<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian travellers will continue to miss out on rights given to their European and North American counterparts over delayed and cancelled flights, despite the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/aviation-charter-new-rights-for-australian-travellers-under-proposed-federal-government-legislatiom/34f74d9f-f5fc-45fd-a129-d91a62c89193" rel="" target="" title="release of a new passenger charter"><span>release of a new passenger charter</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government released its draft Aviation Customer Rights Charter over the weekend, which it says aims to give customers a better deal from airlines.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But critics say the draft lets travellers down by failing to address compensation for delays and cancellations.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/renters-cost-of-living-increase-worse-off/8a94d06d-ebba-43ee-ac97-b3107d46f10d"><strong><span>New survey confirms rental crisis with prices up to $3,600 higher than a year ago</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the European Union, customers are entitled to between €250 and €600 (about $420 to $1000) if their flight is cancelled or delayed by more than three hours.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Travellers in Canada are given between $CAD125 and $CAD1000 (about $140 to $1120) depending on the size of the airline and length of delay.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the federal government's new draft says "customers have the right to prompt and fair remedies and support during and after cancellations, delays and disruptions", compensation isn't mentioned.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-aviation-charter-rights-questions-refunds-delays-cancellation/a8122fe9-b7fa-4093-89bc-f8cfecd14bdb" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are concerned that the proposed Charter does not comprehensively acknowledge rights to compensation for delayed or cancelled flights," Rosie Thomas from consumer advocacy group Choice said.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2024/12/17/10/08/in-pictures-christmas-lights-2024-australian-homes-light-up-festive-spirit"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/gRComMMYxQyiNJvmHO6KClhwfck=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F7d61cccf-fec9-4129-98fb-b5751a0f5fcf" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/gRComMMYxQyiNJvmHO6KClhwfck=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F7d61cccf-fec9-4129-98fb-b5751a0f5fcf 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/lJtOwGxIbGpDFIVjo2iGhFdFgiE=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F7d61cccf-fec9-4129-98fb-b5751a0f5fcf 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Unmissable 27-foot Rudolph spotted guarding home in Sydney</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2024/12/17/10/08/in-pictures-christmas-lights-2024-australian-homes-light-up-festive-spirit">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Introducing a European-style compensation scheme is one way to do this, but even without a similar scheme in Australia, consumers deserve clear guidance about their compensation rights under the consumer law's existing consumer guarantees."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Independent MP Monique Ryan also criticised the draft charter, saying it let airlines "off the hook".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Cash compensation for delayed or cancelled flights (is) a strong incentive for airlines to provide better service," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The government has squibbed on these in its draft passenger charter."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/foxtel-bought-by-billionaire-businessman-company-dazn/731b7e7e-c975-4d18-b9b2-f9d07d0e2fcf"><strong><span>News Corp sells Foxtel in $3.4 billion sale</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Choice did, however, welcome the provisions in the charter that would force airlines to provide refunds for cancellations promptly – within 14 days – and in the same format that payment was first made by customers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This should put an end to unfair policies forcing people to accept hard-to-use flight credits, as became common practice during the travel disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic," Thomas said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Submissions on the </span><a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/aviation-customer-rights-charter-consultation-paper.pdf" rel="" target="" title="draft charter, which can be viewed in full here"><span>draft charter, which can be viewed in full here</span></a><span>, close at the end of February.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent 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