Should travellers pay for Mavcom’s upkeep?

DO you know your travel rights? This is because most don’t, just as many don’t read the fine print on a warranty card when they buy consumer electronics.

But in reality, how many know that they can get a refund if they can’t make it on a journey, although it may depend on the ticket type? There is also some form of compensation for delayed flights and damaged baggage, and further, travellers can get a full refund of the passenger service charge (PSC) if they don’t take the journey they have paid for.

Since its inception in March 2016, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has been trying to educate travellers on their rights. This year, it wants to continue doing so, so that more people will know their rights. It is a step in the right direction, as travellers can avoid being hoodwinked into paying various charges.

The commission has also handled nearly 3,000 passenger complaints, about 51% of them siding the passenger. It provides an avenue to complain on its website, similar to what the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission does for the telecommunications sector.

Mavcom is now in the process of fine-tuning the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 with some amendments. Hopefully, there will be greater protection for travellers. But for it to be fully effective, the commission must have the power to penalise.

Similarly, it is coming out with the quality of service (QoS) framework to improve service quality, given the state of some services including the state of some toilets at airports and the issue of long queues. It promises to impose penalties of up to 5% of airlines’ aeronautical revenue if the QoS is not adhered to. Again, the challenge will be in the execution and it cannot rely on consumers, it must be proactive.

However, the caveat is that travellers have to pay for Mavcom’s operations.

Some time in April or May this year, departing passengers will need to pay RM1 to Mavcom for its operational costs, although transit passengers and flight crew are exempted. So, a family of six travelling three times a year will have to fork out RM18 for Mavcom’s upkeep. It may be loose change for some, but it does add to the cost of travel.

As it is, the PSC is much higher from the time Mavcom was set up. Soon, those travelling out of klia2 to any international destination other than Asean will have to fork out RM23 more in PSC, a rise from RM50 to RM73. The intention is to sync the charges at both airports – KLIA and klia2 – although it is ques- tionable if the service levels and facilities are the same.

So, a family of six will have to fork out RM135 more, and when combined with the RM6 for Mavcom, they are paying RM144 more for every trip.

It is no wonder that someone remarked that “since its inception, the burden on travellers has increased”.

Based on the traffic numbers, Mavcom will earn RM25mil to RM26mil each year and as traffic rises, so will the amount to the commission. This is on top of the fees the commission collects from the airlines and airports for various licences and other fees.

Why is it that the burden must be with the traveller, especially at a time when the country wants to boost tourism in a region where there is a lot of competition for the tourist dollar? Yes, there is a precedent for such charges, but surely there must be a better way for the commission to sustain itself.