MSE News: Airline ombudsman-style scheme set for launch next year

A question about : MSE News: Airline ombudsman-style scheme set for launch next year

Passengers with complaints about flight delays may be able to take them to an ombudsman-style scheme from 2016...

Read the full story:

Airline ombudsman-style scheme set for launch next year

Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Best answers:

• "The CAA wants a new scheme to be set up by the industry to deal with all aviation complaints about flights departing from and arriving at UK airports, including those related to flight delays and cancellations."
  I bet they do ...
• And only a scheme that is 'voluntary' for airlines to join and not mandatory....why bother then?
  Looks like retirement from here needs keeping on hold.
• What an absolute joke of an idea.
  Don't think it would comply with the EU directive on NEB's either so it will be interesting to see what they think of it. Not much IMHO.
• The airlines makes so little money these days, where's the money for the compensation to come from?
  What I want is a Travel Insurance card that you can whip out.
  Depending on the level of cover I have paid for, the airline will make a claim for me, and give me what I am entitled to.
  E.g.
  Platinum Level: they charter a plane to get me there.
  Gold Level: Five star hotel, priority seating on the next available flight.
  Silver Level: Any accommodation, next available flight.
  Bronze Level: Refund price of ticket, cost of getting to the airport and back. Have to claim it myself, with incidence reference number.
  If ATOL can deal with packaged holidays, surely flights should be simpler?
• Try this
  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29876220
• I was thinking more in terms of Air France and Iberia.
  Ryanair signing up to an industry compensation scheme? That'll be the day.
• Well the airlines fight the County Court, the Court of Appeal and then the Supreme Court, Ohhh and then if that doesn't work find a case in another European member state to argue about and further stay cases, yes I'm sure a voluntary scheme with no legal powers, funded by the airlines are just what the passenger wants
  Here's a novel idea, spend some money on maintenace and a modern fleet of aircraft and have fewer delays!
  Cheers,
  NoviceAngel
• They could try a totally different business model.
  In lots of less organised parts of the world, they have independent minivans that tout for business. When the van is full, they go. Obviously it's dirt cheap, but you can wait for quite a long time for the bus to fill up.
  It only really works for busy destinations for people who just turn up, but for less popular destinations, we could have a mobile app that manage the show. Let us say you want to go in the next week, so you register your interest, with preferred dates. The last few seats can be tricky, so put it up for auction in the last few hours.
  The airport can sell food, water and even capsule hotel with shower facilities while you are waiting.
  Since it's not a scheduled flight, there is no delay.
• A chocolate teapot has more use than this nonsense.
• "Consumers with complaints about airlines that don't join the scheme will still be able to take them to the CAA"...
  "but it's unlikely they'll be dealt with as they are at present."
  This is Good....
  As consumers used to dealing with the CAA in it's current form, this exactly what we want. We are presently dealt with terribly and ineffectively by a useless, toothless, misleading, meaningless regulator who is too scared to say "boo" to the airlines.
  So news that the CAA are going to change on this issue sounds good to me.
  ...
  "It may also introduce a fee for consumers submitting complaints to discourage "spurious and poorly prepared claims"
  Sweet Fanny Adams about AIRLINES being discouraged against "spurious and poorly prepared defences" though.