A national survey from Choice has revealed that the refund-era of travel hasn’t been smooth sailing for Australians, with one in five unable to use their travel vouchers.
Tellingly, 72 per cent of Australians who had a flight cancelled during the COVID-19 outbreak were given a voucher rather than a refund and of those who tried to use their voucher, 44 per cent had to pay more than they originally had spent and 25 per cent had already expired before they could be used.
Choice campaigner Dean Price told The Sydney Morning Herald that while there are laws for products such as gift cards that ensure their validity for multiple years, nothing similar exists for travel.
“Right now you have clearer and fairer rights for a $50 gift card than a $500 flight credit.
It’s very concerning that so many Australians haven’t been able to use their flight vouchers after their initial flight booking was cancelled due to COVID-19, a situation that was completely out of their hands. Challenges with flight credits have become too common and need to be stopped.”
The survey also revealed that 10 per cent of Australians are struggling to get in touch with the airline when using their voucher and 8 per cent were forced to use the full voucher on a flight of less value.
“Businesses are making it incredibly difficult to claim the value of the voucher back, and Australians are finding it almost impossible to successfully navigate the terms and conditions of their booking,” said Mr Price.
He also added it’s time the government introduces protection for these scenarios.
“We want to see laws that mean people can use credits just like cash, with the ability to transfer the credit to friends or family, split the credit over multiple bookings and not pay extra unfair fees.”
Explore more: choice.com.au
