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AUC proposes 'cooling off' period for bookings
6 Jun 2008
The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) has proposed a 24-hour 'cooling off' period that would give customers a window in which they could cancel flight or holiday reservations free of charge.
This suggestion was made as part of a report showing that the AUC has seen a more than twofold increase in the past few years in the number of complaints it has received relating to making reservations for airline tickets.
Most of the complaints received by the consumer watchdog have related to bookings made on websites.
Tina Tietjen, chairman of the AUC, said that airlines are sometimes guilty of leaving passengers out of pocket even if a problem related to their own booking system.
'Reservations systems do not always work smoothly and we believe that the risks of booking over the internet should not be always be loaded onto passengers,' Ms Tietjen said.
She added: 'We have suggested a policy where their airlines voluntarily commit to providing a 24-hour cooling off period in which passengers can cancel their reservations free of charge within 24 hours of making a booking.'
The AUC has written to the airlines that have been the subject of most unresolved complaints asking them to adopt more customer-friendly policies.
Opodo cheap flights, hotels and car hire - let the journey begin!
This suggestion was made as part of a report showing that the AUC has seen a more than twofold increase in the past few years in the number of complaints it has received relating to making reservations for airline tickets.
Most of the complaints received by the consumer watchdog have related to bookings made on websites.
Tina Tietjen, chairman of the AUC, said that airlines are sometimes guilty of leaving passengers out of pocket even if a problem related to their own booking system.
'Reservations systems do not always work smoothly and we believe that the risks of booking over the internet should not be always be loaded onto passengers,' Ms Tietjen said.
She added: 'We have suggested a policy where their airlines voluntarily commit to providing a 24-hour cooling off period in which passengers can cancel their reservations free of charge within 24 hours of making a booking.'
The AUC has written to the airlines that have been the subject of most unresolved complaints asking them to adopt more customer-friendly policies.
Opodo cheap flights, hotels and car hire - let the journey begin!
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