Airline Passenger Service Commitment

Information

Certain airlines have agreed a common set of non-legally binding services that will be provided to people who travel with them.

Offering the lowest fare that is available through each of their direct outlets

Each airline will:

• Offer the lowest appropriate fare that passengers are eligible for through its telephone reservation systems, its web site and its ticket offices for the date, flight and class of service requested.
• Notify passengers that different fares may be available through these different outlets.
• Inform passengers about the terms and conditions that apply to the fare chosen and any applicable taxes, fees and charges.

Honouring the agreed fare after payment

Each airline has agreed that no fare increase will apply for the date, flight and class of service booked once you have paid for a ticket. However, changes in taxes, fees and charges will be subject to additional payment or refund.

Notifying passengers of known delays, cancellations and diversions

Each airline has agreed to give passengers at the airport and on board affected aircraft the best available information about known delays, cancellations and diversions as soon as possible.

Helping passengers facing delays

Each airline has agreed that it will provide appropriate assistance, e.g., accommodation, meals, etc., to passengers facing delays of over 2 hours, provided that the local conditions permit the delivery of such assistance. The help given to delayed passengers on an inclusive tour package flight will be in accordance with the published policy of the tour organiser. Assistance may not be provided in situations involving long strikes in essential services, political unrest or other exceptional circumstances beyond the airline's control. Assistance may also not be provided if it would further delay departure.

The assistance described above may not be offered on:

• Routes operated under public service obligations (public service obligations mean that the airline flies a particular route that is subsidised by Government) in accordance with the authority defining the obligation, or
• Where weather causes disruption on routes where the regularity of flights is significantly affected by weather conditions or
• On routes of less than 300 km serving remote airports operated by aircraft with less than 80 seats.

Each airline has agreed to draw up clear and concise statements of its policy on helping passengers facing delays, which will be made available to passengers. This statement will include lists of routes on which any exceptions to the airline's policy apply.

Delivering baggage as soon as possible

Each airline has agreed to make every reasonable effort to deliver all checked baggage to the Arrivals Hall in the airport in question as quickly as possible. In cases of mishandled checked baggage, each airline will make every reasonable effort to deliver the baggage to the passenger within 24 hours of its arrival at the final destination free of charge. The airline will also offer immediate assistance that is sufficient to meet the reasonable short-term needs of the passenger.

Allowing telephone reservations to be held or cancelled without commitment or penalty within 24 hours

Subject to applicable ticketing deadlines, each airline will permit passengers to either:

• Hold a telephone reservation made directly with the airline without payment for a minimum of 24 hours or
• Where the airline requires immediate payment at the time of booking, to cancel a reservation without penalty for up to 24 hours.

The airline will tell passengers which reservation method applies at the time of booking. Some leisure airlines may decide to provide this facility only until 3 days before departure. This offer may not apply on routes operated by aircraft with less than 80 seats. The airline should notify passengers about any such exclusions.

Providing prompt refunds

Where a passengers claims and is entitled to a refund on a ticket bought directly from the airline, each airline will issue refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 business days for cheque or cash purchases. Any taxes, fees and charges collected with the ticket fare and shown on the ticket will be refundable where the ticket is not used. This includes non-refundable tickets. The refunds on taxes, fees and charges will be issued within the same ticket limits as those for tickets.

Providing assistance to passengers with reduced mobility and passengers with disabilities

Each airline will publicise the services it offers for passengers with disabilities and passengers with reduced mobility.

Meeting passengers' essential needs during long on-board delays

Each airline will make every reasonable effort to provide food, water, toilets and access to medical treatment for passengers on board an aircraft that is delayed on the ground for a long period of time without access to the terminal. Each airline will make every reasonable effort to ensure that passengers are not kept on board the aircraft during long delays.

Taking measures to speed up checking in

Each airline will set reasonable check-in deadlines. In co-ordination with airports, each airline will take appropriate measures to avoid congestion in departure areas and speed up checking in.

Reducing the number of passengers who are denied boarding

In the event of a flight being overbooked, each airline will first look for volunteers who are prepared to forego their seats on the flight in question.

Providing information to passengers about airlines' commercial and operational conditions

Each airline will provide its passengers with the following information

• The planned scheduled time of departure and the arrival of flights
• The airport/terminal of departure and arrival
• The number of en-route stops
• Any change of aircraft, terminal or airport
• Any conditions attaching to the flight fare
• The name of the operating carrier and the flight number. In the event of a substitution of the operating carrier that has not previously been disclosed and that is unacceptable to a ticket holder, the person concerned will have the right to a refund or to be carried on the airline's next flight in the same class.
• Whether smoking is permitted on the flight
• The confirmation of flight times. If, after a passenger purchases a ticket, the airline makes a significant change to the scheduled flight time that is unacceptable to the passenger and the airline is unable to book the passenger on an alternate flight that is acceptable to the passenger, the passenger will be entitled to a refund.
• Free baggage allowance and liability limits
• Cabin baggage allowance
• The aircraft type scheduled to be operated on the route and the seat pitch (the distance between a row of seats)
• Services normally offered on board
• Facilities for passengers with disabilities and any charge for using them
• Whether specific seats can be allocated or pre-booked
• Charges for excess baggage
• The airline's Conditions of Carriage
• Details of the airline's frequent flyer programme if one exists
• Assistance programmes for lost, damaged or delayed baggage
• Details of the Airline Passenger Service Commitment and the airline's own service plan

Providing information on the operating carrier

In the case of flights that are operated under a code share, franchise or long-term planned lease agreements, each airline will:

• Tell passengers the name of the airline that is operating the flight. Passengers will be informed upon reservation when the reservation is made through a distribution channel under the direct control of the airline, e.g., the airline's own offices, telephone reservation system, etc., or at the airport upon check-in. Where a reservation is made through a distribution channel that is not under the direct control of the airline, i.e., travel agencies and independent web sites, the airline will remind the travel agents and web site operators to inform passengers at the time of reservation.
• Make it clear through appropriate language that the passenger's contract is with the marketing airline, i.e., the airline whose designator number appears on the flight ticket/coupon or routing slip next to the flight number. (A designator number is a special number issued by the airlines national licensing authority that identifies the name of the airline. For example, BA represents British Airways, LH represents Lufthansa, EI represents Aer Lingus, etc.).
• Inform passengers who are travelling on code share services that the level of service may be different and that the Airline Passenger Service Commitment may not apply. (Code shares occur when two different airlines agree to share services and frequency on the same route. This means that either airline may operate services on the day you are travel).

Being responsive to passengers' complaints

Each airline will, under normal circumstances, provide a substantive response to written complaints from passengers within 28 days from the date of receiving the complaint. If this time period does not allow for the complaint to be properly investigated, the airline will provide an interim response to the passenger giving the reason for the delay. Each airline will designate a convenient point of passenger contact for all complaints. The address and/or phone number and departmental name of this customer service function will be provided in timetables, on web sites and on any other public information source and will also be available in any travel agent accredited by the airline.