Airlines have been accused of “blatantly flouting” passengers’ rights during the recent wave of flight cancellations.
Sue Davies, head of consumer rights at Which?, told MPs customers are finding it “incredibly difficult” to get replacement flights or compensation even when clearly entitled.
It came as she painted a damning picture of the industry, even allegedly breaking the law in their terms and conditions.
Ms Davies also slammed regulator the Civil Aviation Industry for its track record on policing them,
Confusion among passengers has resulted in fewer than four in 10 making a claim.
Even those who do can be made to jump through hoops, with some people forced to wait months or even years to get compensation.
The rules say passengers can claim back money if their flight delay means they arrive three hours or more late at their destination.
Those whose flights are cancelled can ask for a refund or to put on an alternative flight.
Giving evidence to the Commons’ Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, Ms Davies said: “We’re still seeing airlines appearing to book flights, when they don’t know for sure that those flights are actually going to be able to go.”
Despite the current spate of cancellations, she warned: “This is systemic of some of the issues we have seen for a long time.
“There is blatant flouting of consumer rights and a failure to put passengers’ interests first.”
Research due to be published by the consumer group is expected to show airlines trying to wriggle out of their responsibilities over cancellations and delays.
Ms Davies said: “It is quite incredible that many airlines in their terms and conditions are breaking the law with apparently no consequence.”
Asked about the CAA, she said: “We think it is not standing up enough for consumers’ interests and not being proactive enough.”.
When passengers have a claim rejected, they can take it to a resolution service.
But Ms Davies says the fact that not all airlines are signed-up, and can choose which one they join, makes it even more difficult.
She also attacked recent proposals from the Department for Transport that could “massively reduce” compensation for delayed flights.
She told MPs it had heard from customers of British Airways and easyJet when their flights are cancelled.
It came as BA refused to acknowledge that slashing 10,000 jobs in the early parts of the Covid pandemic was now leading to it cancelling more than 100 fights a day.
BA was condemned at the time for what unions called a “ fire and rehire” tactic for the cull.
Labour MP Darren Jones, chair of the committee, repeatedly quizzed BA’s corporate affairs director Lisa Tremble on the issue.
“Do you think there was a connection between sacking 10,000 members of your staff using aggressive fire-and-rehire tactics, and now cancelling the most flights per day?,” he asked.
Ms Tremble insisted: “I think the company behaved in the most responsible way possible with the information it had and the financial situation at the time.”
MPs also heard from easyJet, which cut 2,000 jobs - 1,400 in the UK - and is also among the worst airlines now impacted by cancellations.
Sophie Deckers, easyJet’s chief operating officer, blamed a four week delay in getting crew ID passes.
“We have today 142 crew ready, trained to go on board who don’t have ID passes,” she told the hearing.
On the allegation that airlines are making it hard for customers to claim compensation, Ms Tremble said: “We have improved the communication over the last six to nine months to make sure customers know what they are entitled to.”
Ms Deckers insisted it was processing refunds within four days, compensation within seven days and expenses in nine days.
Aviation Minister Robert Courts insisted that Brexit was “unlikely” to be to blame for staff shortages at airlines and airlines.
“It seems to be a global problem,” he said.
Richard Moriarty, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority, said between 2% and 4% of UK flights were cancelled over the half-term break.
He stressed that cancellation rates were around the same, and in some cases higher, elsewhere in Europe.
On criticism of the CAA, Mr Moriarty said: “With the powers we have got we are among the most assertive regulators in Europe for upholding consumers’ rights and have a track record of taking airlines to court.”
However, he welcomed proposals to give the regulator more powers.
