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Passenger complaints to the ECC have almost doubled
The number of complaints relating to air passenger rights in Europe has almost doubled, according to the European Consumer Centre network.
In its second report on airline complaints, the ECC found the primary areas of complaint are unchanged but almost one third of complaints still remain unresolved.
ECC Ireland Director Tina Leonard said: “It is frustrating that one year on from our first report, we don’t see much improvement for air passengers. We sincerely hope that this situation will change radically in 2008.”
In 2006, almost 5,000 air travellers contacted the ECC Net with queries and complaints.
Of these, 33% related to luggage, 26% to cancelled flights and 16% to delays.
As in 2005, almost one third of complaints were unresolved (28%).
“The main reason for this was airlines claiming ‘extraordinary circumstances’ as a reason for not offering passengers compensation in the case of cancelled flights, as well as airlines failing to respond to consumers’ complaints,” said an ECC spokesman.
“Other recurring issues include airlines’ failure to provide information on air passenger rights in the event of a delay or cancellation, along with a lack of ‘up front’ assistance to delayed passengers.”
Compared to to the 2005 results, the proportion of complaints against Spanish and Irish airlines has increased significantly.
“One explanation could be found in the growth of the biggest Irish low-cost airline (Ryanair), which transported more passengers than the year before (from 30.9 million in 2005 to 42.5 million passengers in 2006),” said the report.
Ryanair said it welcomed the survey and claimed that it showed its rate of complaints on a proportional basis was half that of Aer Lingus’.
“Less than 10 complaints are made for every 1 million passengers carried by Ryanair,” it said.
By Bev Fearis
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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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