Re: Ryanair slated on ITV
Mr O'Leary's 'free ticket' model may not be a bad idea (for him). As we have read elsewhere on this Forum, obtaining a ticket for even 1p constitutes a Contract between Carrier & passenger to be delivered to agreed destination in a reasonable time. Failure to comply is Breach of Contract in Civil Law attracting compensation for loss/expenses for the aggrieved Party. It could be pursued in the Small Claims Court under Consumer Law (service not provided?) The EU directive on passenger compensation would not apply in UK, except to suggest a benchmark level of compensation for pax. If you don't pay for carriage (ticket) in UK law there is no contract
The EU are considering the 'extraordinary' loophole eg if due to poor servicing, inadequate staffing levels as these are events that could be met by contingency planning
No one wants to fly a u/s airplane in u/s weather but any delay/cancellation should be expedited at the carrier's expense to fulfill the Contract
Failure to re-imburse passenger tax & other surcharges for a cancelled flight could be fraud as they are only applicable on departure.
The result will be higher min fares for the locos
In retail you are required to show the price and cost/100g for Cornflakes or the APR for a loan Maybe airlines should price routes at basic cost/mile with extras and discounts for early/late booking to achieve load factor shown seperately eg car insurance
These are only my thoughts, I am not aware of case law, maybe lawyers can comment. The lesson of the ITV prog was only those who complain may get a result. Next time my flight is cancelled/delayed for several hours I will require a written & signed explanation from the airline