Ansett and Singapore Points
Aug 9, 1999, 5:18 pm
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Ansett and Singapore Points
From today's Australian (also posted at Anset folder)
A points victory for airline passengers
By aviation writer STEVE CREEDY
10aug99
SINGAPORE Airlines is to credit customers with frequent-flyer points
after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found it
misled economy-class passengers about membership of Ansett's Global
Rewards scheme.
The airline said it would credit economy passengers who could prove
they travelled with it between January 1 and September 27 last year if
they supplied a letter saying Global Rewards membership was a factor in
their choice of airline. Numbers of people involved are not known.
Representations were made by Singapore in late 1997 to a variety of
Australian consumers and travel agents that economy class passengers
would, or would be likely to, obtain Global Rewards points from January
1, 1998.
Start-up problems meant economy passengers travelling on the airline
before September 28 could not earn frequent-flyer points.
The ACCC said it believed Singapore had engaged in misleading or
deceptive conduct in breach of section 52 of the Trade Practices Act.
"The availability or otherwise of frequent-flyer points, particularly for
international flights, is an important consideration for many consumers
when choosing between competitive air travel services," ACCC chairman
Allan Fels said.
"Consumers who travelled in that period and relied upon Singapore
Airline's representations will now receive frequent-flyer points."
Professor Fels noted Singapore's co-operation in resolving the problem
and said the airline would publish corrective advertising in the next
three issues of the Travelling Life Rewards magazine distributed to all
Global Rewards members.
Singapore Airlines yesterday apologised "unreservedly" to affected
customers, saying it viewed the lapse seriously.
The airline's Australian passenger marketing manager Ian Lorigan said it
had felt the information had been on a still-to-be-confirmed basis, but
agreed it was not perceived that way by passengers.
A points victory for airline passengers
By aviation writer STEVE CREEDY
10aug99
SINGAPORE Airlines is to credit customers with frequent-flyer points
after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found it
misled economy-class passengers about membership of Ansett's Global
Rewards scheme.
The airline said it would credit economy passengers who could prove
they travelled with it between January 1 and September 27 last year if
they supplied a letter saying Global Rewards membership was a factor in
their choice of airline. Numbers of people involved are not known.
Representations were made by Singapore in late 1997 to a variety of
Australian consumers and travel agents that economy class passengers
would, or would be likely to, obtain Global Rewards points from January
1, 1998.
Start-up problems meant economy passengers travelling on the airline
before September 28 could not earn frequent-flyer points.
The ACCC said it believed Singapore had engaged in misleading or
deceptive conduct in breach of section 52 of the Trade Practices Act.
"The availability or otherwise of frequent-flyer points, particularly for
international flights, is an important consideration for many consumers
when choosing between competitive air travel services," ACCC chairman
Allan Fels said.
"Consumers who travelled in that period and relied upon Singapore
Airline's representations will now receive frequent-flyer points."
Professor Fels noted Singapore's co-operation in resolving the problem
and said the airline would publish corrective advertising in the next
three issues of the Travelling Life Rewards magazine distributed to all
Global Rewards members.
Singapore Airlines yesterday apologised "unreservedly" to affected
customers, saying it viewed the lapse seriously.
The airline's Australian passenger marketing manager Ian Lorigan said it
had felt the information had been on a still-to-be-confirmed basis, but
agreed it was not perceived that way by passengers.
