Consumer / Airline and Ticket Pricing / Terms and conditions

Terms and conditions

If you’ve ever wondered what exactly you’re paying for when booking a flight, you’re not alone. This is why we require all airlines to disclose their full terms and conditions of your flight in what’s known as the “contract of carriage” or “Terms and Conditions”. You should be informed of the contract of carriage or Terms and Conditions before you purchase your ticket, and it should contain the following information:

• any conditions or restrictions on your fare;
• refund or rebooking policies;
• baggage allowance policies;
• government imposed taxes and fees;
• fees and charges imposed by the Commission;
• any charges, surcharges and other fees (e.g. administration fee, refund processing fee, cancellation fee, baggage fee etc.);
• the airline’s contact details; and
• any other information necessary to apprise you of the conditions and the total price of the ticket purchased.

The contract of carriage or Terms and Conditions (or mention of where it can be found, usually on a website) should also be printed or attached to your ticket or boarding pass.

Illustration

Ali purchased a non-refundable ticket to London. Due to the high exchange rate, he has decided not to travel now. He requested ABC Airline to change the travel date or refund the full price of the ticket. Is he entitled to this?

• Each airline has its own terms and conditions which are clearly stated at the point of ticket purchase. Consumers are strongly advised to read the terms and conditions before purchasing the ticket.
• In this case, Ali has to refer to the terms and conditions attached to his ticket to find out if he is allowed to change the travel date.
• Since he purchased a non-refundable ticket, he will not be able to obtain a full refund. He may however request for a refund of the unutilised Passenger Service Charge (airport taxes) if he decides not to travel. Each airline may have their respective processing fee that will be incurred to obtain the refund.

Under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection (Amendment) Code 2019, airlines must also display five key Terms and Conditions at the point of reservation which are:

1. cancellation fees;
2. refund and rebooking policies;
3. policies for passenger who fails to:
   1. show up at the check-in counter;
   2. show up at the boarding gate within a designated period;
   3. board the aircraft at a specified boarding time;
4. baggage allowance policies; and
5. validity of the passenger’s travel documents.

For tickets purchased through travel agents, the airline’s appointed travel agent shall also communicate the five key Terms and Conditions before the purchase is complete.

For more information, please refer to the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC) – Part II, Paragraph 7: Minimum Service Level and Standards of Performance For Airlines and Aerodrome Operators – Disclosure of Terms and Conditions.

You may also refer to our short animated video below on this topic: