‘We don’t want to go’: Australian couple told to pay $3,500 to postpone flights amid Middle East volatility | Business

Sharon Latour and her husband are scheduled to fly from Abu Dhabi on Wednesday only nine days after Iran launched a missile strike at a US base in Qatar.

On Friday, the flight of the Australian couple, despite the volatility in the region is still planned to take off. If Latour wants to postpone Etihad’s travels until the beginning of next year, he insists on getting a $ 3,500 fee to change their tickets.

“I continued to repeat by phone: ‘We are really scared, we do not compensate for it.’ [But] Not a care in the world, Lat Latour said. [fee]’. “

A US strike was recommended to Australian travelers to avoid the region as they exchanged Israel and Iranian missile strikes before led to retaliation of Iran.

Countries closed the airports and directed the airplanes flights and trapped passengers. Iran threatened to hit us military bases if they were exposed to more American attacks.

However, the Australians, who hoped to avoid flying in the Middle East in the coming weeks, found that they had limited consumer rights to carry or cancel their flights.

When many passengers face delay, timing changes and cancellations, consumer defenders called for more powerful guards to provide compensation and transparency for passengers.

Latour left Australia for a work trip to Malaysia and her husband joined her at the beginning of June. They planned to take a holiday in Europe, so they reserved Etihad flights in Kuala Lumpur with a transit in Abu Dhabi.

They reserved the Business Class seats in Etihad using reward scores and a debit card combination.

Latour, he and her husband, Iran’s threats to hit the bases until the closing of the airspace until the closing of their travels, he said. They were concerned about Al Dhafra Airbase, which was home to US military assets and just 25 km from Abu Dhabi.

At this point, Latour said that he was in contact with Etihad to move his flights, “Because we’re really scared, we don’t want to get stuck there”.

“You just got bombardment, there are literally flying missiles,” he said. “You really have an American base close to the airport. We don’t want to go there.”

Latour said that an Etihad Call Center representative should be aware of the rules that require the payment of the company’s re -planning fees. He rejected Latour’s request for free or low fees in March 2026.

In June, the Australians traveled at the Middle East airports reported chaotic waiting.

Guardian readers reported that there were thousands of trapped at Doha Airport. A couple reported that he was stuck at Doha airport for 40 hours.

They said the airport had very few staff who helped passengers.

Another passenger Guardian said that some customers who try to film the queues and crowds of Doha Airport security personnel to Australia said that they threaten to seize their mobile phones. Passengers, customers waiting for flight information behind the information tables joined the airport staff.

However, experts are unlikely to have legal rights to postpone their flights unless the subtle pressure of the airline does not allow the Australian consumers.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACC) said that airlines should meet the guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law. However, guarantees may not be valid in any case.

The ACC said that if an airline delays or canceled a flight, such as actions of a third party that imposes restrictions on flight, consumer guarantees will probably not be implemented.

And if a customer starts a cancellation, it is unlikely to re -implement guarantees, ie it will depend on certain provisions and conditions of consumers’ wages.

According to Jodi Bird, a travel expert in the Election of the Consumer Defender Organization, in the case of Latour, he and his husband are probably at Etihad’s “Etihad’s command”, not in Malaysia, not in Australia, not in Australia, not in Malaysia.

Bird said if they reserved the tickets at home, at least they could give an argument that they should be protected in accordance with the consumer law.

But even this result is suspicious, Bird said Bird. “Our experiences do not do much to protect you beyond you [the terms and conditions] Airline. “

Bird said that even people whose flights were canceled or re -planned by the airlines would be dependent on carriers for compensation. And they can fight to get refund instead of flight loans.

Bird said that the estimation brings wider questions about consumer protection in the aviation industry.

The election called on a compensation system for the canceled and delayed flights, which the federal government said that the bird said it would be similar to a plan in the European Union.

“The main advantage is that it becomes more transparent,” he said. “You have such a central place where people can go to understand the rules instead of understanding the subtle pressure of every different airline.”

The Albanian government has committed to having an aviation industry ombudsman operating in 2026.

The airline said on Friday night, “Etihad flights are working normally and working to plan.” “The airline works only through the approved airspace and we will never fly unless it is safe.”

ETİHAD’s conditions and conditions indicate that they have the right to re -book if they cancel customers’ airline flights or if they book a fee that offers a free reservation again.

Some large airlines have gained limited flexibility to customers who do not want to travel on flights to Qatar or Doha or Doha in June.

Qantas said that he offered free repayment, credit or date changes to passengers on flights operated by Emirates through Dubai, which was planned until June 27th, and offers additional flexibility for those traveling to Iraq, Lebanon or Israel.

Virgin and Qatar Airways say that they have expanded the same courtesy to those who have flights to Doha until June 30th.

However, on June 23, Iran’s strike in Qatar just a week after July 1, people with scheduled flights are not included. Qatar Airways said the interruptions caused by the temporary closure of the Qatar airspace were solved until June 26th.

Latour and her husband are not so optimistic. They canceled the European hotel reservations and they will not ride the plane on Wednesday.