Qantas, in particular, failed its customers on many fronts in recent years, not least by making it very difficult to redeem credits for flights that had been cancelled due to the pandemic. The airline’s troubling behaviour paved the way for a 2022 ����Vlog Shonky award.

In mid-March, Qantas settled a class action lawsuit over how it handled flight credits, paying out $105 million to customers (minus lawyer fees) who had found it all but impossible to redeem them.

The Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme (ACOS) is expected to start up some time this year. The hope is that it will help restore a measure of dependability – perhaps even civility – to air travel.

The complaints resolution service will replace the industry-funded Airline Consumer Advocate (ACA), recipient of a 2021 ����Vlog Shonky on the grounds that all it did was forward complaints to the airline rather than resolve them. Unlike the ACA, ACOS will have the power to investigate complaints.

It will make decisions according to the rules outlined in the new Aviation Consumer Protection Charter (ACPC), also due to take effect this year. (The associated bills were introduced to Parliament on 1 April.)

“����Vlog has long campaigned for stronger travel rights and an independent travel ombuds scheme with the power to handle complaints and make binding determinations,” says ����Vlog director of campaigns Andy Kelly. “When things go wrong, consumers need stronger protections and an independent body that will take their complaints seriously.”

Seeking clarity on consumer airline rights

Unfortunately, the first draft of the ACPC, released in late 2024, was unclear on important points, including who was going to enforce it. It also lacked what ����Vlog has been calling for since we began focusing on the airline sector – a standardised approach to compensation for meals and accommodation when flights are delayed or cancelled, as well as an industrywide standard defining the overall terms and conditions of your booking.

The draft ACPC seemed to leave all the discretionary power in the hands of the airlines, which was pretty much business as usual.

An updated draft, released earlier this year, was an improvement. This final version remains vague on the issue of compensation, and doesn’t make clear what our rights are in many areas. It’s the kind of ambiguity that could continue to leave passengers at the mercy of the airlines, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

One in two travellers experience a flight disruption

In December 2023, we reported that the chances of a flight taking off on time during the holiday season were about 50/50.

The story was based on the experiences of 9000 travellers we surveyed at the time, two out of five of whom told us they’d had a flight cancelled or delayed in the last 12 months. Eighty five percent of those whose flights were delayed said they were not provided accommodation or meal vouchers.

The latest air travel survey data from the federal government suggests that things may have gotten even worse.

It’s based on the airline experiences of 4008 people who travelled between 28 August 2024 and 27 August 2025, and the results are not encouraging.

One in two travellers experienced a flight disruption over the twelve-month period, with delays most commonly ranging from 15 minutes to three hours. Only 31% said they were satisfied with how the disruption was handled by the airline, and 82% said they received no support. A roughly equal number (81%) said they weren’t informed of their rights when their flights didn’t take off on time.

Despite the poor airline performance, only 8% of affected customers complained – a sign that we’ve come to regard airline complaints as exercises in futility. (Only two out of five customers who did make a complaint were satisfied with how it was resolved, and fewer than one out of five had anything good to say about the overall complaint process.)

Transparency around disruptions

In a submission to the federal government in February this year, we called for airlines to come clean about the reasons for delays and cancellations in their reporting to ACOS, in particular specifying whether the disruption was within the airline’s control or outside of it. This information could help inform which remedies may be available for passengers.

But at the moment we can simply be told that our flight is not taking off on time with no further explanation, leaving us stranded for hours in the terminal wondering what other air travel mishaps are lying in wait. It remains to be seen whether the final version of the Aviation Consumer Protection Charter will make air travel less precarious.

“While these reforms [the ACPC] fell short of a European-style compensation scheme, these changes should force airlines to provide fair remedies for cancellations and unreasonable delays,” Kelly says. “The framework will only be as strong as the protections contained in the charter, and ����Vlog will continue to advocate for the strongest possible protections for consumers.”

The post Half of airline passengers still experiencing delays and cancellations appeared first on ����Vlog.

Planning a trip this Easter? You’re not alone.

Australians regularly spend billions of dollars on travel at this time of year, as we take advantage of public holidays and a break from school to explore, either domestically or overseas.

As a new holiday approaches, many of us will be opening our wallets, logging onto accommodation platforms, scoping out airline tickets, signing up for tours and searching for travel advice on social media as we gear up for some time away.

Unfortunately, scammers are aware of this and have been known to exploit our dealings with all of these services in attempts to secure themselves a tidy Easter bonus.

We’re breaking down the most common travel cons to look out for, with tips to follow so you can score a scam-free break.

On this page:

• 1. Phony prizes
• 2. Fake listings
• 3. Hacked hotel profiles
• 4. Fake airline accounts
• 5. Road toll rip offs
• 6. Fake travel documents
• 7. Scams to watch out for once you arrive overseas

1. Phony prizes

Even just knowing that many of us are thinking about time away is enough for some scammers to try their luck.

State and national consumer regulators say they’ve seen a rise in cases of consumers receiving suspicious scratch cards in the mail promising travel giveaways or discount holidays.

Scrape away the covered sections of these cards and you can expect to be told you’ve won, sometimes as much as $240,000.

Directions on the card will tell you to contact the providers by phone, email or social media to claim your prize.

But there lies the catch – you’ll be told you’ll have to pay a fee, sometimes thousands of dollars, in order to receive your winnings. 

You may even be asked to provide sensitive personal documents in order to gain eligibility for these holiday schemes.

Don’t try to redeem these so-called “prizes” and definitely don’t provide money or personal details to the organisations distributing them.

They’re likely criminals who won’t provide any of the goodies they’ve promised and may use any details you do hand over to steal your identity.

How to spot a fake travel prize

• Be sceptical of unexpected holiday offers you receive in the mail or are sent online. Don’t respond to these or click on any links in emails or text messages you receive accompanying these promotions.
• Don’t share any money or personal or financial details with anyone contacting you about these offers or claiming to be associated with a competition you didn’t enter.

2. Fake listings

Sites like Booking.com and Airbnb have revolutionised the travel industry by allowing regular people to turn their properties into accommodation businesses.

But scammers are also trying to get in on the action and have been known to create fake listings on these sites in an attempt to steal travellers’ deposits.

We’ve heard from travellers who were left stranded and out of pocket after booking holiday homes that didn’t exist through major booking platforms.

The global scope of these companies means this isn’t a uniquely Australian problem – our UK sister organisation Which? has reported on .

Tourists aren’t the only ones being preyed upon by phony listers. Real estate bodies and fair trade agencies have warned of the same trick being pulled on people searching for rental homes.

