Passengers can demand compensation for flight delays

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/20/2008 10:33 AM

With the signing of a new decree from the transportation minister, airline passengers can now demand compensation for delayed flights.

The Transportation Ministry's director general for air transportation Budhi Mulyawan Suyitno said the regulation, which revises a 2004 regulation, was aimed at disciplining airlines to meet their schedules.

"The minister signed the regulation last week, and we have asked the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) to introduce it to airline companies," Budhi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

With the new regulation, "Airlines will no longer mistreat their passengers. They won't promise something to passengers if they cannot deliver," Budhi said.

The new regulation says that for a 30 to 90-minute delay, an airline must provide refreshments for passengers, and for a 90 to 180-minute delay, they must additionally provide main courses and find alternate flights for passengers.

For delays of more than 180 minutes, "Airlines should find alternate flights, and if they fail to do that, they must provide passengers with accommodation," Budhi said.

The regulation, however, is toothless as it does not provide any sanction for violations.

Budhi said that all delays and failures to provide compensation would be recorded and affect the airlines' quarterly assessment by the ministry.

"Bad reports will make it difficult for them to register for extra flights, for example," Budhi said.

Budhi said that national carriers had gained bad reputations due to their inability to stick to schedules.

"This regulation will discipline them, telling them that if they can't operate well, then don't enter this industry," he said.

Garuda spokesman Ikhsan Rosaan said that providing compensation to passengers was nothing new to the state-owned airline company.

"We already have a similar policy on compensation for delayed flights. For example, for a delay of more than two hours, we provide refreshments and lunch for passengers," Ikhsan said.

Moreover, "We don't see it as a regulation, but part of our services to passengers," he said, adding that Garuda had appointed insurance firm PT Asuransi Jasa Indonesia (Jasindo) to deal with customers' rights, including compensations for flight delays.

Mandala Airlines head of corporate communications Trisia Megawati said, "We have our own internal regulations that more than cover the regulations". (dia)