Online agent vows to fight airlines over throwaway ticketing
Online travel agent kiwi.com has weighed into the debate over throwaway ticketing, saying it will support any passengers who face legal action from airlines.
It comes as Lufthansa prepares to appeal a case against a customer who exploited its multi-trip fares system to get cheaper flights.
Kiwi issued a statement today saying it would help its customers fight any ‘predatory behaviour’ from ‘big players’.
It has promised to provide assistance in case legal action is taken against its customers for alleged breach of ‘unreasonable’ airline terms, namely so called throwaway ticketing and similar practices.
It accused airlines of having confusing contracts of carriage and said it wants to protect consumer rights.
"We know much of the travel industry is broken and built on archaic structures that benefit the big players," said CEO Oliver Dlouhy, pictured above.
"We want to be part of the solution, not the problem, and invite everyone to join us in a common goal – making travel better."
David Liskutin, chief legal officer at Kiwi.com, added: "The legal situation related to certain airline’s conditions of carriage is confusing and complicated for travellers, and it is hard to foresee certain legal outcomes of their travel behaviour.
"We hold a rather liberal point of view because we trust in free will and the right to free choice in respect to the use of the product customers purchase from service providers, including airlines.
"We think that customers should have the liberty to choose whether they will use the service and to what extent, without the risk of being penalised.
"In this regard, we offer them our aid in the case they are sued for exercising their right to free choice."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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