Airbnb and Booking.com have previously told ����Vlog that false listings are rare on their platforms and that they work hard to verify properties registered with their services, but it’s still worth being vigilant.

How to spot a fake accommodation listing

Scammers pushing phony properties will try to lure you in with offers many of us might find irresistible – a holiday home in a popular location going for a fraction of the usual price, for example.

So don’t rush into booking deals that seem too good to be true, and perform the following checks before locking in your stay:

• Check the most recent reviews: Fake listings are often accompanied by a flurry of negative feedback from fellow travellers or no reviews at all. Make sure you’re looking at the latest reviews to get up-to-date feedback.
• See how long the property has been listed for: Booking platforms work to take down fake listings but scammers themselves can remove and replace their advertisements quickly. Beware of suspicious listings that have only been active for a short time.
• Stay on the platform: Be sceptical if the accommodation host tries to direct you off the platform (onto private messaging apps, for example), especially when it comes to payment.

3. Hacked hotel profiles

Another scam appearing on popular booking platforms involves criminals hijacking the accounts of hotels and other accommodation providers.

These compromised profiles reportedly then send guests messages or links to impersonation websites designed to steal sensitive information.

The con often begins with accommodation operators accidentally downloading malware or handing over login details for the platforms where they list their property.

Booking.com has been a popular target of this scam. Last year, Microsoft warned of a flurry of emails impersonating the platform being sent to accommodation businesses who use it to list properties.

These messages were believed to be carrying malware designed to steal an accommodation provider’s login credentials.

Once they’ve gained access to a business profile on a site like Booking.com, hackers send messages to the hotel’s guests, urging them to update or verify their card details in order to re-confirm or secure their booking.

Victims in Australia have reportedly lost money and sensitive personal information after clicking on the links included in these messages.

Booking.com has previously told ����Vlog it’s working to limit the impacts of phishing attacks on its accommodation partners, advising hotels on how to ensure emails appearing to come from Booking.com are actually being sent by the company.

How to spot a hacked account

• Beware of suspicious messages: Watch out for unusual messages appearing to come from accommodation you’ve booked. Requests to provide card details or other sensitive information via direct message or risk losing your booking are major red flags.
• Don’t click on unexpected links: Beware of unsolicited links included in messages appearing to come from your accommodation. Check URLs carefully for indicators of deception, such as misspelt or additional, unnecessary words e.g. info.businessname.gateway.payment.com.
• Follow up outside the platform: If you receive a suspicious message or link, contact your accommodation provider via details you’ve found yourself (not those listed on its booking site profile) to check if the messages are legitimate.

4. Fake airline accounts

Delayed or cancelled flights are perennial causes of holiday frustration and complaining on social media can feel like the easiest option when travel plans are derailed.

But doing so can make you a juicy target for scammers, some of whom use bot technology to prowl popular platforms for complaints mentioning major carriers.

Once they’ve acquired a target, these scammers will reply to your gripe using an account that looks like it belongs to your airline. 

Such accounts have been most prevalent on X, where we’ve seen multiple profiles posing as Australian airlines and targeting customers in distress.

Victims have been directed to private messaging services and then to phishing sites designed to steal sensitive information.

Anyone signed up to an airline’s loyalty scheme should also beware of emails urging them to log in via a link to address purported “fraudulent activity” on their accounts.

Cyber security company Mailguard recently warned of a trend of these scams targeting Qantas Frequent Flyers.

How to spot fake airline communications

• Make sure a carrier’s social media account is legitimate: Look at how many followers it has and when it was created – scam profiles will have very few followers and are often only around for months at most.

• See where emails are coming from and where they lead to: Recent fake airline emails have come from Gmail addresses (e.g. someone@gmail.com) rather than official email addresses using the business domain name (e.g. info@qantas.com). Hover your mouse over any links and the URL of the page it leads to should appear. Make sure this matches the airline’s official website URL.

5. Road toll rip offs

Easter road trips often take us into cities we’re not familiar with, meaning new road systems and potentially toll operators who’ll be hitting us up for payment.

These companies are a regular target for impersonation by text and email scammers pushing links to fake websites.

Linkt, a major toll service in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, is a favourite among criminal impersonators and was the target of a recent email scam designed to steal drivers’ bank card details.

How to spot fake road toll messages

• Don’t trust surface level names: Scammers can make it look like they’re sending texts from an official company account when they’re not. Check where an email is from – scam messages often come from generic accounts that don’t use the name of the company they claim to represent.

• Don’t click on links: Toll operators like Linkt shouldn’t ask you to provide payment details via links in text messages or emails. Address outstanding payments by logging into your toll account via an official app or website. For more info, see .

Scams to watch out for when heading overseas

Due to the ubiquity of major booking sites and social media platforms, you could just as easily find yourself the target of the above-mentioned scams while travelling overseas as in Australia.

But certain scams will only emerge in the course of venturing beyond our shores.

6. Fake travel documents

Cyber support service IDCARE expects visa scams to become more prevalent this year, after the number of people contacting it after being sold fake or non-existent visas jumped by 76% in 2025.

Criminals often set up fake websites promising to provide visas and other vital travel documents for different countries and can pay for these pages to appear at the top of search engine results.

Once they’ve got your bank card details, these operators may not provide any visa in return or may supply a fake document – something that will cause you serious issues if you try to use it to enter a country.

In a similar vein, scammers have also been known to run schemes claiming to sell international driving permits (IDP). Some of these sites do provide these materials (at an inflated rate), but others will send you fake documents.

How to avoid fake travel documents

• Be wary of sponsored results: Legitimate companies and scammers alike can pay for their websites to appear at the top of search engine results. Scroll down past sponsored results before clicking on any links.

• Stick to official sources: DFAT’s website tells you which countries require a visa or other permit (assuming you’re travelling on an Australian passport) and directs you to the legitimate sources for obtaining these materials. If you’re looking for an IDP, .

7. Scams to watch out for once you arrive overseas

Depending on your destination, there are various scams you might only encounter once you’re on the ground in other countries.

For info on all the most common cons, including ticket, taxi, vehicle hire and card-skimming scams, and what to do if you run into trouble overseas, see .

The post Travel scams to avoid this Easter appeared first on ����Vlog.

When Maaz Sayed recently booked a flight through Flight Centre for a family trip to Mumbai, the transaction took a turn he wasn’t expecting.

Without his consent, the business tacked on both $932 worth of travel insurance to the quote they emailed him, and something called the “Captain’s Pack”, which cost $236 and included extras such as lost baggage tracking and a tree planted through a Brisbane-based organisation called ReForest to offset the carbon miles.

Maaz paid the quote without knowing these extras had been added.

“At no point during my phone consultation was insurance discussed or offered as an optional product,” Maaz says.

After he complained, Flight Centre told Maaz that it was up to him to notice the additions and let Flight Centre know if he didn’t want them.

Citing chapter and verse of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), Maaz informed Flight Centre in no uncertain terms that he was not happy about this approach to doing business.

It’s a sales trick we’ve seen all too often in our continuing campaign against unfair business practices, or unfair trading. Automatically adding unwanted extras would be classified as a ‘dark pattern’ when it happens online, or a design element on a digital page that pushes you into making choices you didn’t intend to make.

The federal government has vowed to legislate a ban on unfair trading tactics, starting with subscription traps and drip pricing. Whether adding extras without consent will be outlawed remains to be seen.

Non-transparent disclosure

The explanation to Maaz from the Flight Centre complaints team suggests that adding expensive options without explicitly informing the customer was nothing new for the business.

“The quote sent through included a price for insurance. At this stage, it was simply a quote and as the consumer you are under no obligation to proceed with the purchase of the product if it did not meet your requirements,” a customer service agent told him in an email exchange.

The agent made the point that the insurance price was itemised and listed separately throughout the quote, saying “if you did not wish to proceed with this product you did not have to proceed with payment”.

They added that he should have called and spoken to FlightCentre about this before completing payment.

The original Flight Centre agent Maaz booked the flight through also stressed these points, saying “I include both travel insurance and the Captain’s Pack in all initial quotes to provide a complete travel package for review. These items are entirely optional, and you were under no obligation to proceed with them.”

The self-exoneration didn’t sit well with Maaz.

“Your message repeatedly implies that as a consumer I should detect undisclosed add-ons myself and contact your agent before payment,” he told the Flight Centre rep.

“That is the opposite of informed consent and inconsistent with your duties when offering financial products and add-ons.”

“Pre-loading optional products and then suggesting the consumer should later detect them contradicts the requirement for transparent disclosure of optional extras and constitutes an unfair sales practice,” he added.

We asked Flight Centre whether it automatically added options to bookings and left it up to customers to notice this and ask that they be removed but didn’t receive a response.

ACCC says adding extras is not illegal

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) spokesperson tells us that adding in extra options for customers is not a violation of the ACL as long as the extra cost is included in the topline price shown by the business.

“If a business accurately represents upfront the total single price of a good or service, inclusive of pre-selected extra fees, they will not be in breach of the ACL unless they have otherwise misled or deceived consumers,” the spokesperson says, adding that whether a business has misled or deceived consumers “will depend on the individual circumstances in each case”.

It’s not the first time Flight Centre has been called out for questionable tactics. In 2018, the company copped a $12.5 million fine in a case brought by the ACCC for trying to induce Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Malaysia Airlines to enter into price fixing arrangements.

In 2019, ����Vlog published the results of our COVID travel cancellation survey, revealing Flight Centre to be one of the worst offenders when it came to processing refunds.

Following Maaz Sayed’s complaint, the insurance policy was cancelled and he was refunded for the extras he never asked for.

But he feels he has a duty to let other Flight Centre customers know to check their quotes before paying.

As Maaz explained to Flight Centre, “adding the highest-priced product without discussion is inconsistent with obligations to ensure consumers are not misled or sold unsuitable products”.

The post Flight Centre adding pricey extras without customer consent appeared first on ����Vlog.

If this has happened to you, it’s probably because the car hire company failed to tell you about the extra charges you have to pay if you want to lower your insurance excess (the amount you’re liable for if the car gets damaged).

If you don’t fork out the extra cash, they’ll charge the full excess in case of an accident. This could be as much as $6900. And if the repairs cost less than the excess, you’ll just have to trust them to refund the difference to your credit card.

To hire a basic compact car from Sydney Airport for a week from Avis you’ll pay a minimum of $66 a day, but to reduce your excess from $5900 to $0 for the same hire, you’ll be slugged with an additional $74 a day.

On this page:

• What are the alternatives to paying the car hire excess waiver?
• What’s the cheapest way to reduce car hire excess?
• Which hire car excess cover should you choose?
• What to ask about your car hire excess cover
• What to do if you’ve damaged a hire car vehicle

What are the alternatives to paying the car hire excess waiver?

Instead of succumbing to the pressure-sale tactics at the car hire counter, you can:

• use the car hire excess cover in a travel insurance policy
• buy a standalone car hire excess insurance policy from a specialist insurer.

If you’re hiring a car for a week, these are both cheaper alternatives to the excess waiver offered by the car hire company. Standalone policies also often have fewer exclusions.

So what’s the catch? The alternatives may not be as convenient. If you’re in an accident in your rental car, you may have to pay the car hire company for the damages and then claim them back from your chosen insurer.

What’s the cheapest way to reduce car hire excess?

Below, we compare the daily cost of the car hire excess waiver offered by seven car hire companies (SIXT, Thrifty, Hertz, Avis, Budget and Europcar) against standalone insurance products from: 

And the domestic travel insurance products from:

• .

• Car hire quotes are based on the cheapest car hire options from Sydney Airport.
• The cover level selected for the car hirers is the level that includes excess reduction as much as possible (to zero in all cases except Hertz) and includes windscreen and tyres, since this is covered by all the standalone products we included.
• Travel insurance quotes are for one traveller aged 35 and the lowest policy excess level offered by the online quote.
• Variable excess level increased to $6000 where necessary since the basic excess for car hires is over $6000.

Which hire car excess cover should you choose?

Standalone car rental excess cover 

This is often the cheapest option for covering your car hire excess, especially for hire periods longer than one day. It also has the advantage of providing extra cover for items over and above what’s covered by your car hire contract.

Many of these items aren’t typically covered by the default excess waiver that comes with your rental car. Some of the extra items covered include:

• Headlights��(covered by RentalCover)
• Key loss��(covered by Prosura and RentalCover)
• Single vehicle accident��(covered by Car Hire Excess and Prosura)
• Tyres��(covered by Car Hire Excess, Prosura and RentalCover)
• Underbody��(covered by Car Hire Excess, Prosura and RentalCover)
• Windscreen��(covered by Car Hire Excess, Prosura and RentalCover).

Travel insurance

Both domestic and international travel insurance policies often contain cover for hire car excess. If you’re travelling overseas, travel insurance is essential, so if you already have good rental car excess cover in your travel insurance policy, you won’t need to shell out for additional cover.

If you’re travelling in Australia, domestic travel insurance can be useful for cancellation cover for high value trips, or protection of valuables like laptops and ski gear, as well as car hire excess cover. 

There are a few traps to keep in mind when relying on the car hire excess cover included in your travel insurance.

• If you only want cover for car hire excess, domestic travel insurance may be a good option for longer trips, but it can be an expensive option for short trips.
• It’s charged on a per person basis, so if you have more than one driver, you’ll need insurance for each person. 
• The rental car excess cover in your travel insurance will generally only cover things that are already covered by the car rental company. So for example, if the agreement you have with the car rental company excludes cover for things like tyres and windscreens, then the travel insurance rental excess may not cover those items either.
• We found some domestic travel insurance policies only cover car hire excess up to $5000 but the default excess for allcar hire companies we looked at is above $5000.

Credit card travel insurance doesn’t usually cover domestic car hire, but if you’re travelling internationally, many offer cover for rental car excess. Depending on the policy, it may only cover the cardholder, and there may be conditions for accessing the cover, such as paying for the car rental on the card.

The car hire company’s excess waiver product

The main advantage of forking over the extra cash to the car hire company to lower or completely waive the excess is you only have to deal with one company. All the paperwork is done with the car hire company, and if you’ve paid to waive the excess altogether, then you don’t have to dig into your own pocket at all if you do have an accident.

The car hire company may be friendlier after you’ve handed over the extra cash, but if you look at the standard excess cover, you could be forgiven for thinking their business model is partly based on getting you to pay extra to bring these alarming excess amounts down.

What to ask about your car hire excess cover

It helps to ask the rental agency a few questions before you commit to anything.

What is my excess liability under the rental agreement?

Ask your rental agency how much the excess is for the vehicle you’re hiring. This will help you determine how much excess cover you need. Keep in mind that the excess for luxury vehicles and 4WDs is often higher than for standard vehicles. 

Also ask if there are any situations where the excess may be higher, for example for younger drivers or single-vehicle accidents.

If you’re considering using a standalone car hire excess insurance product, ask them if they’ll cover any of the items that aren’t covered by your car rental agency.

What are the exclusions to the cover?

Usually there are two levels of excess reduction on offer. One that reduces your excess to something a little more reasonable, say $1500, and a more expensive option that will reduce your excess to zero. If you look at the fine print, there are more exclusions when only reducing your excess a small amount, but even if you pay to reduce your excess to zero, either through the car hire company or an alternative provider, you’re unlikely to have waived all of your potential expenses. There are usually exclusions to the cover, which means there will be scenarios where you’ll have no cover at all (and it’s not always possible to buy cover for such scenarios).

Typical exclusions are damage to windscreens and tyres, overhead and underbody damage, and damage to headlights.

When aren’t I covered by my car hire excess insurance?

It’s fairly standard among rental agencies and alternative third-party providers to hold you fully liable for damages (i.e. beyond the standard excess amount), if it occurs as a result of breaching the contract or as a result of an excluded activity.

Common rental agreement breaches include:

• disobeying road rules or being in contravention of any law
• driving in specified remote areas or outside any town or city limits in Western Australia or the Northern Territory between dusk and dawn
• driving on unsealed roads
• an unauthorised person driving the vehicle
• using the incorrect fuel type
• driving above the snow line during ski season
• driving under the influence of alcohol.

Your expenses in this case may not just be limited to damage done to the vehicle. You could also be held liable for expenses such as admin and towing fees. If the car is off the road as a result of damage, you may also be held liable for the loss of income to the rental agency while it’s being repaired.

What to do if you’ve damaged a hire car vehicle

If you’re unfortunate enough to have an accident in your rental vehicle, here are a few tips to keep in mind. 

• If there’s any damage that needs to be repaired, get an itemised receipt for the cost of repairs. If there is anything suspicious, challenge it. We’ve heard of cases where rental agencies have added on hundreds of dollars’ worth of extra ‘miscellaneous fees’ in addition to the repair costs. These charges were dropped when challenged.
• While it goes against Australian Consumer Law guidelines, rental agencies sometimes charge the maximum damage excess fee without a repair quote, or place extra charges on your card without first giving you a chance to dispute them. If this happens, you can try seeking a chargeback through your credit card company.

The post Is car hire insurance worth it? appeared first on ����Vlog.

In Europe, the US, Canada and other jurisdictions, airline passengers have long had stronger aviation rights than those in Australia. Here, airlines make up the rules as they see fit, especially when it comes to compensating passengers for frequently occurring issues like flight delays and cancellations.��

It’s been a rough ride for Australian airline customers in recent years. The COVID pandemic took the customer service failures of Australian airlines to a new low. Now the federal government is aiming to pass legislation that would force airlines to do better.��

In 2022, we reported that less than a third of customers who had a flight cancelled because of COVID received a refund. The rest got vouchers that often proved difficult to redeem.

In Australia, the dominant airline is Qantas – whose tagline we rebranded as ‘The Spirit of Disappointment’ when we handed it a Shonky Award in 2022. A ����Vlog investigation revealed that Qantas was holding about $1.4 billion dollars in unused flight credits and future bookings and came up with all kinds of ways to hang on to this money.

Flight delays and cancellations remain a central issue. In December 2023, we reported that the chances of your holiday flight leaving on time were about 50-50.

Attempting to call your airline and talk to a human being because the automated processes on offer don’t work is yet another issue. Call wait times were off the charts when we tested them in 2021.

Proposed new legislation missing clear right to compensation

In August last year, the federal government committed to establishing new protections for Australian travellers. It proposed a new charter of aviation rights, an independent aviation ombudsman to replace the industry-funded Airline Consumer Advocate (recipient of a 2021 ����Vlog Shonky Award), and a requirement that airlines provide refunds instead of credits. These proposals were well in line with recommendations by ����Vlog in our submissions to government.

Earlier this week, the government took the next step, open to the public as well as industry stakeholders. The consultation will inform the final design of the aviation consumer protection legislation. Submissions will be accepted until 5 October this year.��

The consultation paper once again reflects our recommendations to government, calling for an industry-funded ombudsman scheme with a complaints handling process similar to existing schemes such as the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

The paper also proposes that customers receive refunds for cancellations in a timely manner and aren’t given a flight credit unless they choose one. These would be major steps forward, but the consultation paper falls short of what ����Vlog has been calling for in several respects.����

Chief among them is the lack of clear rights to compensation for delayed or cancelled flights.

“Compensation schemes in Europe have encouraged airlines to reduce avoidable delays and provide consumers with simple cash payments when flights are cancelled or late. This is something Australians also deserve,” says ����Vlog director of campaigns Rosie Thomas.

Another shortcoming is a proposed aviation complaints body that lacks the strong oversight powers of comparable industry schemes.

“Consumer rights are only ever as strong as the complaints processes to enforce them,” Thomas says.

“We’re concerned the proposed aviation complaints body falls short compared with strong, independent ombudsman schemes in other concentrated markets. Banks and telecommunications companies have to answer to an independent umpire and the airlines should too.”

����Vlog will continue to push for stronger protections, Thomas says. “We deserve clear rights when flights don’t go to plan, not a patchwork of airline policies. Our airline giants have called the shots for far too long.”

The post Proposed airline passenger rights missing key protections appeared first on ����Vlog.

Stiff handles, hard-to-manoeuvre cases or too-small checked baggage can mean the difference between carefree travel and a frustrating trip, so it’s important to choose wisely and pick a case that’s up to the job.��

If your suitcase is on its last legs, you’re probably dreading having to spend money on a replacement rather than on margaritas by the beach.��

And with prices ranging from as low as $39 up to many hundreds of dollars, how do you know if you can get away with buying one at the cheaper end of the spectrum?

“You could buy the $39 Kmart carry-on plus return flights from Sydney to Melbourne, and still spend less than the most expensive suitcases in our test,” says ����Vlog luggage tester Matthew Tung.��

Our experts reviewed more than 30 carry-on and check-in suitcases from brands such as Antler, Samsonite, American Tourister and Kmart, assessing them on everything from how easy they are to roll and move, how easily they’re damaged, and how they fare in the rain.��

Which means they’re perfectly positioned to answer the essential traveller question: does paying more really get you a better suitcase?

If you want to find out which are the best carry-on suitcases on a budget,��join ����Vlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

If you’re already a member and you just want to see the best products, you can��jump straight to the results now.

Want a big-name brand? Check the sales

Before we get into the differences between cheap and expensive suitcases, our testers have a tip that’s important to know upfront.

While some suitcases may have a recommended retail price that’s higher than your actual flight, the RRP is not a good indicator of how much you should expect to spend on luggage.

“Expensive suitcases are almost always on sale, so there’s rarely any reason to pay full price,” says ����Vlog expert Kim Gilmour.

“While hard-shell suitcases from the big brands still aren’t cheap even with a hefty discount, if you shop around you should be able to find a price that’s well below the RRP.”��

Keep an eye out for good deals coming up in the Black Friday sales, or Boxing Day or end-of-financial-year sales.��

What are the differences between cheap and expensive suitcases?

Weight

When you’re trying to squeeze in under the weight limit for your budget Jetstar flight, every gram counts. This is especially important if you’re travelling just with carry-on – you don’t want most of your allowance taken up before you’ve even started packing.

You also want your bags to be as light and manageable as possible if you’ll be lugging them on and off trains and buses, or dragging them across multiple airports and transfers.

You’d imagine that expensive suitcases might have the edge over cheaper ones in terms of weight due to the more expensive materials used, or special designs that can reduce weight.��

Indeed, the two lightest carry-on suitcases we tested were from Samsonite:

• The Samsonite C-Lite 55cm hard case weighs 1.93kg and has an RRP of $749
• The Samsonite 73 hours H Spinner 55cm soft case weighs 1.91kg and has an RRP of $399

But the $39 Kmart carry on case weighs only 2.2kg and is a similar size as these two Samsonite suitcases, so the extra money doesn’t necessarily buy you a significantly lighter case.

Style and features

There’s no denying you’ll likely get a more sophisticated design and more options for colours, styles and sizes with more expensive luggage. And a brightly-coloured or distinctive case is easier to spot in a sea of luggage at the baggage terminal.��

More expensive suitcases usually come with features such as luxe linings, extra pockets, good-quality zippers, locking mechanisms and handy compartments that you might not find in cheaper products.��

Pricier suitcases also often come with a TSA lock that allows you to lock your luggage while permitting security authorities to inspect it without damage. The carry-on suitcases we tested that cost under $100 from Kmart and Big W did not include this feature.��

Two pricey Samsonite cases we tested even came with in-built USB-A ports you could connect your devices to for on-the-go charging, and some have linings made from recycled materials.��

But it depends what’s more important to you: a swish suitcase, or more money to spend on your holiday?

Durability

Suitcases can take quite a beating when they’re being tossed around by luggage handlers between flights or dragged on and off trains, so it’s a good idea to choose a case that’s durable.

To test how each suitcase stacks up in this regard, our experts use a range of specialised equipment and tests to drop them, drag them and generally knock them about to see how they perform.��

In our ‘lift and drop’ test we load suitcases with clothes, then drop them wheels-first from a height of 90cm onto a concrete floor 300 times.��

The vast majority of suitcases we tested, including the $39 Kmart carry-on case, scored a perfect 100% in this test, which means they came out unscathed. But a few received a borderline score due to sustaining major cracks or even broken wheels.

The advantage of investing in a more expensive suitcase is that it’ll usually come with a warranty of up to 10 years, which means you can get a repair or replacement if the suitcase is faulty. Note though that this doesn’t cover normal wear and tear or damage inflicted by an airline, for example, so check the terms and conditions.

And premium luggage may last you longer than cheaper brands, as the manufacturers are likely to invest more in technology and design and use higher quality materials.

The cheapest and best carry-on suitcases under $200

We independently test and review dozens of new products each year in our onsite labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

Our detailed luggage testing data is available exclusively for ����Vlog members.

If you’re not yet a member,��join ����Vlog��to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews, from fridges and freezers, toasters and TVs, kettles and cots, and more.��

Or log in to unlock this article and find out which suitcases impressed our experts the most.

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“All her scans had been clear for a while and the doctor said now would be a good time to go on a trip if we wanted to. It was going to be a kind of big celebration of Alex getting through all the treatments and recovering,” Penn says.��

The couple spent around $20,000 on a cruise that would see them travel through Indonesia and down Australia’s east coast with Viking Cruises, a major international cruise company based in Switzerland.��

When Alex’s cancer came back in late 2024 and she was advised that she could no longer travel, they called Viking Cruises and asked for a refund.

But, despite the fact the couple gave notice of the cancellation 55 days in advance, Viking Cruises denied the refund. According to its policies, Viking said, 60 days’ notice was required.��

Penn then asked if they could transfer the funds and rebook for another Viking Cruise at a later date, a request that was also flatly denied.��

Viking not budging on their policy

The company has been very clear that they are sticking to their policy.

“Although we do sincerely empathise with your current situation, our policy was advised previously and any further correspondence received in relation to this matter and the issues previously addressed will be noted, however, we advise that no further response will be issued to you,” the company told Penn after several emails.��

Penn says they were annoyed and angry that the company was being hard-nosed and showing no compassion at all. “They didn’t care whatsoever about our situation. I understand they are a business, but if they were able to re-sell the room with 55 days notice we should have at least got a partial refund.”��

The company did refund them just over $1000 worth of onshore excursion costs, but none of the cruising fee.��

Penn has since lodged complaints with the South Australia Office of Consumer and Business Services and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).��

Viking Cruises did not respond to our questions about whether they could have shown more compassion to Alex and Penn or whether their room on the ship was on-sold after the couple cancelled.��

Travellers beware��

Alex and Penn had travel insurance, but because the cancer was a pre-existing condition that flared up, they weren’t covered by their policy.��

����Vlog insurance expert Jodi Bird says conditions like cancer are often excluded in travel insurance policies and that passengers on cruise ships should be aware of the risk they may not be covered. He agrees there is more room for compassionate flexibility from the cruise industry.��

“Cruise ship companies do tend to be fairly strict on enforcing the terms and conditions. I think there could be a bit more latitude there from the cruise companies, especially given the demographics that they have got coming on board,” he says.��

Bird says cruise passengers are often forced to book up to a year or more ahead of their journey, making the risk of medical complications higher.��

Penn says there should be some changes in attitude and room for flexibility in the enforcement of policies of cruise ship companies.����

“I want people to know how we were treated and to be cautious about Viking Cruises. If you get ill or get into any issues, don’t expect them to help you, they will just take the money and run,” she says.��

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It won’t come as news to most Australians that our rights are few and far between when it comes to air travel. In recent years, the chances of our flight taking off on time – or taking off at all – have grown increasingly slim. We’ve been left with little choice but to grudgingly accept the poor service.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the airline sector’s shortcomings into sharp relief. Qantas, in particular, failed its customers on many fronts, not least by making it��very difficult to redeem credits for flights that had been cancelled due to the virus. The airline’s troubling behaviour paved the way for a��2022 ����Vlog Shonky award.

Other airlines have fallen short as well. In December 2023, ����Vlog research revealed that two out of five of the 9000 airline customers we surveyed had experienced a flight delay or cancellation over the previous year, and that the chances of a flight leaving on time that holiday period were about 50/50.

The federal government��released a white paper in November last year that charted a course to a more customer-centric future. It called for an independent aviation ombudsman to replace the industry-funded Airline Consumer Advocate, recipient of a 2021 ����Vlog Shonky. The ombudsman is expected to be established in 2026.

����Vlog calls for stronger customer rights charter

The white paper recommended that the ombudsman legislation establish a customer rights charter, spelling out the circumstances under which passengers must be refunded or otherwise compensated. But the current wording of the charter lacks clarity in key areas.

In some cases, the charter may be weaker than existing consumer protections under the Australian Consumer Law or the airlines’ own policies. It wouldn’t protect, for instance, against many of the systemic failures that were on vivid display during the pandemic.

In our submission to government on what the final version of the charter should look like, we point out a fundamental flaw in the current design: it’s not clear who’s going to enforce it. ����Vlog is calling for absolute certainty on how the customer rights charter will be implemented by the Aviation Ombudsman Scheme to resolve disputes, and how an appropriate regulator will ensure compliance.

����Vlog is also calling for the following groundwork to be done to ensure that the final version of the charter provides the necessary protections for all Australian travellers:

• Consultation on disability and accessibility issues with people with lived experience of these issues.
• Developing a standardised approach to terms and conditions, including rights to refunds and rebookings for cancellations or delays, whether or not they’re within the airline’s control.
• Establishing set levels of compensation for meals and accommodation.
• Setting specific guidance for claim times and compensation for damaged, delayed or lost baggage.

“While the draft charter is a welcome next step, it currently lacks the necessary clarity, comprehensiveness and strength to adequately protect consumers when flights don’t go to plan,” says ����Vlog senior policy and campaigns adviser Beatrice Sherwood.��

“If we were to experience another global event like a pandemic, consumers would be no better protected under this draft charter. For example, consumers may actually be entitled to a remedy and compensation for flights cancelled or delayed by weather events under consumer guarantee rights, but may not be under the draft charter. Consumers want, and need, stronger protections when travelling, so this charter is a crucial opportunity to give them that, we just need to make sure we get it right.”

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Like so many businesses large and small these days, Qantas wants you to know that it cares about the future of the planet.��

To that end, it directs a stream of its marketing toward those of us who want to do what we can to help ward off climate catastrophe, or at least prevent it from getting too much worse.����

Qantas passengers can choose to fly ‘carbon neutral’ for instance, and the airline says it’s on board with ‘sustainable aviation fuels’. The airline’s overarching promise is that it’s on course to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.��

Net-zero is an ambitious but fuzzy term. Generally, it means a business pulls off the miracle of taking as many carbon emissions out of the atmosphere by other means as it puts into it, which would be a very tall order for an airline.��

The Climate Council has gone on record to say that the mechanisms companies purportedly use to get to net zero emissions – such as – are highly questionable.

Still, these commitments sound like a good thing, given that Qantas spread around 17.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) across the globe in 2023–24. The annual emissions of bigger airlines, of course, would be even higher.��

Climate Integrity files greenwashing charges��

Australian advocacy group Climate Integrity says Qantas’s claims are too vague and unsubstantiated to mean much. On those grounds, the NGO filed a complaint in October this year with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) calling out multiple instances of potential greenwashing.��

The charges are straightforward: Qantas has no solid basis for the green claims in its marketing materials because its reliance on fossil fuels remains gargantuan, which will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. In addition, they claim Qantas’s net zero plan lacks clear targets and that it has yet to unveil a scientifically credible transition strategy.��

For Climate Integrity, instances of alleged greenwashing include language such as “your contributions are used to purchase carbon offsets from accredited, high-integrity projects worldwide” and “carbon offsetting allows us to help compensate for these emissions by purchasing offsets that remove, reduce or avoid emissions in the atmosphere”. They claim these assurances are not backed by credible evidence.��

Idyllic images of turtles swimming at the Great Barrier Reef on Qantas reports is another example of potential greenwashing, according to Climate Integrity, since it gives the false impression that the airline is acting sustainably and reducing environmental harms.��

The organisation’s case hinges on a hard-to-dispute reality: For the time being, air travel is one of those instances where we have to press pause in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.

“A Qantas customer choosing the ‘fly carbon neutral’ option for their flight might think that the climate impacts of their trip have been compensated for or significantly reduced,” says Climate Integrity director, Claire Snyder. “But this is not supported by science, and therefore distorts customers’ perception of the sustainability of flying.”

In the end, it’s a jet-fueled vehicle going somewhere around 925 km/hr that we’re travelling on.��

“The science is irrefutable – the burning of fossil fuels is the single largest driver of climate change and Qantas has a long-term reliance on fossil fuels,” Snyder says. “Greenwashing at this scale creates a false sense of progress and undermines the urgent action necessary to reach zero emissions by 2050.”

Airlines in the EU called out for greenwashing

The Climate Integrity complaint to the ACCC follows a big airline greenwashing case in the EU earlier this year. In March, a Dutch court ruled that the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM had misled customers about its environmental commitments. Making claims to use more biofuels or plant trees “only marginally lessen environmental impacts and give the wrong impression that flying with KLM is sustainable”, the court found according to reporting by Reuters.��

Derik Broekhoff, a senior scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute who wrote a report that underpinned the KLM case, says environmentally-minded consumers shouldn’t be taken in by green-sounding terminology.��

“Carbon neutral is not the same as zero emissions. Using carbon credits cannot turn an unsustainable flight into a sustainable one, and consumers still need to be mindful of their travel choices,” Broekhoff says. “It is not accurate for airlines to claim that purchasing carbon credits will compensate for fossil fuel emissions.”

Especially if the volume of those emissions means the airline won’t be in line to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures.��

Following the Dutch case, consumer protection authorities in the EU went on to investigate the alleged greenwashing practices of 20 other airlines. The practices on notice include:��

• leading customers to believe that paying an additional fee to finance environmental projects outside of aviation or supporting alternative fuels will reduce their contribution to CO2 emissions��
• using the term ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ without providing evidence of how they’re reducing the environmental impact of air travel��
• throwing around catch-all terms such as ‘green’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘responsible’ in a general way without supporting evidence��
• claiming that the airline is moving towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions without verifiable commitments and independent monitoring
• providing CO2 calculators for specific flights without reliable proof that they’re accurate��
• showing CO2 emissions comparisons of flights without showing sufficient and accurate information on the basis of the comparisons.

Airlines not the only culprits��

Climate Integrity’s complaint to the ACCC was lodged by the Environmental Defenders Office, a Sydney-based NGO that files legal cases whose aim is to preserve and protect the environment. The complaint alleges that using terms like ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ in marketing materials, without definitive evidence that Qantas is using them, is inherently an act of greenwashing, which is illegal in Australia.��

And it’s not just the airlines that are playing fast and loose with environmental claims. A Climate Integrity report prepared by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney and released in March this year highlights a range of other major Australian corporations – including Rio Tinto, BlueScope Steel, Woolworths Group, Coles Group, and Telstra – whose net zero pledges were found to lack scientific rigour and lag behind global best practice.��

The report came on the heels of a 2023 ACCC investigation which found that the environmental claims of over half of the 247 businesses (57%) analysed included potential greenwashing violations.��

‘Doing what we can’ says Qantas

A Qantas spokesperson acknowledged to ����Vlog that “aviation is a particularly hard-to-abate sector” when it comes to reducing CO2 emissions but the airline has a responsibility “to do what we can with what’s available now”.

“High-integrity carbon offsets are key to us meeting net emissions reduction targets until sustainable aviation fuel and low and zero-emissions technologies are more readily available,” the spokesperson says.��

Qantas pointed to its launch of a $400 million climate fund with Airbus to help speed up the establishment of a domestic sustainable aviation fuels industry as well as the development of nature-based fuel options.��

“The journey to net zero emissions won’t be linear and one airline will not be able to solve this alone,” the spokesperson says, adding that the airline’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is backed by a “robust carbon offset and sustainable aviation fuels procurement plan”.

But with sustainable air travel likely still a long way off, should Qantas be making so much of its environmental commitments in its marketing to customers today, and assuring us that it will achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century?��

The airline admits that the science behind its mitigation efforts is a work in progress and that “like all aspects of decarbonisation, targets, availability and effectiveness may change”.

(Photos courtesy of Climate Integrity.)

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On this page:

• 1. Getting insurance wrong
• 2. Travelling with the wrong bag
• 3. Not knowing your flight rights
• 4. Failing to prepare for your road trip
• 5. Getting the tech wrong

While that’s certainly the ideal, it isn’t hard to find examples of holidays that are anything but the relaxing getaway planned.

Whether it’s damaged luggage, travel insurance problems, road trip ordeals or flight cancellations, there are no shortage of problems that can turn a dreamy escape into a hellish ordeal.

While you can’t plan for every eventuality, our expert advice can help you avoid some of the most common causes of travel stress.

1. Getting insurance wrong

If you’re heading overseas, travel insurance is almost as essential as a passport.

While unforeseen medical expenses are the number one reason to get insurance, it can also help if other things go wrong, such as trip cancellations, delays, lost luggage or even natural disasters.

As is often the case with insurance, the different inclusions, exclusions and conditions of each policy can make it difficult to choose the best option for you.

“If you hire a moped in Thailand but your travel insurance doesn’t cover mopeds, it could cost you tens of thousands in medical bills if you have an accident,” says ����Vlog travel insurance expert Jodi Bird.

“If you’re sick on a cruise to Japan, but it’s due to an existing medical condition that your policy doesn’t cover, the cost could run into hundreds of thousands in medical bills.”

Before purchasing a policy you’ll need to consider things like pre-existing medical conditions, whether or not you’re travelling with valuable items and the kinds of activities you’ll be taking part in while you’re away.

Most people purchase travel insurance to cover them in case medical care is needed while overseas.

This is a no-brainer for destinations where Australians have no health care entitlements, but it’s worth being aware that even if the country you’re visiting has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia you will still need insurance.

In these situations, you might only be covered for urgent care that can’t wait until you get home.��

Travel insurance might also come in handy if you become very ill and need a medical escort to accompany you home to Australia.

Also, you may still have to pay fees for treatment and medication even when a reciprocal agreement exists. For example, in New Zealand reciprocal health care doesn’t cover you for care by a general practitioner or ambulance.

Insurance for domestic travel

If you’re already covered by Medicare, you won’t need to take out travel insurance to cover medical expenses when you’re travelling within Australia.��

Still, there are a few reasons why you may want to consider travel insurance for domestic trips.����

• If you’ve spent a lot on your holiday and want coverage in case you need to cancel.��
• If you’re going to be taking valuables and you want coverage in case of theft, loss or damage.��
• If you want coverage for collision damage excess when you’re hiring a car.��

“You probably don’t need travel insurance for a quick driving holiday (with your own car) to a caravan park,” says Jodi.

“But if you’ve splashed out on a fancy hotel and business class flights, domestic travel insurance may be worth it.

“Or if you’re hiring a car, domestic travel insurance is often a cheap substitute for the insurance pushed by the rental car agency.”�� ��

Check your home insurance before you travel

Your bags are packed, travel insurance is sorted, and your itinerary has been planned in meticulous detail.��

On the home front, the fridge has been emptied, you’ve stopped your mail and arranged for your neighbours to put your bins out.��

All sorted, right? Maybe not.��

If you’re heading away for more than a few weeks you should find out if your absence will affect your home and contents insurance coverage.

If it’s just a brief trip it’s unlikely to be an issue. However, your insurer might cut your cover if you leave your home unoccupied for more than 60 days without telling them.��

Most insurers will also impose an additional excess on unoccupied homes and even if you have a house-sitter or Airbnb guests, you may still need to tell your insurer.

“Almost all home insurers require you to inform them if your home will be unoccupied, typically, for 60 or more days,” says ����Vlog home insurance expert Daniel Graham.��

“Insurers handle unoccupied homes in one of three ways. Most will impose an additional excess on events that occur while your home isn’t occupied.

“Some will make you pay an extra premium instead, or they might only cover you for a limited set of weather events, instead of the full range of insured events covered by the policy.”

2. Travelling with the wrong bag

If you’ve struggled through a holiday with an unwieldy bag that is simply too big or small, too heavy, or just doesn’t stand up to the rigours of travel, you’ll know how much difference the right bag can make to your enjoyment of a trip.

Luggage comes in a bewildering array of sizes, styles and materials. More confusing still is the range of prices you’ll find when you start comparing the options.

The carry-on suitcases in our most recent luggage test cost as little as $20 and as much as $625. Larger suitcases ranged in price from $55 up to $1200.

The good news is that, as we often find in our expert ����Vlog testing, price is not necessarily an indicator of performance. We found recommended models at lower prices, and none of the bags in our most recent test earned less than 72%.

In our ����Vlog labs, experts put dozens of pieces of luggage through some rigorous testing to separate the good from the bad.

Our luggage tests involve lifting and dropping bags onto a concrete floor 300 times, dropping a heavy, pointed cylinder onto the suitcase to see what damage occurs, seeing how they stand up to a 10-minute downpour in our custom-built shower rig and testing their stability to find out how easily they tip over.

We also assess how easy they are to use by taking them for a stroll through the ����Vlog building and around the local streets and parks, so you can be confident our recommended models will serve you well on your travels.

Choosing a bag that rated well in our review, and reading our guide to buying the right suitcase before you hit the shops can help ensure you’ve got the right bag for your holiday.

3. Not knowing your flight rights

In December 2023 ����Vlog research revealed that two out of five of the 9000 airline customers we surveyed had experienced a flight delay or cancellation in the previous year.

It’s a situation that can create huge stress and usually results in passengers being left to figure out for themselves exactly what their rights are in the face of complicated terms and conditions.

“Airlines have taken advantage of the lack of effective complaint avenues to leave customers out of pocket thousands of dollars for the flights they cancelled,” says senior policy and campaigns advisor Bea Sherwood.

“That’s why ����Vlog has advocated for a proper ombudsman for over ten years, and now we’re finally getting one.”

In August 2024 the federal government committed to the establishment of a new charter of aviation rights for Australian travellers, including the introduction of an aviation industry ombudsman to help resolve disputes between airlines and their passengers. The scheme will come into effect in 2026.

In the meantime, understanding your rights should you be affected by a flight delay or cancellation will help you make your case with your airline. These will vary depending on where you are flying and which airline you’re travelling with.

Start by taking a look at the airline’s website where you will find comprehensive information about your entitlements to compensation and refunds in the case of delays, cancellations or overbooking.

Remember that regardless of what an airline says it will or won’t do in its terms and conditions, you have rights under the Competition and Consumer Act.

If you’re unhappy, start by submitting a complaint in writing and be prepared to push. We often find that people get a better response if they are vocal about their issues on the airline’s Twitter (X), Facebook, Threads or Instagram accounts.

If you still don’t get a reasonable response, you may need to lodge a formal complaint through your state’s department of Consumer Affairs or Fair Trading.

Warning: Scammers have been impersonating Australian airlines on X (formerly known as Twitter), posing as customer service representatives in order to steal sensitive personal information.��

Learn more: The fake customer service accounts targeting travellers.

4. Failing to prepare for your road trip

Ensuring your vehicle is in good working order is the first step to road trip success. Before any long drive you should top up fluids such as oil and coolant, check your wiper blades and fill your windscreen washer reservoir and make sure your tyres are in good condition.

But that’s by no means where your preparations should end.��

Do you know your route? If you’re planning on using a mobile phone app to navigate, be aware that coverage can be spotty outside of populated areas so it’s a good idea to get familiar with your route before you leave.��

Even better, a backup navigation system, whether that’s in-car navigation, a separate GPS device or an old-school paper map (provided it’s up to date) can come in handy.��

If you’re travelling with kids on a long trip, boredom-busters are a must.��

We asked the experts (aka, ����Vlog parents) how they prepare for road-tripping with their families. Here are their top tips:

• Have a bag of toys/activities that you can hand out as needed to stave off boredom. Dispersing them gradually throughout the duration of the trip keeps things fresh.
• Have snacks on hand for distraction as much as nourishment.��
• You don’t have to rely on tech to keep kids amused – drawing supplies, games of ‘spotto’ and the classic eye spy can be great ways to pass the time.
• When the non-tech distractions start to lose their appeal, audiobooks, children’s podcasts and music that both adults and kids enjoy can also help.��

5. Getting the tech wrong

Along with sunscreen, a towel and a swimsuit, a week at the beach usually requires one or two paperbacks to enjoy while relaxing on the sand. Unfortunately, traditional books are bulky and heavy, taking up valuable luggage space.��

The modern solution, an e-reader, allows you to load up hundreds of books. Some e-readers even let you borrow books from your public library.

While most e-readers hold charge for a decent length of time, they will all require charging at some point, as will any other tech you take with you. If you’re travelling overseas, find out what kind of adapter you’ll need to use the power points at your destination.

If you’re planning to spend a lot of time out and about, a power bank may be useful.��

Our power bank tests show approximate charge time, approximate portable battery recharge time, size and weight and reveal the usual capacity of each power bank, which can be quite different from the stated capacity.

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