Britain’s air passengers face a turbulent summer – here’s how to tackle the chaos

theguardian.com:

When packing for a summer holiday, the list of essentials to remember is increasing. Passport, boarding pass, sunglasses and a sensible hat are all non-negotiable. Now it seems we need rations for a six-hour queue, camping equipment in case we are forced to bed down for the night on a cold terminal floor, and a comprehensive grounding in consumer rights law in preparation for the airline cancelling our flight or losing our bags.

The scenes in UK airports in recent weeks – children in tears, baggage piling up, long-awaited first post-Covid holidays denied – have been difficult to watch. And the reality is that some of the problems that have caused the disruption do not have quick fixes. It could take weeks or months to sort out the staffing shortages that have hit some airports and airlines.

Yet the appalling treatment that passengers have suffered at the hands of some airlines is not inevitable – and could be fixed. Recent events should be a watershed moment and used as an opportunity to reform the travel sector so that passengers’ rights are respected.

So the need for strengthened passenger rights is not new.In 2018, Ryanair refused to compensate passengers affected by its pilots striking. The high court instructed the airline to pay compensation for cancelled or delayed flights after the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) took legal action, but Ryanair argued that the circumstances were extraordinary and refused. The case is still dragging through the courts, almost four years on.

Last year, Ryanair and BA were investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) because they refused refunds to customers who couldn’t legally take flights due to Covid restrictions. The investigation was ultimately dropped