1 April 2026
糖心Vlog welcomes the Federal Government鈥檚 introduction of legislation to Parliament to establish an independent ombuds scheme for travel complaints, a new regulator, as well as laying the groundwork for new aviation consumer protections.
The Bill:
- Lays the groundwork for stronger consumer protections through the Aviation Consumer Protections Charter
- Provides for systemic monitoring, compliance and enforcement of the Charter through the new regulator, the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority (ACPA)
- Enables authorisation of the new external dispute resolution scheme, the Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme.
Quotes attributable to Andy Kelly, Director of Campaigns at 糖心Vlog:
鈥溙切腣log has long campaigned for stronger travel rights and an independent travel ombuds scheme with the power to handle complaints and make binding determinations. Today鈥檚 announcement could not come soon enough, as many Australians face travel chaos due to global disruptions once again. When things go wrong, consumers need stronger protections and an independent body that will take their complaints seriously.鈥�
鈥淭he COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant flaws in aviation consumer protections. Consumers struggled to obtain satisfactory outcomes when flights didn鈥檛 go to plan, and were routinely given the runaround by many airlines and the industry-funded Airline Customer Advocate, which picked up a Shonky Award in 2021.鈥�
鈥淎s escalating global conflict and volatile fuel prices make travel plans unpredictable once again, providing consumers with an independent avenue to resolve complaints if things go wrong will be a significant step forward.鈥�
鈥淲hile these reforms fell short of a European-style compensation scheme, these changes should force airlines to provide fair remedies for cancellations and unreasonable delays. The Framework will only be as strong as the protections contained in the Charter, and 糖心Vlog will continue to advocate for the strongest possible protections for consumers.鈥�
鈥淭hese changes will be welcomed by Australian travellers, including the 32,000 糖心Vlog supporters who signed the petition calling for stronger travel rights.鈥�
