9.1.1

Whilst the Airline will make all reasonable endeavours to provide the service as indicated on the Electronic Ticket (E-ticket) Itinerary, flight times and flight schedules are subject to change without prior notice. 

In the event of non-performance, partial performance or a delay to a Passenger’s itinerary resulting wholly or partly from such change necessitated by an occurrence or circumstance beyond the Airline’s reasonable control including (without limitation) the acts or omissions of third parties including governmental authorities, all civil aviation authorities, airport, air traffic control and other public authorities. Whilst the Airline shall make reasonable endeavours to mitigate the impact of such events on the passenger, by offering an alternative itinerary, it shall have no additional liability to the passenger.

9.1.2

Should the Airline make an Involuntary Change to the Passengers itinerary, subsequent to the issue of the E-ticket, the Airline may offer an alternative itinerary. 

In the event that the alternative itinerary is not accepted by the Passenger the Airline may offer to extend the ticket validity to two years (from the original date of issue), allow the Passenger one free date change which must fall within the ticket validity and the same ticketed class of travel, at no additional cost.  If the flight subsequently chosen by the Passenger does not have seats available at the original fare stated on the E-ticket Itinerary, the Passenger will be liable for any difference in fare and taxes but the rebooking fee will be waivered.

Should the Passenger no longer wish to travel due to the changes to the itinerary the Passenger may request a refund as per the fare rules and the terms of Clause 11.2 (Involuntary Refunds). The Airline will have no liability to the Passenger for any loss or expense whatsoever as a result of the changes to the Passengers itinerary. 

9.1.3

In the process of accepting and confirming the Passenger’s booking, the Airline or our Authorised Agent will reconfirm with the Passenger their flight itinerary and number of seats to be booked which will be displayed on the E-ticket Itinerary Receipt. 

Should the Airline subsequently be required to make changes to the Passengers itinerary, after the E-ticket has been issued, it is the Passenger’s obligation to the Airline or its Authorised Agent to have provided complete and accurate contact information so as to enable the Airline or the Authorised Agent to notify the Passenger of any such change. Should such contact information not have been provided, be incomplete or erroneous the Airline shall have no liability to the passenger for not advising of the change.

9.1.4

Airlink accepts no further liability to the Passenger or Travel Agent for passenger expenses, any supplemental costs or loss whatsoever.

9.2.1

The provisions below applies at any time that any jurisdiction in which the Airline operates is in a state of disaster, a state of emergency or any similar state declared by a person of competent authority.    

9.2.2

The Passenger acknowledges that as a result of measures put in place, and varied, from time to time by persons of competent authority representing the government of the applicable jurisdiction, the Airline may experience disruption to its normal, scheduled, or planned operations and such disruptions may include, but are not limited to:

9.2.2.1

limitations on the air routes on which the airline may operate, necessitating the cancellation of flights;
9.2.2.2

closures of national or provincial borders, necessitating the cancellation of flights;
9.2.2.3

closures of airports, temporarily or permanently, to either or both of international or domestic flights;

9.2.2.4

limitations placed on the capacities of airports to accommodate passengers which may necessitate the cancellation or rescheduling of flights;

9.2.2.5

changes to the operating hours of airports, which may necessitate the cancellation or rescheduling of flights;

9.2.2.6

changes to the hours of curfew within a province, or nationally, which may necessitate the cancellation or rescheduling of flights;

9.2.2.7

restrictions on the numbers of passengers that may be accommodated on the Airline’s aircraft;

9.2.2.8

restrictions on the provision of refreshments and other amenities on the Airline’s aircraft; 

9.2.2.9

health screening and certification requirements placed on Airline’s staff and passengers which may render some staff or passenger’s ineligible to board an aircraft; and

9.2.2.10

conduct requirements placed on passengers applicable while in an airport and while in an aircraft.


9.2.3

The Airline will employ reasonable measures to alert the Passenger, as soon as reasonably possible, to any changes which the Airline is required to make to any of its scheduled flights as a result of such measures, and which will have a material impact on the Passenger, such as the cancellation of a flight or the rescheduling of a flight.

