Air passengers ‘failed by broken payout schemes’

AIRLINE passengers are being denied compensation by a ‘broken and powerless’ complaints system, campaigners say.

Consumer group Which? is calling for the two current schemes to be replaced with a single mandatory system.

Most carriers are signed up to either the Aviation ADR (Airline Dispute Resolution) or the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), but Ryanair left the former in November after being made to pay more than £3.6million, according to Which?

There were more than 14,000 complaints against the budget carrier in 2018.

Rory Boland, travel editor at Which?, said: ‘The broken aviation complaints system favours the interests of airlines over passengers.’ He added that holidaymakers faced an ‘uphill struggle’ trying to get compensation.

Passengers can claim up to £531 if their flight is delayed by more than four hours. Yet many have complained of year-long delays – despite industry rules stating claims must be processed within 90 days. British Airways is covered by CEDR, while companies including Emirates, Virgin and Easyjet are signed up to Aviation ADR.

Martyn James, from complaints website Resolver, said: ‘It is time to introduce one single service that has clear rules and is compulsory to join.’

An Aviation ADR spokesman said: ‘Most airlines have subscribed to ADR. This is a system that is therefore far from broken.’

CEDR did not offer a comment.