Air transport passengers
in Nigeria will now start getting compensations for delayed, cancelled
or overbooked flights from this week, writes Adeola Akinremi
If
you've ever arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airports in
Lagos or any of the nation’s airports after a long hour travel without
your luggage arriving with you, it can be a nightmare trying to figure
out why the luggage is left behind in the country where you embarked on
the journey. In most cases, passengers are left in such difficult
situation without help from the carrier. Perhaps more worrisome to
passengers these days is cancellations and delays of some local and
international flights without prior notice. In all of those cases, the
airline owes you for your trouble. Sometimes it's good customer service,
and other times it's the law.
From this week, erring airlines
will no longer go scot- free as passengers flying from Nigeria will be
able to enforce their rights through the law. The Federal Government,
through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will this Friday
begin the implementation of the passengers’ Bill of Rights, which seeks
massive compensations for passengers whose rights are unnecessarily
trampled upon by the airlines especially the domestic operators.
For
instance, if you're bumped from a flight involuntarily, or you arrive
at your destination and your luggage is delayed, you're entitled to a
refund, not just vouchers or a discount on a future flight often offer
by airlines.
The Bill of Rights says: “If you are involuntarily
denied boarding, the airline must explain your rights in a written
document, which must state how the airline decides who gets to stay on
an oversold flight. You may keep your ticket and use it on another
flight. If you choose to make alternative arrangements, you can request
an “involuntary refund” for the ticket. You have a right to choose
between quiet and entertainment in-flight.”
The Director-General,
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Fola Akinkuotu, insists it was
high time airline operators stopped maltreating their passengers, adding
that the implementation of the bill of rights would help put an end to
unfair practices by airlines.
“It is not good for passengers to
get raw deals from the airlines. What is sauce for the geese is also
sauce for the gander. We have a responsibility to ensure that the bill
of rights works.
“We need to make sure passengers get good deals
and value for their money. We need to let them know that air transport
is the best way to go, and that they will get good deals and value for
money.”
According to NCAA the new set of rights would apply to
passengers departing from an airport located within the Nigerian
territory to another airport within the country; passengers departing
from an airport located in another country to an airport situated within
Nigeria; and to foreign air transportation with respect to non-stop
flight segments originating at a point within the country.
However
those passengers travelling free-of-charge or at reduced fares not
available directly or indirectly to the general public will not benefit
from the rule.
For flight delays, the Bill of Rights adds:
“Flight delays are a usual occurrence in air travel. When they occur,
they come with inconveniences to passengers. That is why the new NCAA
Bill of Rights provides that whenever an airline anticipates a delay of
its flight beyond its scheduled time affected passengers are entitled to
the following rights, if domestic flight: For a delay beyond 1 hour,
carrier shall provide refreshment, telephone call, SMS or e-mail; in the
case of a delay for 2hrs and beyond, carrier shall reimburse passengers
the full value of their tickets. For a delay between 10pm and 4am,
carrier shall provide hotel accommodation, refreshment, meal, 2 free
calls, SMS, E-mail and transport to and from the airport.”
When
an international flight delays between two and four hours passenger
shall be entitled to refreshment and two telephone calls, SMS or E-mail.
A delay of four hours or more shall entitle a passenger to a meal, two
telephone calls, SMS or E-mail and when the reasonably expected time of
departure is at least six hours after the time of departure previously
announced, a passenger shall be entitled to hotel accommodation and
transportation between the airport and place of accommodation.
Unlike
before, now if your suitcase arrives smashed or torn, the airline will
usually pay for its repairs. If it cannot be repaired, they will
negotiate a settlement with you to pay its depreciated value. The same
applies for clothing packed inside according to the Bill of Rights. So
passengers are encouraged to report external damage and/or pilferage of
content before they leave the airport by filling out a Passenger
Irregularity Report (PIR) form.
In some instance the bill says
airlines may decline to pay for damage of fragile items when there is no
damage to the suitcase. They are however, liable for fragile
merchandise packaged in its original factory sealed carton, or other
container designed for shipping.
As regards upgrading of ticket,
If any airline on its own places a passenger in a higher class than the
class of the ticket he is booked (such as from economy to business
class), it may not request additional make-up payment from the
passenger.
But If a passenger is placed in a class lower than
that for which he/she purchased his/her ticket, the airline shall
immediately reimburse the passenger the difference in accordance with
the mode of payment and in addition, pay 30 per cent of the price of
ticket for all the domestic flights immediately in cash and 50 per cent
of price of the ticket if an international flight within 14 days either
by cash, electronic transfer, bank checks, or other mode of payment
available in the country.
Also, apart from the airlines,
passengers too have some responsibilities to the airlines, among which
is the prompt arrival to the airline’s counter despite the purchase of
ticket.
“Even if you have already checked in for your flight, an
airline can cancel your reservation if you are not at the departure gate
on time. If you do not check your baggage in sufficient time for it to
be loaded on your flight, the airline will not be responsible for any
delay in the delivery of your baggage to your destination.
“Passengers
have a duty to be courteous to staff and agents of airlines. All adults
are required to present photo identification upon check-in and at
boarding”, the Bill stipulated.
The Bill, which seeks to put
power in the hands of the passengers whenever their rights are
unnecessarily violated by the airlines, will ensure that passengers get
adequate compensations when they are maltreated by the airlines.
But analysts say as good as the passengers’ bill of rights appears, efforts must be made to ensure airlines respect the rules.
An Aviation expert, Mercel Okoro believes it’s a new dawn in the aviation industry, where passengers will become king.
“I
think this is laudable. It will take away the pains and fears people
have when arriving at our airports, because it is painful to arrive
without your luggage or sit forever at the airport because of
cancellation without help from anywhere. It will also improve customer
service,” he says.
The bill of rights was first introduced to stakeholders early last year in Lagos.
Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com
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