Consumer group CHOICE has asked Australian governments to fix Australia’s travel “cancellation chaos” with seven urgent reforms, starting by making it easier for travellers to obtain refunds when plans are cancelled.
The group surveyed over 4,400 Australians who had travel plans disrupted by COVID-19. Suggested reforms are:
– Easier travel refunds.
“Many Australians who had booked travel have faced inconsistent and unfair treatment since COVID-19 emerged in early 2020,” says CHOICE Consumer Rights Expert and report author Alison Elliott.
“While some people reported receiving incredible help and assistance from travel businesses, others waited more than six months for a refund or encountered appalling customer service.
“Many people are now grappling with impractical limitations on travel vouchers and unfair solutions to a problem they didn’t cause. Just like the EU and UK, we should have clear rights to refunds when travel plans are cancelled,” says Elliott.
The CHOICE travel cancellations survey found 53% of respondents waited over 3 months for a resolution, with nearly a quarter waiting over six months.
Australians also shared their stories of major travel brands hiding behind complicated terms and conditions, passing the buck and befuddling customers out of asserting their rights. Flight Centre, AirBnB and Qantas featured heavily in the survey feedback.
“It is not okay that the big players in this industry don’t have better systems and higher standards of service. The recent lockdowns in a number of states are a reminder that this problem is not going away,” says Elliott.
