CAA uncovers mountain of unpaid airline refunds
Major airlines are still sitting on a ‘substantial’ number of refund claims, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
It said only a minority group of airlines has been consistently providing customers with refunds in ‘an acceptable timeframe’.
Clients are entitled to receive refunds for cancelled flights within seven days.
However, the CAA stepped in to review the refund policies of all UK airlines as well as some international carriers in May after customers claimed they were being denied their rights.
Of the 18 airlines investigated by the CAA, it found a number didn’t appear to be providing any refunds.
"Having engaged with these airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority can now confirm that these airlines are all paying refunds," it said.
"A number of airlines have now introduced new systems for processing refunds. More work remains to be done by this group of airlines to make it clear to passengers that they are entitled to a refund and show that there is a straightforward process for claiming it.
"We will allow these airlines a short period to make the necessary improvements before we reach a definitive view on their performance."
The CAA also identified a number of airlines, including some of the big ones, that are taking too long to process refunds. It said it has asked them for commitments to speed up refund processing timescales.
"We have received responses from a number of airlines agreeing to this request. We will assess the suitability of these commitments and, should we accept them, we will monitor the airlines’ performance against them.
"If performance does not improve in line with the commitments, the Civil Aviation Authority will not hesitate to take enforcement action," it said.
A more detailed report will be provided by the CAA later this month.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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