Huge compensation for passengers. The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection attacks Enter Air

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection obliged Enter Air to pay consumers benefits in the total amount of over PLN 8.2 million – the office said in a statement.

As stated in the announcement, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection received numerous reports from travelers injured by this carrier. The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection conducted proceedings against the company in which he questioned 10 practices used by it.

“The Office's activities resulted in the issuance of a binding decision – consumers will receive compensation,” it was written.

“Passengers should have a real opportunity to exercise their rights, and it is the carrier's responsibility to create transparent and compliant complaint handling rules. Airlines must also provide appropriate benefits in the event of problems that may occur before, during or after the flight,” said Tomasz Chróstny, president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, quoted in the release.

It was indicated that Enter Air will grant a bonus of PLN 170 to travelers whose complaints it responded to with a delay – rejecting them or not accepting them in full.. The deadline for responding to a complaint is 14 days.

Entrepreneurs, including airlines, cannot extend this time, and if they exceed it or do not respond to claims at all, this generally means that they will be accepted.

According to the Office, the PIR – Property Inconsistency Report prepared by travelers at the airport, which contains all the necessary information regarding the facts and claims, should be equivalent to filing a complaint with the airlines.

People, who prepared a PIR and yet their subsequent complaints were rejected by Enter Air due to the fact that they submitted claims to the carrier too late – they will receive compensation.

Other circumstances that include obtaining a consumer benefit from the carrier include cases related to rejected complaints due to the age of the suitcase, lack of documents required by Enter Air or arbitrary unilateral waiver of liability by the airline.

Consumers who have received a refusal to accept a complaint in connection with a delay in the delivery of checked baggage or an application for reimbursement of expenses related to this situation will be entitled to receive a PLN 200 bonus – it was written.

“Enter Air rejected travelers' claims in the case of flights to their country of residence and limited refunds to the so-called basic necessities. Meanwhile, compensation in such a situation is due to every passenger regardless of the destination, and the law does not limit entrepreneurs' liability to refunds for a specific product category,” it added.

According to the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, in the event of a flight cancellation or delay, Enter Air airlines concluded settlements with consumers – on board or after leaving the plane. They offered lower compensation than what the regulations provide.

The issues of air carriers' liability are regulated by the Montreal Convention. It is complemented by EU Regulation 261/2004, which grants minimum rights to passengers, among others: in situations of delay, flight cancellation or denied boarding. Depending on the distance to the destination, it is 250 euros (up to 1,500 km), 400 euros (from 1,500 to 3,500 km) or 600 euros (for other flights). Compensation applies if travelers arrive at their destination with a delay of three hours or more or if the flight is canceled.

It was added that consumers may be entitled to more than one compensation for different purposes. (PAP Business)

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