9.2.4

The Airline will not be liable to any Passenger for any alleged loss or damage, howsoever arising, incurred as a result of the Airline’s compliance with the measures put in place by the competent authority representing the government of the applicable jurisdiction and/or as a result of the Airline being obliged, or electing to, make changes to its scheduled operations and/or as a result of the Passenger not receiving notice of any operational changes affecting the Passenger.

9.3.1

It may happen that delays in departure times and the duration of a flight occur because of circumstances beyond the Airline’s control (for example air traffic control delays or strikes). The Airline will take all reasonable measures required to avoid a delay in providing carriage to the Passenger and the Baggage. These measures may include using an alternative aircraft or arranging for a flight to be operated for the Airline by an alternative Airline.

9.3.2

The Passenger will be entitled to choose one of the following three (3) available Remedies in the event of a Cancellation or a Schedule Change as a result of Technical or Operational reasons and the Airline -

1. fails to stop at the Passenger destination, or; 
2. cause the Passenger to miss a connecting flight with the Airline or with another Airline for which the Passenger hold a through confirmed Ticket* (with a planned connection time of twenty four (24) hours or less) and adequate time existed to make the connection after the scheduled time of arrival of the Passenger’s flight. 

*Exception for separate Tickets when travelling from one Airlink flight to another Airlink flight. 

9.3.2.1

Remedy One - the Airline will carry the Passenger as soon as operationally possible on another Airlink flight on which space is available without additional charge and, where necessary, extend the period of validity of the Passenger’s Ticket to cover that carriage. In the event that the Passenger accepts this remedy the Passenger will have no further claims against the Airline whatsoever.

9.3.2.2

Remedy Two - the Airline will reroute the Passenger under comparable transport conditions to the destination and class shown on the Passenger’s Ticket without additional charge on another Airlink flight on which space is available or on the flight of another Airline with whom the Airline have an agreement with, or by other mutually agreed means. 

Should there be no reasonable flights available, the Airline will reroute the Passenger to the closest possible alternative destination in agreement with the Passenger. 

Any ground services from there will be for the Passenger’s expense (this expense should be claimed from the Passenger’s travel insurance). In the event that the Passenger accepts this remedy it is the Passenger’s responsibility to familiarise the alternative carrier’s conditions of carriage and the Passenger will have no further claims against the Airline whatsoever.

9.3.2.3

Remedy Three - the Airline will give the Passenger an involuntary full refund in accordance with Clause 11.2 (Involuntary Refunds). In the event that the Passenger accepts this remedy, the Passenger will have no further claims against the Airline whatsoever.  

9.3.3

Where a flight has been Cancelled or is subject to a long delay (excluding weather delays) exceeding two (2) hours, Passengers are entitled to receive refreshments (excluding alcohol) from the Airline. 

9.3.4

Should the Passenger, who is not departing from an airport within the vicinity of the Passenger’s home address, be forced to stay overnight due to a cancelled flight for which the Airline is responsible due to Technical and Operational constraints (and not weather related cancellations), the Airline will offer the Passenger suitable hotel accommodation for the first twenty four (24) hours, transport between the airport and the place of accommodation, dinner, breakfast and lunch if applicable in the event of a Cancelled flight over the applicable meal period.

9.4.1

It may happen that the Airline experiences uncontrollable delays caused by adverse weather conditions which are unavoidable. In such circumstances in the interest of the safety of our Passengers, a flight will either be - 

1. Cancelled, 
2. Return to the airport of departure, or 
3. Divert to another destination. 

The Airline will not be liable to cover any Passenger expenses that arise as a result of the delay, diversion or disruption due to the weather. 

9.4.2

In the event of a delay, diversion or disruption due to adverse weather conditions, the Airline will not assume any liability for connecting flights that the Passenger may miss as a result of the delay or diversion. 
Neither will the Airline be held liable for any hotel, meals or surface transport costs arising from such delays or diversions.  The same applies to a flight having to divert back to the airport of origin. 

