Labor’s bid to bolster Australian airline passenger rights may prove weaker than existing law, Choice warns

Airline passengers may be no better off under the government’s proposed changes to aviation consumer rights, Choice says. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Labor’s proposal to bolster airline customers’ rights to empower them when confronted with poor service and disruptions offers weaker protections than those Australians are entitled to under consumer law, Choice has warned.

The consumer advocacy group also criticised the use of timeframe “targets” instead of “deadlines” as being more likely to let airlines off the hook more easily.