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Australian travellers who suffer the inconvenience of flight cancellations or delays may soon be given more rights under a proposed charter announced by the federal government.
Under the government's draft Aviation Rights Charter, there will be new blanket guidelines to help empower customers impacted by flight disruptions in Australia.
Australians whose flights are cancelled should be offered full refunds, not vouchers, and travellers experiencing delays over three hours should be given help to book alternative options, the draft legislation states.
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Airlines would also be made to reimburse travellers for any meals or accommodation required, lost luggage should be posted back for free and if your flight is cancelled, then you are entitled to a full refund within 14 days, not just a flight credit.
If a delayed flight is time dependent, the charter says customers should be allowed to cancel with a full refund.
Transport minister Catherine King is set to release the full draft today ahead of a busy Christmas travel period.
The document will lay out expectations in black and white for how disruptions should be treated after a tumultuous few years in the airline industry.
The charter will be open for consultation until February and then will need to be legislated to be enforced.
"The Australian flying public deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and this includes receiving timely and fair remedies when their flight is cancelled or delayed and protecting those who require assistance," King said.
"The Customer Charter of Rights will make clear what has been hiding in fine print for far too long.
"It will give Australians greater certainty about what they can expect when flying in Australia and where to go if these conditions are not met."
