A Canadian air travel expert says communication between airlines and passengers needs to be a top priority.
Omar Kaywan, Co-Founder at Goose Insurance, is reacting to legislation put forward by the Liberal government aimed at tightening passenger rights rules after a year of travel chaos.
The legislation tabled in the House of Commons looks to increase penalties on airlines, increase support in the complaint process, and target luggage and flight disruption loopholes that have allowed airlines to avoid compensating their customers.
The legislation also includes a proposed $250,000 maximum fine for airline violations.
It will go to a first reading Thursday with further demands that airlines implement a process to deal with claims and respond to complaints with a decision within 30 days.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides, Kaywan says communication has been lacking, causing further frustration to passengers.
"They weren't hearing from the airlines, they couldn't get a hold of anybody, even at airports or through the phone numbers or email addresses. So I think building some service level agreements, which is what this amendment is proposing, and really indicating for airlines to be proactive and communicating with passengers is a really good thing."
He says it's inevitable to say there will be no airline delays, but that there needs to be more rules in place.
"How much of it, and how much of the airlines can be dealt with, that is caused by the shortage of staff and resources is number one. The other piece of it is, when it does happen, how are the airlines and carriers are going to proactively go and talk to passengers and making sure that they have the information they need, and the recourse they need, whether it's compensation, whether it's re-booking, whether it's credit vouchers."
Kaywan says both the government and all of the airlines need to work together on this legislation.
"The government can introduce these things, but really the airlines need to follow through and abide by them and agree to them, and if they have any feedback that needs to be heard. So, I think it's definitely a positive step in the right direction."
Transport Minister, Omar Alghabra, first pledged in January to strengthen the four-year-old passenger rights charter with legislation.
He also pledged an additional $75.9-million over three years to reduce a backlog of nearly 45,000 complaints, more than triple the amount from a year ago.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides and CTV News