No more hidden charges

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Air travellers will no longer be surprised by having to pay more than stated in advertisements

 

(From left) Mavcom chief operating officer Azmir Zain Azmir, Kamarudin, Mavcom executive chairman Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi, and Mavcom director of consumer affairs Pushpalatha Subramaniam at the launch of the FlySmart Mobile Application.

KUCHING: Amendments to the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) 2016 will eliminate hidden charges for air travel.

Deputy Minister of Transport Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar said the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) will implement the changes effective June 1.

“The MACPC contains guidance regarding passenger rights. Since its first implementation, Mavcom has obtained much feedback from consumers and these changes in the MACPC are a result of such feedback and consultations with aviation players in Malaysia. I am very glad to note that the amendments will further enhance and protect the travel rights of consumers,” he said at the official launch of the FlySmart mobile application, a consumer-centric initiative by Mavcom, yesterday.

A press statement explained that the updated MACPC requires airlines to publish the final price of the airfare at the point of advertisement and when purchasing flight tickets.

The final price must include the base fare and all charges to be paid to the airline, government-imposed taxes and fees, fees and charges prescribed under any written law, as well as fuel surcharge.

This in effect eliminates hidden charges, such as card payment charges and administrative fees.

Charges for optional services purchased by a consumer on an opt-in basis should also be displayed and included in the final price at point of payment.

Effective June 1, refunds on flight tickets should also be reimbursed to passengers within 30 days from the date the passenger requests for a refund.

Likewise, if the ticket is purchased through a travel agent, the airline should reimburse the travel agent within the same duration of time.

The amendments also include a refund to consumers on passenger service charges, taxes, fees, and charges prescribed under any written law for both refundable and non-refundable tickets, should a passenger not travel.

Airlines are only permitted to charge a maximum of 5 per cent processing fee if the ticket is non-refundable.

Airport operators must also display the MACPC clearly for consumers’ reference, while airlines are required to inform travellers of their travel rights through all possible platforms.

The newly-amended MACPC also includes provisions on wheelchair service for persons with disability, disclosure of terms and conditions at the point of purchase, and responsibilities of airlines to ensure its staff or handling agents have adequate knowledge of the MACPC.

The MACPC, which came into operation on July 1, 2016, was formulated with the main aim of protecting the rights and interests of air passengers.

It provides a guideline on consumer rights and complaints processes as well as penalties on non-compliance. The full amendments to the MACPC can be found at www.mavcom.my.

FlySmart is a consumer-centric initiative by Mavcom where consumers can obtain information of their travel rights through various platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and the FlySmart website.