Dispute service not good for customers, says Jet2.com
Jet2.com has publicly hit back at criticism from the Civil Aviation Authority over its failure to join a dispute resolution service, saying that it was not in the airline’s or its customers’ interests.
The CAA had singled out Jet2.com for criticism because it is the only one of the UK’s biggest 10 airlines not to have signed up to an ADR scheme, which aims to settle disputes between airlines and customers. The majority of claims referred to ADR are for flight delay compensation.
Jet2.com said it had met with CEDR, the leading provider of dispute resolution services, on more than one occasion and decided it was not appropriate to join.
In a lengthy statement on its website, Jet2.com added: "We are not against ADR as such Jet2holidays is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents’ very effective ADR scheme and is satisfied with the way in which that operates.
"But having carefully looked at ADR for passenger flight disputes, many of which involve complex factual, technical, operational issues and involved legal interpretation of EU regulations and decisions of the European Court of Justice, we do not think it is appropriate."
It acknowledged that other airlines have signed up to ADR, but it added: "Some other airlines may not have carried out the careful evaluation which we have, so did not understand the problems with ADR before signing up. But in any case, the mere fact that some airlines have signed up to an optional scheme should not be a basis for criticising an airline which considers it is not right to sign up.
Jet2 claimed that it paid out valid EC261 flight delay compensation claims within 14 days on average, and if customers’ claims were rejected, they could complain to the CAA ‘PACT’ team and also pursue the claim through court.
Jet2 said only 0.001% of its customers’ complaints were referred to PACT in the last six months of last year and on all of those referrals the CAA agreed with the airline’s decision.
"We will keep ADR under review, but as matters stand we do not think it would serve our customers’ interests or the interests of Jet2.com," it added.
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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