Consumer Protection and Passenger Rights
Sources of passenger rights
Domestic carriage is governed by the NCAA consumer protection regulations and the contract of carriage. International carriage is also governed by the Montreal Convention and the airline's conditions of carriage. The exam tests whether you can identify the applicable regime, the passenger's entitlement and the complaint route.
Core entitlements
- Denied boarding: the airline should first seek volunteers, then provide care and compensation according to the regulation.
- Delay: passengers must be informed and, depending on duration, receive refreshments, rebooking or refund.
- Cancellation: refund or rebooking, with compensation unless extraordinary circumstances apply.
- Baggage: report damage or loss promptly; liability limits apply.
- Complaints: raise with the airline first, then escalate to the NCAA consumer protection function.
Worked example
A domestic flight is cancelled three hours before departure with no extraordinary circumstance. Reasoning: the passenger may choose a refund or rebooking and may claim care and compensation under the applicable regulation. The airline must inform passengers clearly. A voucher is not automatically a refund; accepting it is the passenger's choice. The answer depends on the notice given, the cause and the current regulation, not on the airline's internal policy alone.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating an airline's policy as the legal standard.
- Assuming force majeure removes all duty of care.
- Missing complaint deadlines.
- Confusing Montreal Convention SDR limits with domestic naira limits.
- Assuming a voucher discharges a cash refund entitlement.