Travellers’ Christmas flights disrupted by Air New Zealand cancellations
In New Zealand, 100 Christmas flights have been cancelled, disrupting up to 14,000 travellers’ plans and leaving them uncertain of their rights.
Air New Zealand has grounded the flights due to ongoing problems with some of the Rolls-Royce engines fitted to its Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
So, where does this leave travellers? According to Comparetravelinsurance.co.nz Director Natalie Ball, travellers affected by the cancelled flights are unlikely to be able to claim due to the fact that most travel insurance policies don’t cover an airline’s engineering or mechanical issues.
Read up on any exclusions that may apply to your cover and stay abreast of your airline consumer rights
Ball said that travellers may be able to claim for disruption of journey benefits, which tends to cover accommodation, meals and other costs, for a maximum of around US$200 a day.
This stands as a cautionary tale, warning travellers of the importance of understanding what they are entitled to when taking out travel insurance. "Read up on any exclusions that may apply to your cover and stay abreast of your airline consumer rights. This could serve you well when your next flight is a no-go," said Ball.
Air New Zealand said that it will start processing changes to customers’ bookings this week and will directly contact customers affected by these changes with new travel information.
Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Warren East said: “We deeply regret the ongoing disruption caused to customers.”