New Aviation Consumer Protection Scheme To Boost Passenger Rights In Australia

Published on September 7, 2025

Australia is astir to rotation retired a caller user protection strategy designed to thief travelers erstwhile their flights don’t spell arsenic planned. Beginning successful 2026, nan strategy will laic retired a elemental database of erstwhile travelers tin expect payments aliases benefits for illustration refunds, repast and edifice money, and caller formation bookings if their original flights are delayed aliases cancelled. The move comes aft galore group pointed retired nan aged rules were vague and difficult to enforce.

Key Features of nan Scheme

The Australian authorities is implementing a first-of-its-kind user protection model specifically for aviation, which will enforce strict rules for airlines and airports. This includes clear guidelines connected erstwhile and really passengers tin declare compensation successful nan arena of cancellations aliases delays.

For instance, passengers will person nan correct to declare compensation for delays of complete 3 hours, mirroring policies successful regions for illustration nan European Union and nan United States. Compensation whitethorn see refunds, rebooking connected nan adjacent disposable flight, meals, and overnight accommodation if necessary. The strategy intends to standardize nan process crossed each airlines and airports to trim disorder among travelers.

Transport Minister Catherine King emphasized that nan caller rules would create a much accordant acquisition for passengers, addressing frustrations caused by varying hose policies. The authorities intends to found minimum assistance levels and clear complaint-handling procedures for airlines and airports to follow. This will guarantee amended transparency and accountability erstwhile things spell wrong.

Current Gaps successful Passenger Rights

The request for this caller protection strategy arose aft criticisms of Labor’s draught aviation authorities charter, which lacked circumstantial guidelines connected refunds, compensation, and handling of mislaid aliases delayed baggage. Additionally, nan existent charter did not supply clarity connected which agency would enforce these rules, leaving consumers uncertain astir their rights. The caller strategy will tackle these issues, bringing much transparency to nan compensation process.

Consultation and Legislation Process

To refine nan framework, Minister King announced a four-week consultation play starting successful September 2025. The authorities intends to walk nan authorities by nan extremity of 2025, and nan strategy will travel into effect successful early 2026. This timeline is designed to springiness airlines, airports, and different stakeholders ample clip to hole for nan caller regulations.

International Comparison and Expected Benefits

The projected strategy will align pinch world standards seen successful regions for illustration nan EU, wherever passengers are entitled to compensation of up to €600 (approximately AU$1072) for delayed flights of 3 hours aliases more. However, specified compensation does not use successful cases of bonzer circumstances for illustration earthy disasters aliases governmental unrest.

In summation to financial compensation, nan Australian strategy will require airlines to supply passengers pinch basal services specified arsenic meals and edifice stays successful nan arena of overnight delays. Passengers will besides person nan correct to punctual rebookings connected nan adjacent disposable flight, ensuring minimal disruption to their recreation plans.

The Case of Qantas and Other Airlines

Recent scrutiny of Australia’s airlines, peculiarly Qantas, underscores nan request for stronger user protection measures. According to nan Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Qantas had a overmuch higher cancellation complaint compared to its competitors, including Virgin Australia and Jetstar. Qantas’ cancellation complaint stood astatine 3.2%, double that of Virgin Australia’s 1.6% and Jetstar’s 1.1%.

Qantas has besides faced disapproval for trading tickets for flights that were later cancelled. Between May 2022 and May 2024, nan hose sold complete 82,000 tickets for “ghost flights” that they knew would not operate. This led to a important good of up to $100 cardinal and further penalties for delayed notifications to passengers. On average, passengers were informed of cancellations 11 days aft nan fact, pinch immoderate not notified for up to 67 days.

Such incidents item nan request for a robust model to protect passengers’ rights, peculiarly successful cases of important formation disruptions. Under nan caller scheme, passengers will nary longer person to hold weeks for reimbursement aliases explanation from airlines.

A Guide for Travelers

As nan rollout of this user protection strategy nears, travelers should familiarize themselves pinch nan cardinal provisions:

1. Know Your Rights: If your formation is delayed by complete 3 hours aliases cancelled, you will beryllium entitled to compensation, including rebooking, meals, and accommodation.
2. Claiming Compensation: Airlines will beryllium required to supply clear accusation connected really to declare compensation for delays, cancellations, and mislaid baggage. Keep each applicable receipts and booking details.
3. Communication pinch Airlines: Airlines will beryllium mandated to connection clear connection astir formation statuses, peculiarly during disruptions. Expect timely updates if your formation is delayed aliases cancelled.
4. Handling Complaints: The strategy will standardize really complaints are handled crossed each airlines. If you’re unsatisfied pinch nan solution provided by an airline, you will person clearer avenues for escalating your complaint.
5. Travel Insurance: While nan caller strategy offers amended protection, travelers whitethorn still want to see recreation insurance, particularly for non-flight-related disruptions aliases delays.

Thanks to these caller updates, Australians heading overseas tin scheme their trips pinch a batch much confidence. They’ll spot intelligibly what their authorities are, and airlines will now person to beforehand up erstwhile things spell wrong. The caller aviation user protection rules are bully news for each traveler and should besides push airlines to measurement up their game, making flying smoother for each of us.