Airline carriers respond to 7 News airline breaches story
Tonight 7 News ran a story on airline breaches. Below are the statements from three carries who responded to questions from reporters.
FROM QANTAS:
• “The Choice report is selective about facts and mischaracterises the law around refunds.
• As customers would expect, our Terms and Conditions are fully compliant with Australian Consumer Law and they are clearly disclosed on our website.
• We understand life can get in the way of the best laid travel plans, which is why we do offer refunds under certain circumstances. By the same token, if we let people move between flights at will, it would be very difficult to run an efficient airline and that would have an impact on the cost of travel for everyone.”
FROM JETSTAR:
“Choice’s report shows a complete misunderstanding of Australia’s consumer laws and how airlines work.
• While a supermarket or retailer can refund an item and then easily sell it again, airlines can never re-sell a seat after a flight has departed with empty seats and Jetstar’s fares and conditions reflect this.
• That’s why our cheapest fares are non-refundable or customers can pay extra to have more flexibility to change their flights or get a refund.
• Choice seems to forget that it has never been cheaper to fly in Australia with millions of people travelling on Jetstar for under $100 in the past 12 months.
• Terms and conditions - Our Terms and Conditions are compliant with consumer law. All customers agree to our Terms and Conditions (called Fare Rules and Conditions of Carriage) prior to booking, a link is emailed to customers with the itinerary and it is available on our website
• Refunds - We do provide refunds and flight vouchers in a range of different scenarios including on compassionate grounds.
• Compensation - Choice wants airlines to pay for delays and cancellations caused by poor weather or thunderstorms which are clearly outside of airlines control.”
FROM VIRGIN AUSTRALIA:
“Virgin Australia always complies with Australian Consumer Law. We offer a range of different fare types to suit the varying needs of our customers. Virgin Australia encourages its customers to familiarise themselves with the fare type they are purchasing, as inclusions and exclusions for each fare type are clearly outlined during the booking process. Customers are required to confirm they are familiar with the Terms and Conditions prior to purchasing a ticket.”
