No rights if ‘God’ grounds a f light
Passengers stranded at Wellington Airport after a lightning strike discovered an uncomfortable truth: airline customers in New Zealand have precious few rights.
The lightning strike took out the airport’s runway lights for 45 minutes on Wednesday night. Several flights were cancelled or delayed, leaving about 120 passengers stuck at the terminal overnight.
Some complained of a lack of assistance, no access to airport lounges, and few food or accommodation options.
In the European Union, law dictates that airlines provide refreshments, food, accommodation, and two telephone calls when flights are delayed.
But there is little that airlines in New Zealand have to offer once passengers have checked in and their flights are delayed by an ‘‘act of God’’, according to independent aviation consultant Irene King.
‘‘It’s good customer service practice to provide vouchers. I’m not certain there’s anything in law, certainly not in New Zealand law.’’
An airline’s obligations in the case of an overnight delay were also minimal, King said. ‘‘It depends on what the circumstances are for the delay. In general, good customer service says they will attempt to try and find you a bed overnight.’’
Karen Long, whose Virgin Australia flight to Brisbane with husband Andrew and her two children had already been delayed before the runway’s lights went out, said there was a lack of interest from the airline in how people were faring. It gave them each an $8 voucher, and no further help. The vouchers were spent on cups of tea, after waiting in line with 50 others.
Airport staff handed out blankets, and took some passengers to Air New Zealand’s Koru lounge.
A couple from Boston, United States, on their honeymoon, were offered a $200 voucher for accommodation on Wednesday but Wellington hotels appeared to be fully booked. The couple, who did not want to be named, said they were not offered a lounge to sleep in.
Barbara McGarva, of Wollongong, said staff had not done a good job of assisting people, and seemed ‘‘under the pump’’. She was led to a gate with other passengers, where they were told they could sleep on chairs or the floor. They were woken at 3.45am as the gate was prepared for a flight.
Wellington Airport spokesman Greg Thomas said it went ‘‘above and beyond’’ for the passengers who stayed overnight.
‘‘There are airports around the world that don’t allow passengers to sleep in their terminal at all overnight.’’
He pointed out that access to lounges was controlled by individual airlines, not the airport.
King agreed that an airport’s duty of care went as far as ensuring it was operational. ‘‘The passengers are not their customers ... the airports haven’t got any remuneration from the passenger.’’
She said New Zealand was ‘‘off the pace’’ with comparable countries when it came to consumer law for air passengers.
‘‘If you start regulating, then people start doing the minimum required. Both airlines and airports in New Zealand do more than what’s required, but short of what most passengers probably would like.’’
House of Travel commercial head Brent Thomas agreed such consumer law ought to be tabled but warned it could hurt prices. ‘‘Invariably, there’s a cost to these things.’’