A NEW service has been set up to help air travellers claim refunds of tax, charges and fees on cancelled flights.
Last year, Irish air passengers failed to collect a total of €20 million in refunds which were due to them from airlines for cancelled flights, according to airtaxrefund.com.
The entitlement to a refund arises when passengers do not take a flight for which they have paid. The price paid includes various taxes, charges and fees collected by the airline, which are not levied where the flight is not used. These include airport taxes, fuel surcharges and baggage charges.
Although passengers are entitled to have this money refunded, in practice this seldom happens. Some airlines obstruct the payment of refunds while others impose administration charges that serve to deter applications.
Ryanair, for example, refunds government taxes but says air fares, fees and other charges are non-refundable. It charges an administration fee of €20 a person and does not make a refund if the amount involved is less than the administration fee.
The new service says it aims to raise awareness of the issue and gather support to challenge the stance taken by the airlines.
“Our plan is to gather enough support and resources to challenge this practice in every way possible,” said director Don Cullinane. “We will also apply for and collect refunds for passengers through the site.”
The service is being provided free this year. The promoters plan to extend it to the rest of Europe if it is successful in Ireland.