Kuleli hlobo kubone abahambi beshiywe dengwane ezikhumulweni zezindiza emhlabeni wonke ngenxa yokuphazamiseka kwendiza. Kunhlolovo eyenziwe yi-AirHelp, u-75% wabahambi base-US baqinisekise ukuthi bazizwa bengenalwazi yizinkampani zezindiza mayelana namalungelo abo.
Iqinisa imizamo yayo yokusiza abagibeli bezindiza emhlabeni wonke, i-AirHelp namuhla yethula Inyanga Yokuqwashisa Abagibeli. Ngalolu hlelo, i-AirHelp idala inkundla yokuba abahambi bomhlaba wonke baxhumane nochwepheshe bomhlaba abakhethwe ngesandla kanye nabameleli babathengi ukuze banikeze abahambi imininingwane eyengeziwe ngamalungelo abo.
Uma kukhona okuvezwe yileli hlobo lesiphithiphithi kwezohambo, ukuthi abagibeli bayohlale bekuthola kuwusizo ukufunda ngamalungelo abo ukuze bakwazi ukuzivikela ohambweni oluzayo. I-AirHelp ivula iziteshi zayo zenkundla yezokuxhumana ukuze ihambe ongoti kanye nabameleli bamalungelo abagibeli abavela kuwo wonke amagumbi omhlaba ukuze basakaze ulwazi lwabo nolwazi lwabo ukuze kuhlonyiswe abahambi emhlabeni wonke ukuthi basebenzise amalungelo abo. Abahambi bazothola ithuba lokuxhumana nalaba chwepheshe nge-AirHelp ukuze bafunde ukuthi yiziphi izinyathelo okufanele bazithathe lapho izinhlelo zabo zokuhamba zingahambi kahle, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kungenxa yokuthi indiza yabo ibambezelekile noma ikhanseliwe, noma uma benqatshelwe ukugibela.
Unyaka nonyaka, cishe abagibeli abayizigidi eziyi-13 bashiya ngaphezulu kwamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha ezandleni zezinkampani zezindiza emhlabeni jikelele. Kwe US, ngaphansi kuka-25% wabahambi abebesendizeni ephazamisekile bafake isimangalo, futhi abahambi abavela kwamanye amazwe nabo bashiya isinxephezelo singafunwanga. Njengoba kugqanyiswe inhlolovo ye-AirHelp, lokhu kukhombisa ngokusobala ukuthi ukuqaliswa komthethonqubo we-EC 261, ohlanganisa abahambi base-US ezimeni ezithile, akusabalele ngokwanele.
“Kuyacaca ukuthi abagibeli bezindiza basazizwa bengenamandla okumelana nezinkampani zezindiza futhi abaningi baphuthelwa isinxephezelo abasikweleta ngokungasifaki isicelo. Futhi uma izinkampani zezindiza zingayidlali indima yazo yokwazisa nokufundisa abagibeli bazo, sizo,” kusho uHenrik Zillmer, oyi-CEO ye-AirHelp. Uqhuba uthi: “Ngokwethulwa kweNyanga Yokuqwashisa Abagibeli Sithemba ukuthi sizoqhubekisela phambili imvilophu emizamweni yethu yokwazisa abahambi emhlabeni wonke ngamalungelo abo. Kunevelu enkulu emthethweni we-EU EC 261 ovikela amalungelo abahambi. E-US, kusukela ngoJanuwari kuya kuJuni 2018, abagibeli abangu-415,800 bakweletwa u-$292 million wesinxephezelo esivela ezindizeni zezindiza, okucishe kube ngu-60% ngaphezu kwesikhathi esifanayo ngo-2017. Lo mkhankaso uyingxenye yomsebenzi wethu wokuzikhandla wokusiza abahambi ukuthi bathole isinxephezelo. ingeyabo ngokufanelekile futhi iyabasekela ngaso sonke isikhathi.”
UChristopher Elliott, ummeli wabathengi kanye nentatheli yezokuvakasha, uyanezela, “Nakuba bonke abahamba ngezindiza - kuhlanganise nabagibeli base-US - bavikelwe yimithetho yamazwe ngamazwe njenge-EC 261 kanye ne-Montreal Convention, iqiniso elibuhlungu lihlala liwukuthi kuningi okungenziwa ukuze babasize. I-US ingemuva kakhulu kwamanye amazwe mayelana nokuvikela abahambi. Imithetho yamanje ayanele futhi ekuphathweni kwamanje, imithetho embalwa etholakala ezincwadini ayisetshenziswa ngokwanele.”
U-Charles Leocha, uMongameli kanye Nomsunguli Wokubambisana we-Travellers United, uphinde wengeza ngokuthi “I-AirHelp iyisipho kubathengi abakuthola kunzima ukuzulazula indawo yesinxephezelo. EYurophu inikeza inkundla eyodwa esiza abathengi abalimele. Futhi, e-USA yenza ngisho nangaphezulu. I-AirHelp ifundisa abahambi ngamalungelo angatholakali e-USA kodwa abahambi base-US abangawajabulela lapho bevakashela noma bedlula eYurophu. I-Travelers United ibisebenzisana ne-DOT e-US ukwenza amalungelo abagibeli acace kakhudlwana, nokho, isinxephezelo esiyisibopho sezindiza ezibambezelekile kuwumqondo wangaphandle kubahambi baseMelika. Ukubona la malungelo abagibeli esebenza e-Europe kuzokwenza abahambi baseMelika bazi ukuthi lolu hlelo lusasebenza ngokuvikela okuqinile kwabathengi futhi luzovumela abagibeli baseMelika ukuthi bazulazule kalula enqubweni ye-EU ukuze bathole isinxephezelo.”
Ukuphazamiseka kwendiza: Lawa ngamalungelo abagibeli
Ezindizeni ezibambezelekile noma ezikhanseliwe, futhi ezimweni zokugibela okunqatshiwe, abagibeli bangaba nelungelo lokuthola isinxephezelo sezezimali esifinyelela ku- $ 700 umuntu ngamunye ezimweni ezithile. Imibandela yalokhu ichaza ukuthi isikhumulo sezindiza sokuhamba kumele sibe ngaphakathi kwe-EU, noma othwala izindiza kumele azinze e-EU bese efika e-EU. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isizathu sokubambezeleka kwendiza kumele sidalwe yinkampani yezindiza. Isinxephezelo singafunwa kungakapheli iminyaka emithathu yendiza ephazamisekile.
Izimo ezithathwa 'njengezimo ezingavamile' njengeziphepho noma izimo eziphuthumayo zezokwelapha zikhulula inkampani yendiza esebenzayo esibophweni sokunxephezela abagibeli. Ngamanye amazwi, 'izimo ezingajwayelekile' azifaneleki ukuthola isinxephezelo sendiza.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Imibandela yalokhu ibeka ukuthi isikhumulo sezindiza sokusuka kufanele sibe ngaphakathi kwe-EU, noma inkampani yezindiza kufanele izinze e-EU futhi ihlale e-EU.
- Travelers will have the opportunity to connect with these experts through AirHelp to learn which steps to take when their travel plans go wrong, whether it is due to their flight being delayed or canceled, or if they are denied boarding.
- Seeing these passenger rights in action in Europe will let American travelers know that the system can still operate with strong consumer protections and will allow US passengers to easily navigate the EU process for compensation.
