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

The Guardian

3 hours ago

Sharon Latour and her husband are scheduled to fly through Abu Dhabi on an Etihad flight on Wednesday, just nine days after Iran launched a missile strike on a US base in nearby Qatar.
As of Friday, the Australian couple's flight was still scheduled for takeoff despite the volatility in the region. Latour is upset that Etihad are insisting on charging her $3,500 to change their tickets if they want to postpone their trip until early next year.
'I kept repeating over the phone: 'We're genuinely scared, we're not making this up.' [But] not a care in the world,' Latour said. 'They're just like, 'well, pay the [fee]'.'
Australian travellers had already been advised to avoid the region as Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes , before a US strike prompted the Iranian retaliation.
Countries closed their airspaces and airlines diverted flights, leaving passengers stranded. Iran has threatened to strike US military bases if it is subjected to further American attacks.
But Australians hoping to avoid flying through the Middle East in coming weeks have found they have limited consumer rights to move or cancel their own flights.
With many passengers facing delays, scheduling changes and cancellations, consumer advocates have called for stronger protections to ensure compensation and transparency for passengers.
Latour left Australia for a work trip to Malaysia, and her husband joined her in early June. They planned to holiday in Europe, so while in Kuala Lumpur they booked Etihad flights to Rome with a transit in Abu Dhabi.
They booked business class seats on Etihad using a combination of rewards points and a bank card.
Latour said she and her husband were looking forward to their trip until the airspace closures caused by Iran's threats to strike US bases. They were worried about Al Dhafra airbase, which hosts US military assets and is situated just 25km from Abu Dhabi.
At this point Latour said she contacted Etihad to request help moving their flight, 'because we're really scared, we don't want to be stuck there'.
'You just had bombardment, missiles flying literally next door,' she said. 'You have an American base really close to the airport. We don't want to go there.'
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Latour said an Etihad call centre representative told her she should have been aware of the company's rules requiring the payment of rescheduling fees. They refused Latour's request for a free or low-fee deferral to fly instead on March 2026.
Australians travelling through Middle Eastern airports in June have reported chaotic waits.
Guardian readers have reported being among thousands stranded in Doha airport. One couple reported being stuck at Doha airport for 40 hours.
They said the airport had few staff assisting passengers.
Another passenger told Guardian Australia that Doha airport security staff threatened to seize the mobile phones of some customers who had attempted to film the queues and crowds. Passengers joined airport staff behind information desks as customers waited for flight information, they claimed.
But Australian consumers are unlikely to have any legal rights to defer their flights unless their airline's fine print allows, experts say.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have said airlines must meet the guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law. But the guarantees may not apply in every case.
The consumer guarantees probably won't apply if an airline delays or cancels a flight due to the actions of a third party, such as a government implementing restrictions on the flight, the ACCC said.
And if a customer initiates a cancellation, the guarantees are again unlikely to apply, meaning any remedy consumers are entitled to will depend on the specific terms and conditions of their fare.
In Latour's case, she and her husband are likely at the 'behest' of Etihad, especially because they booked their tickets in Malaysia and not Australia, according to Jodi Bird, a travel expert at the consumer advocacy organisation Choice.
Bird said if they had booked the tickets at home they could have at least mounted an argument that they should be protected under consumer law.
But even that outcome is doubtful, Bird said. 'Our experience is that it doesn't do a lot to protect you beyond [the terms and conditions] of the airline.'
Bird said even people whose flights were cancelled or rescheduled by the airlines will likely be reliant on the carriers for compensation. And they could struggle to get refunds rather than flight credits, he said.
The predicament raises broader questions around consumer protections in the aviation industry, Bird said.
Choice has called for the federal government to implement a compensation system for passengers affected by cancelled and delayed flights, which Bird said would be similar to a scheme in the European Union.
'The main advantage is it just becomes more transparent,' he said. 'You've got that kind of central place that people can go to to understand the rules, rather than having to understand the fine print of every single different airline.'
The Albanese government has committed to having an aviation industry ombudsman operating in 2026.
Guardian Australia understands Etihad flights are now operating to schedule without reported issues. Etihad was contacted for comment.
Etihad's terms and conditions indicate that customers are entitled to re-book or get a refund if the airline cancels their flight, or if they booked a fare which offered free re-booking.
Some major airlines have granted limited flexibility to customers who no longer wish to travel on flights scheduled in June to, from or via Qatar or Doha.
Qantas says it has offered fee-free refunds, credits or date changes to passengers on Emirates-operated flights through Dubai scheduled up to 27 June, with additional flexibility for those travelling on to Iraq, Lebanon or Israel.
Virgin and Qatar Airways say they have extended the same courtesy to those with flights through Doha up to 30 June.
But people with flights scheduled from 1 July, just a week after the US strike on Qatar on 23 June, are not included. Qatar Airways said disruptions resulting from the temporary closure of Qatari airspace had been resolved by 26 June.
Latour and her husband aren't so optimistic. They've cancelled their European hotel bookings and will not get on the plane on Wednesday.