Abdullah Al-Jamili
Al-Madina
About two months ago I was at Madinah airport waiting for a flight to Qassim. At that time we heard an announcement that the flight would be delayed. However, the announcement did not give the expected time for the next flight.
I logged onto the website of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) to know the rights of passengers of delayed flights.
According to GACA regulations, if a flight is delayed while the passenger is in the airport, one should be given special care as well as snacks and soft drinks after an hour of delay. They are entitled to hot meals after three hours of delay.
If the delay lasts for more than six hours, passengers should be given accommodation and meals and a financial compensation of SR300 per hour but not exceeding SR3,000 in all.
If the flight was postponed and the passenger was informed about it seven days before departure, his or her ticket should be refunded fully without deduction and if informed lately, he/she will have the right either to get the ticket refunded or get confirmed booking on any other flight on the same day or within a day or two.
I read out those rights to affected passengers at the airport and I wished they would approach the airline to demand their legal rights. After an hour of delay I went to the concerned airline official and informed him about the rights of passengers because of flight delay.
The official then contacted the duty manager who responded positively after knowing that there are passengers who know about their rights. After five minutes, we received snacks and after 15 minutes the airline arranged an alternative flight to Qassim.
This incident shows that many of our passengers are unaware of their rights. Public and private service organizations often inform customers about their duties, and punishments for violations. Nobody informs them about their rights, which customers have to look for by themselves.
I would like to emphasize here the need to hold a campaign to enhance public awareness about the various rights of citizens.
