What to know about flight delay and cancellation compensation in New Zealand

The commission claims Jetstar likely denied legitimate compensation claims during the period.

In 2022, Herald Travel spoke to several customers who shared proof of Jetstar providing misleading information about reimbursements, even after customers quoted the Civil Aviation Act.

Jetstar has fully co-operated with the investigation and apologized to Kiwi customers, admitting it made assessment errors when travel restarted after Covid-19 lockdowns.

“Late last year, we began reviewing past claims and reaching out to impacted customers to ensure they are correctly reimbursed, and we are continuing to work through this as a priority,” the airline said.

What are you entitled to when a flight is delayed or canceled?

You may be entitled to compensation if you suffer disruptions or unexpected costs resulting from a delayed or canceled flight.

Compensation largely depends on what country you’re in and the cause of the disruption.

In New Zealand, the Civil Aviation Act covers travelers’ rights. According to the CAA, if a flight is delayed for reasons within the airline’s control, passengers are entitled to compensation for costs they can prove resulted from the delay, such as staying overnight at a hotel or buying food.

Compensation can be to the value of 10 times the cost of the airfare or the actual costs increased, whichever is lower.

If an airline claims it can only offer a ‘set’ amount below this, customers are entitled to push back.

Reasons within an airline’s control include engineering issues, staffing issues and operational issues. Meanwhile, weather, government mandates, birdstrike, airport disruptions or medical emergencies are not within their control.

Internationally, travelers are similarly covered by the Montreal Convention. The convention states consumers are entitled to the reasonable costs caused by the delay unless the airline has done all they can to prevent the disruption.

The maximum set under the Convention is around $11,000.

My flight is delayed or canceled, what do I do next?

If you’ve been left stranded by a delayed or canceled flight, Herald Travel has you covered with the first three things you should do.

Additionally, if you face unexpected costs the airline does not initially cover or provide a voucher for, such as food or accommodation, keep all receipts and copies of communications as these documents can help you request reimbursement from the airline or a travel insurance company.