Are you down and feeling miserable about Australia’s delay on the border opening? You may be entitled to compensation. Well, compensation in a sense but it would be great to get the refund on your flight cancellation than letting airline companies be like thieves in the night.
Ever since the unfortunate announcement of the delay, thousands of dollars have been wasted by students who had planned to fly to Australia on December 1, 2021. Furious, saddened students are flocking in droves to find every way they can to get the refund on their flight cancellation but without any clear guidance on how to do so. You would think that governments would contact or help these students in any way they can — but that’s just wishful thinking at this point.
If this sounds like you, dread no longer as we have everything you need to know here that might just help:
Refund through your airline
Normally when you purchase a flight ticket, an airline is responsible for getting you to your destination. However, sometimes things just go sideways, and your flight gets cancelled. When this happens, you may have rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
Most airlines that operate in Australia have a compensation policy. These policies will ensure the airline compensates and assists you when your flight is cancelled. You can find an airline’s compensation policy on their website.
Some airlines may provide you with different levels of compensation and assistance depending on whether the flight cancellation was caused by events within or outside an airline’s control.
The reason for cancellation is not always clearly explained to passengers. Airlines should be proactive and truthful in advising you of the reasons why your flight is cancelled, and whether you are entitled to compensation under the terms of the airline’s policy.
An airline’s compensation policy operates in addition to the consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law and cannot exclude them.
If you are affected by a flight cancellation, and you are not happy with the airline’s actions, you should:
- Contact the airline to try and resolve the issue in the first instance
- Take notes of any conversations and save emails
- Contact your travel insurance provider
- Consider reporting it to the ACCC
- Do note that the ACCC is not a complaint handling body, but they can choose to take action where there are systemic breaches of the ACL.
If neither of these things works out for the refund for your flight cancellation, you have our sincerest sympathies. We understand the frustrations that all of you are experiencing and we are looking to amplify your voices so that students around the world like you won’t suffer in silence.
Stay tuned with us for more news regarding this Omicron travel ban fiasco.
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