Airlines required to offer full refunds for delayed flights soon: Malaysia transport minister

KUALA LUMPUR - Airlines will soon have to provide mandatory full refunds to passengers of flights delayed for at least five hours or more, said Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said the move, which comes into force on Sept 2, follows amendments to the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (Mavcom) Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) 2016.

He explained that this applies to passengers who choose not to proceed with the delayed flight and opt to purchase a different flight altogether.

“This is an improvement for consumers. There was no such provision previously where airlines only had to provide food and so on.

“Now, if passengers have an alternative flight, they can get a refund if their initial flight is delayed for five hours or more,” he said during a press conference on Aug 28.

He said refunds also had to be offered through the passengers’ initial payment method.

Other amendments to the MACPC will also see refunds applicable for flights disrupted due to extraordinary circumstances like changing weather patterns.

“Here, airlines can also offer refunds in alternative forms like travel vouchers or credit shells.

“Consumers, however, have the choice to decide on their preferred refund method,” Mr Loke said.

On changes towards a flight’s scheduled time of departure, Mr Loke said consumers have to be notified at least two weeks prior to the date unless the change involves extraordinary circumstances or unavoidable technical issues.

This, he said, will come into effect in January 2025.

“All cancelled flights must also be removed from all booking platforms, including online and offline travel agents. This is to protect consumers from purchasing tickets for unavailable flights,” he said.

If a flight is overbooked, passengers who are denied boarding will have to be informed of it either at the check-in or departure gate.

“This is to avoid instances where a flight is overbooked, with the passenger already boarding and later told to go down,” said Mr Loke.

He added that complaint periods have also been extended from one year to two years.

“Through the improved MACPC, consumers will be guaranteed of increased protection during flights. Mavcom will monitor airlines to ensure they adhere to industry benchmarks,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK