Cathay passengers bemoan refund policies as US, Israel exchange strikes with Iran

Passengers flying with Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways have criticised the flag carrier over its compensation and rebooking policies after flights to the Middle East were cancelled due to the joint United States-Israeli attack on Iran. Cathay Pacific said on Sunday that it was “waiving rebooking and re-routing charges for the affected customers” to give them “greater flexibility”, but did not clarify whether the measures included financial compensation for conflict-related cancellations or delays. A reporter from the South China Morning Post spoke with stranded travellers at Hong Kong International Airport as they dealt with disrupted journeys. Many of the affected flights were to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Among them was a 36-year-old man who gave his name as Yan. The traveller from Wuhan was left bargaining with staff at Cathay’s service counters. Yan, who has worked in Riyadh for five years, said he had been stranded since Saturday after his flight to the Saudi capital was cancelled. He said his repeated calls to the airline’s customer service hotline had gone unanswered. After speaking to Cathay staff at the airport, he was told that the next available flight to Riyadh had been provisionally scheduled for seven days later. Yan said he would pay for a flight back to Wuhan and return to Hong Kong later for the flight on the following Saturday. But he criticised Cathay’s handling of the situation. “I have no choice but to bear these costs myself. You cannot fight too much with these companies, it only wastes your time,” he said. “If there is a next time, I will not fly Cathay Pacific.” Cathay was among the airlines that suspended all passenger and cargo flights to and from the Middle East on Saturday, following airspace closures in the wake of the regional conflict. At the airport, a Cathay employee told the SCMP that passengers could change to any short or medium-haul route whose duration was roughly equal to or shorter than their original flights to Riyadh or Dubai. Passengers could also request refunds but would need to call the customer service hotline to process them, the employee said. Fellow passenger Zhuang, a construction worker from Hubei who had also been travelling to Riyadh, said he would fly to Changsha on Sunday evening and take a train home to Wuhan while he waited for the situation to stabilise. Zhuang said Cathay had offered him a refund for the cancelled flight, which had cost him more than 1,700 yuan (US$248), but noted the amount would not cover his journey to Changsha. Unable to fly with Cathay to Wuhan before Monday, he said he had chosen an alternative route and was “too exhausted” to stay in Hong Kong for one more night at his own expense. “The arrangement did not reach our expectations, but we have no choice but to accept,” Zhuang said. He added that it would have been better if Cathay had offered discounts or some compensation in response to the delay. “They are a huge company. They should bear a portion of the responsibility,” Zhuang said. Ramon Sulid was among several dozen travellers from the Philippines who had been heading to Riyadh via Hong Kong for work. The 52-year-old, who has worked in construction in the Saudi capital for nearly 11 years, said he was given food and accommodation at a nearby hotel overnight after his flight was cancelled. He added that airline staff had told him to come back to Cathay’s counters on Sunday morning to check the status of the flight, which had been tentatively rescheduled for Tuesday. Sulid said he would have preferred the airline to arrange free accommodation for the entire period he had to wait, but was fine to fly back home if necessary. “If we had to go back to the Philippines, no problem, as it’s our country. But the worry is still there, as I cannot start work in Riyadh,” Sulid said. Many airlines around the globe are exempt from monetary compensation for flight cancellations or delays caused by armed conflict and security threats, which are classed as “extraordinary circumstances” or force majeure events. But airlines in some regions are still required to provide care, such as meals and accommodation, and offer rebooking or refunds. Jae Woon Lee, an associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s law faculty, said an airline’s legal obligations heavily depended on the jurisdiction and the origin of the flight when dealing with war-related force majeure situations. “Hong Kong law doesn’t have anything with regard to passengers who are affected by war, such as what’s happening right now,” the aviation law and policy specialist said. “Actually, many states do not have specific laws dealing with war-related force majeure situations. The exception is European law.” EU Regulation 261/2004 mandates that airlines provide care, including meals and accommodation, plus rebooking or refunds for flights departing Europe or arriving via European and UK carriers during delays or cancellations. “All flights departing from Europe will be covered. [Regarding] flights from Hong Kong, they will also be covered if they are [operated by] European carriers,” Lee said. The SCMP has contacted Cathay for comment on its compensation policy and for a response to passengers’ complaints.

Cathay passengers bemoan refund policies as US, Israel exchange strikes with Iran

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Passengers stranded at Hong Kong airport after flights to Riyadh, Dubai and other destinations in Middle East cancelled

Passengers stranded at Hong Kong airport after flights to Riyadh, Dubai and other destinations in Middle East cancelled