ABTA president Steven Freudmann has launched a blistering attack on airlines, accusing them of failing to protect customers and abusing advertising codes of conduct.
Freudmann rounded on carriers during a speech to agents last week at the Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards. It follows ABTA’s demand that the Government draft financial protection laws for customers of scheduled airlines following the collapse of Debonair (Travel Weekly October 11).
“In this age of consumer protection it is unacceptable that airlines can get away without being made to protect their customers in the same way that travel agents and tour operators have to,” said Freudmann.
He described it as “plain daft” that customers booking a cheap ticket through an agent have protection whereas a first-class traveller booking direct has no cover.
Freudmann went on to criticise airlines for their “unacceptable disregard” of the Advertising Standards Authority’s codes of practice.
In a further attack, the ABTA president questioned why airlines should have a liability exclusion for damaged luggage and why customers should be forced to give the airline indemnity if a lost ticket is used fraudulently.
“It may be that the airline itself was negligent in letting the ticket be used,” he said.
During his speech, Freudmann also said claims that agents are afraid of technology were “ludicrous”.