Etihad’s decision to offer refunds to all consumers who purchased tickets directly and through travel agents for flights which were then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic is welcomed by agents, says Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) CEO, Darren Rudd.
“Since the pandemic began, travel agents have been working around the clock on behalf of their clients using their experience and connections to navigate the complex and often frustrating process of refunds and credits.
“Each of the 150-plus airlines operating in Australia have their own Terms and Conditions and many of them no longer have on-the-ground support. It can be an overwhelming process that can take 8 to 12 hours even for a professional travel agent. Add in the fact that this applies to every third-party supplier from hotel to tour operator, and the time and patience required amplifies whether you’re a travel agent or a consumer trying to sort this out directly. This is a process that travel agents are predominantly not being paid for.
“Travel Agents are grateful for this development. Our member travel agents continue to work extremely hard to support their clients through these challenging times.”
Etihad’s decision to offer refunds follows engagement between the ACCC’s COVID-19 Taskforce and the airline. Qantas also took a similar position in June 2020, and began contacting customers to advise they were entitled to a refund after the ACCC’s COVID-19 Taskforce raised concerns that only credits were being offered.
Etihad has confirmed it will contact consumers who booked directly with the airline, and Australia-based travel agents, to inform them that affected consumers can elect to receive a refund for a cancelled flight, even if they previously accepted a flight credit.
From 26 March 2020, Etihad’s published COVID-19 rebooking policy did not provide these consumers with the right to a refund for flights cancelled due to the pandemic.
