Nearly seven in 10 passengers in the country do not know the rights they have when travelling by air, said the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).
According to the study by the commission, 93 per cent of respondents wanted to know of their rights while flight delays, lost baggage and additional cost to flight tickets were among their main complaints.
“Respondents are generally happy with the compensations, services and resolutions provided by their respective airline and airport during an untoward incident,” Pushpalatha Subramaniam, Mavcom’s director of consumer affairs told Malay Mail Online.
According to Pushpalatha, the study was done earlier this year in Malaysia and polled 2,300 respondents of mixed nationalities.
In an announcement released earlier, Mavcom said it was the first in Malaysia to release a guideline on travellers rights with the introduction of Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC) in July.
Based on the content of 66-page document, Mavcom also released a video to educate air travellers of their rights and how to exercise these.
In the video, apart from asking travellers to read the terms of their purchased tickets thoroughly, it said that passengers have the right to know if their flight is delayed for 30 minutes or more.
“If your bag or mobility equipment such as your wheelchair or walking frame is lost, damaged or does not arrived on the same flight, you have the right to be compensated.
“If your flight is delayed for two hours or longer, you are entitled to free meals and limited phone calls,” it said.
For flights that are delayed for more than five hours, it said affected travellers are eligible for hotel accommodation, including transport to and from the airport.
“In the event your flight is cancelled, your entitled to a full refund or replacement flight,” it added.
For complaints that are not resolved within 30 days, Mavcom urged travellers to file a complaint with the commission.
Source: https://www.themalaymailonline.com/travel/article/mavcom-69pc-of-air-travellers-in-malaysia-unaware-of-rights#sthash.56z0J5Mc.dpuf
