Irish have poor grasp of air travel rights

FLYING:LESS THAN 10 per cent of Irish people have a complete grasp of their rights if their flights are cancelled or delayed or if their baggage goes missing a new survey has revealed.

While a growing number of people are aware of their rights when it comes to cancelled flights – largely due to the impact of the Icelandic ash cloud last year – many still have only a sketchy grasp of all their rights as flying passengers.

The percentage of people who know what they are entitled to if a flight has been cancelled has increased from 52 per cent to nearly 90 per cent in just two years but the number of people who were able to answer a question on delayed flights correctly was just 17 per cent, compared with 18 per cent in 2009.

The research, carried out on behalf of the European Consumer Centre (ECC), found that many people had a very poor understanding of what they were, and were not, entitled to in the event of a travelling mishap.

The study has prompted the Commission for Aviation Regulation to urge people to educate themselves so they would not be at a disadvantage while abroad.

According to the survey, less than 10 per cent of people surveyed were fully aware of all their rights if a flight is cancelled or delayed, or if their luggage is mislaid or delayed.

Patricia Barton, the air passenger rights executive at the Commission, said the results of the poll indicated that a growing number of people were becoming aware of their rights but said it was “clear that more work needs to be done. With approximately 23 million passengers flying out of Irish airports last year, it is imperative that everyone knows what they are entitled to if their flight is cancelled or delayed, or if they are denied boarding.”

She urged anyone who is planning to fly this holiday season to know their rights as set out under EU legislation.

The manager of the ECC Ann Neville said that it was encouraging that a high percentage of people (88.5 per cent) know their rights when it comes to some issues, including cancelled flights, compared to only 52 per cent in 2009.

“This is likely due to the fact that a high number of flights were cancelled due to the ash crisis last year. In contrast, the number of people who know their rights in terms of delayed flights has decreased slightly, which is concerning. ”

* For more information on your air passenger rights, see aviationreg.ie.