The Passenger Rights Ombudsman by the President of the Civil Aviation Authority has been entered into the register of entities entitled to resolve consumer disputes out of court. The Ombudsman will help consumers if an airline does not want to accept their complaint about a delayed or cancelled flight or refuses to take them on board. The proceedings are free of charge for both consumers and enterprises.
On 10 January 2017, the Act on Out-of-Court Consumer Dispute Resolutions entered into force. If consumers are dissatisfied with how their complaint was handled, their dispute can now be resolved alternatively (Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR). Alternative dispute resolution is faster than court proceedings as it lasts a maximum of 90 days and is usually free of charge. Currently, consumers can resolve their dispute with the help of one of 10 authorized entities, both public and non-public.
The Ombudsman by the President of the Civil Aviation Authority has become one of the entities conducting ADR proceedings. The Ombudsman will help reach an agreement between passengers and air carriers, tour operator or ticket vendor. Proceedings before the Ombudsman may be conducted in Polish or English, on-line or traditionally, and do not require the presence of parties or their representatives. The procedure is free of charge for both passengers and airlines. It is also voluntary, which means that it can be conducted only with the consent of both parties to the dispute.
