UK flight compensation could be slashed under new plans
Government plans to reform compensation rules for flights in the UK could slash average payouts by £163 per passenger, Which? says.
Currently, under EU261 rules, someone on a domestic flight in the UK can claim £220 once their flight has been delayed by three hours.
The government is considering scrapping this and offering compensation based on ticket price and the length of delay instead – similar to the Delay Repay system in rail.
A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on the issue ends on 27 March.
Which? estimates that the system proposed by the government could save airlines tens of thousands for a single flight, while compensation would plummet to just over a quarter of the current amount.
The average sum eligible to each passenger would drop.from £220 to just £57.
Which? looked at figures provided by Skyscanner to calculate how much airlines would have to pay out for long delays on some of the most popular UK routes under the possible new system.
Based on an Edinburgh to London ticket price of £44, an airline would potentially have to pay out up to £39,600 for delays of three hours or more under current rules for a full flight.
Under the government’s proposed scheme the maximum payout is reduced to only £7,920.
Which? is concerned that reducing compensation payments would remove a significant deterrent against airlines consistently letting passengers down with delays and cancellations.
Which? believes it may set a precedent that could weaken passenger compensation rights and incentives for airlines to avoid flight disruption for travel throughout Europe and beyond.
It is calling on the government to reconsider its proposals on compensation and instead increase enforcement.
Which? supports separate proposals in the same consultation to grant administrative fining powers to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and make it mandatory for airlines to join the Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) scheme.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Ripping up current compensation rules for UK flights would be a huge blow for passenger rights and embolden airlines to act with impunity. Unfair practices such as overbooking and denied boarding could once again become more commonplace.”
“The government should reconsider these reforms and instead give passengers confidence that they will be protected when their journey is.”
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