World

Airline customer complaints rise, push global legislators to act

Nikoleta Dodova is among a growing number of dissatisfied airline customers. Having bought her mother and niece airline tickets from Sweden to Macedonia last year, their flight was cancelled and they ended up at an airport over two hours away. She is still waiting for compensation.

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Official data from regulatory agencies shows complaints against airlines have reached, or neared record levels in countries like Canada and Germany over the last year since COVID-19 restrictions lifted and travel restarted.

Rising numbers of disputes between travelers and airlines globally are driving fresh legislation and calls for tougher enforcement of existing rules to protect consumers.

“If they (airlines) haven’t paid, they’re not following the law,” Dodova said. “They need to be accountable.”

The sharpening of rules for payouts could add to pressure on air fares from energy, labor and other rising costs.

Lufthansa’s payouts alone rose to 331 million in 2022 from 25 million euros in 2021, the German airline group told Reuters in previously undisclosed figures.

Legislation is under review in Canada, while the US government is writing new rules and the European Union is pushing for stronger enforcement of its existing regime.

Pressure to act is building as summer travel is expected to break records in some regions this year following long airport lines and piles of backed up baggage last summer.

Airlines fear a mish-mash of conflicting rules and want those responsible for services out of their control in the industry to help shoulder the compensation costs.

European airline group Airlines for Europe (A4E) said compensation has become increasingly burdensome and existing rules leave too much down to interpretation. It is calling for reform of the legislation.

While higher fares have helped carriers offset a variety of rising costs “it’s in the airline’s interest to keep passengers happy even if there are disruptions,” aviation analyst James Halstead said.

Lufthansa said in a statement it has no backlog of customer claims and refunds are generally paid within the statutory seven days that applies to airlines operating in Europe.

Global airline body IATA called on governments to help avoid fragmented regulations and improve services, “instead of singling out airlines, as recent proposals in Canada and the USA have done,” director general Willie Walsh said.

Canada is promoting shared accountability by providing new access to performance data that airlines can use when negotiating service agreements with airports, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told Reuters.

Some consumer advocates agree with Dodova that rules aren’t properly enforced.

“The law is not a problem,” said John Oberlin-Harris, a British Airways passenger also still waiting for a refund almost a year after a delayed flight caused him to miss a connection at India’s Hyderabad airport, forcing him to return to England.

British Airways said it works extremely hard to resolve cases in a timely manner when claims are raised. UK law sets out when compensation is due depending on whether any delay was the airline’s fault.

Sweden’s national consumer dispute body decided in March that Dodova is owed 800 euros compensation from Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air. The airline said it was in touch with her and was doing more to improve customer service.

Record complaints

Traveller complaints are clogging courts and regulatory agencies in Germany, Britain, Canada and the US

In Germany, the arbitration board at the Federal Ministry of Justice, which mediates between consumers and airlines, said it was dealing with 46 percent more complaints than in 2019, pre-pandemic.

German courts reported an increase of around 40 percent to more than 70,000 cases involving traveler complaints last year.

One industry official said airlines in Europe are losing a larger proportion of those battles.

In Britain, county court judgments against airlines piled up to more than $5.68 million (£4.5 million), according to consumer watchdog Which? citing an official register of judgments in March.

In the US, the Department of Transportation (DOT) saw airline passenger complaints rise 55 percent in 2022.

The US is writing rules that would be proposed by year’s end requiring airlines to compensate passengers for lengthy delays or cancellations in their control.

After two successive summers of travel chaos, US airlines are going all out to prevent large-scale flight disruptions this summer in the face of rising demand.

North of the border, the Canadian Transportation Agency, a quasi-judicial tribunal responsible for enforcing existing passenger refund requirements, has a record backlog of 47,000 complaints. It’s so high Canada wants to charge airlines a fee if they pass on unresolved complaints to the agency.

In Europe, intermediaries like AirHelp, that assist consumers with getting refunds or compensation, have boomed in popularity. AirHelp said active claims were around three times higher in 2022 versus 2019 and that number could grow with strikes expected this summer, AirHelp CEO Tomasz Pawliszyn said.

Sharing costs

Airlines have balked at footing the bill for cases that aren’t their fault.

The European Union has long enraged airlines with its comprehensive consumer protection legislation, offering payouts of up to 600 euros for delays of three hours or more, or cancellations.

“As a passenger, all you know is that the airline canceled my flight,” said Jeff Morrison, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents Air Canada among others.

Morrison said the cost of air travel in Canada could well rise due to new fees and compensation requirements.

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World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM