Worst airlines for flight compensation payments are revealed
Some of the UK’s biggest airlines are ignoring passengers’ flight delay compensation claims, only to pay when court proceedings have been issued, while others are more likely to pay up without a fight, according to statistics.
The data, compiled by UK flight delay compensation law firm Bott and Co, reveals TUI Airways as the worst offender.
The airline is ‘notorious for denying or ignoring claims pre-litigation and then agreeing to pay only if court proceedings are issued’, the no-win, no-fee solicitor claims.
TUI passengers had to go to court 70% of the time in order to get the compensation they were entitled to, according to Bott and Co.
easyJet was named the second worst offender, with passengers needing to issue court proceedings 45% of the time.
TUI paid out in 29% of cases prior to court proceedings, while easyJet and Virgin Atlantic settled before court proceedings in 55% and 56% of cases respectively.
The airlines least likely to wait for court proceedings before settling are Jet2, which settled on 91% of cases before court; British Airways (90%) and Thomas Cook (89%).
Bott and Co found that, in some cases, airlines were defending claims where others on the same flight had been paid previously, before court proceedings were necessary.
Coby Benson, flight delay solicitor at Bott and Co said: "If the airlines were fully complying with the law then 100% of pay-outs would be without court proceedings.
"We understand that airlines need to look at claims on an individual basis; however what we’re seeing is airlines routinely defending claims for eligible flights, some where they’ve already paid dozens of others on the same flight."
Benson continued: "It is fundamentally unfair for airlines to continue to defend claims in the hope that passengers will just give up."
In addition to these findings, a recent report by the European Court of Auditors revealed that airlines in Europe often resort to telling passengers who complain that a delay is due to circumstances not under their control. But when this is properly challenged, the airlines are then more likely to pay compensation.
Even after already agreeing to pay people on the same flight, Bott and Co have needed to issue court proceedings against airlines in order to secure compensation for others.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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