We're smack in the middle of one of the busiest travel seasons of the year — which means Gábor Lukács is just as busy.
As president of the advocacy group Air Passenger Rights, Lukács spends a lot of time helping travellers navigate disputes with airlines.
His biggest piece of advice? If your flight is delayed or cancelled, know your rights.
"The most important right to bear in mind is your right to complete your travel as quickly as possible," Lukács said during a recent appearance on our Inside the Village podcast. "Airlines do have an obligation to re-book you, and that obligation includes — in some cases depending on the circumstances — re-booking on competitor airlines. They may tell you: 'We don't do it. It's not our policy to do it.' But in some situations, if you look at the wording of the air passenger protection regulations, it's quite clear you do have the right to be booked on a competitor airline."
"And if they don't do it themselves, you can buy yourself a ticket and then make the original airline pay for it," he continued. "It's not an easy task, but you do have that right. If you have urgent travel, I would not just sit around and let the airline shortchange you."
You can watch the full interview HERE.
Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.
Every episode can be found HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.
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