first for the travel industry in South Africa and a truly customer-focused initiative”.
Travellers will also be pleased to know that the
Consumer Protection Act will have a significant impact on airlines and the way they do business once it is fully implemented in October 2010.
Section 47 of the Act states that the practice of over-selling is going to be illegal. So if you are forced to miss your flight because the supplier has over-booked their service, you are legally entitled to more recompense than before. The airline will be required to refund your ticket with interest, and not just hand out vouchers for the missed booking.
They will also have to pay consequential damages for any economic loss resulting from the breach of contract. This basically means that the airline will have to refund you for any additional bookings which you missed as a result of being bumped off a flight.
Click here to find out more about the Consumer Protection Act.
