A new flight complaint portal for Kiwi consumers is live, alongside a new education portal designed to highlight passengers’ rights when they encounter aviation-related issues such as cancelled flights and missing bags.
missing bags. The advice and complaints portals are from Consumer NZ, making a debut as the consumer watchdog points out 90% of people are not fully aware of their flight rights. It also found that more than 75% of travellers rely on the airline for information about their rights, despite the fact that in New Zealand there are no rules requiring airlines to tell passengers about their rights if things go wrong.
“If people take the time to share their experience with us, they will be helping to build the case for better communication of passengers’ flight rights,” says Jessica Walker, Consumer NZ’s campaigns manager.
The consumer watchdog says it will consolidate the complaints it receives and put them to the airlines and government for action, while it awaits government feedback on a recently-delivered petition calling on the government to require airlines to tell passengers their rights when flights are delayed or cancelled.
The move has been welcomed by TAANZ, with ceo Julie White saying the association supports the establishment of an Aviation Consumer Charter, framed around airlines, that gives travellers real clarity and transparency about their rights.
“TAANZ has been in ongoing dialogue with the Government officials on this issue, and establishing a similar Charter to Australia’s is one of TAANZ’s key Election 2026 asks.”
. . . The Hub
Touching on the new flight rights information hub, Walker says many passengers don’t know that they have legal protections under the Civil Aviation Act and the Consumer Guarantees Act. “The law is so complex, so unclear and so poorly communicated that most people don’t realise they have rights—let alone how to enforce them,” says Walker.
White echoes this, saying right now, too many consumers simply don’t know what they’re entitled to, or where to find that information, unless they’ve booked through a TAANZ accredited travel advisor.
“Airlines do offer rebooking and flexibility during disruptions—we saw real generosity during the recent Middle East situation—but what’s offered varies depending on the nature of the disruption, which leaves passengers uncertain about where they stand.” Find the complaints portal HERE, and the flight rights hub HERE.
