Consumer NZ wants more robust protection for Kiwi airline passengers, as the consumer watchdog flags that aviation is among its key focus areas for 2025.
New Zealanders need stronger consumer rights when flights are cancelled or delayed for reasons within airlines’ control, says Consumer NZ, such as those enjoyed in other jurisdictions, such as the EU, the US and even Australia.
“We hear from many impacted passengers who are either not told their rights or sometimes are even given information that we think could be misleading,” acting head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ Jessica Walker told Travel Today. “We think the best and fairest way to fix this is through legislation, so airlines have to tell passengers their rights.”
. . . Airlines Trying?
The good news is that this is an easy fix. Next month amendments to the Civil Aviation Act will give the Minister for Transport the power to introduce regulations that require airlines to provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted, adds Walker. “We think [Air New Zealand and Jetstar] are committed to doing the right thing…but the best things would be to have it there so there’s no questions,” says Walker. “We really feel that a lot of New Zealand passengers who are impacted by flight disruptions are at a disadvantage by the way things are currently standing.”
. . . Domestic
Consumer NZ is also urging the Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Scott Simpson, to direct the Commerce Commission to conduct a study into New Zealand’s domestic aviation sector.
Walker says Consumer NZ has conducted a lot of research on this topic, but that it has led to ‘more and more questions’ regarding what is going on in the market, and whether competition is working effectively. “Our belief is that right now it’s probably not, when you look at prices that people are facing.”
New Zealand, she says, is the most concentrated aviation market in the world. “That means it is ripe for further exploration…let’s get the experts in with their magnifying glasses.”