9.4.3

In the event of a flight being Cancelled or Diverted as a result of adverse weather conditions, the airline will offer the Passenger a choice between making an alternative reservation within the validity of the ticket subject to availability or a refund. 

The Airlink Reservations Support desk needs to be contacted for Refund Authority Waivers for a full refund less the administration fee. The standard Airlink Refund administration fee of ZAR440.00 (four hundred and forty Rand) plus 15% VAT is applicable.

9.5.1

An Airlink schedule change is a planned flight change or cancellation of a flight which occurs more than 24 hours prior to departure. Circumstances may require Airlink to make schedule changes after publication of our flight schedule.

9.5.2

When an Airlink flight is rescheduled, we will advise all booking offices that have made changes in the PNR and the details of such change. Schedule change may be a change in the arrival or departure times, flight number, class of service involving a change in a booking designator, frequency of operation or the airports served. The appropriate action is required by the booking office.

9.5.3

The Schedule Change policy is applicable to passengers holding confirmed reservations and who have purchased a ticket prior to the schedule change taking place. Passengers holding confirmed reservations but who have yet to purchase a ticket can be rebooked onto another flight at the applicable fare.

9.5.4

Tickets bought directly from Airlink

If you booked with Airlink through our website (www.flyairlink.com), mobile app, Airlink office bookings, our airport ticket office or our appointed General Sales Agent then Airlink will send you an email and/or SMS to notify you of a flight schedule change provided your contact details (mobile number and email) are provided in the booking. You agree and accept that these changes are in order unless you contact Airlink to advise otherwise to change to an alternative flight or to cancel your booking.

9.5.5

Tickets bought via a Travel Agent or Third-Party Website

If passengers book a flight with a travel company, then the contract is with them and not Airlink. Travel companies include bookings made through a third-party website e.g., Expedia, Travelstart, Computicket or IATA Travel Agencies who will be notified when an Airlink schedule change occurs the travel agencies receive messages in the booking and the onus lies with them to reissue the ticket after accepting the schedule change or alternatively cancel the booking.

Any changes to your E-ticket made by a third party or Travel Agent may carry a cost to you in terms of your contract with the third party or Travel Agent and that cost is for your account and is not payable by Airlink nor can it be claimed from Airlink.

9.5.6

Airlink accepts no further liability to the Passenger or Travel Agent for passenger expenses, any supplemental costs or loss whatsoever due to a Schedule Change.

9.6.1

As a matter of policy, Airlink does not oversell its flights. There are however times when the Passenger will be denied boarded on a flight in the event that the Airline experiences:

9.6.1.1

Changes in the weather (head or tail winds, heat, rain, cyclones etc.) that limits the Airline to carry fewer Passengers than planned due to the weight restrictions imposed on the aircraft.

9.6.1.2

An aircraft gauge change resulting in more Passengers being booked than the capacity available.

9.6.1.3

A payload restriction, which are limits placed on the aircraft when flight planning taking into consideration the fuel requirements which could include uplifting extra fuel due to bad weather en-route or temperature changes or unforeseen amount of Baggage accepted for a flight.

9.6.1.4

Oversold flights, when there are more checked-in passengers than seats due to aircraft changes, for operational reasons, system error. Airlink will ask for passengers who are willing to voluntarily give up their seats in exchange for a compensation voucher.

9.6.2

In the unlikely event that the Airline is not able to provide the Passenger a seat for a flight for which they have a confirmed reservation and the Passenger has met all applicable check-in and boarding deadlines, the Airline will carry the Passenger on another Airlink flight. The Airline shall provide compensation to those Passengers denied boarding in accordance with our denied boarding policy in terms of Clause 9.7 (Denied Boarding Compensation). 

9.6.3

Alternatively, the Passenger may choose to receive an Involuntary Refund in respect of the Ticket less a reasonable administrative charge prevailing at the time of the refund. The standard Airlink Refund administration fee of ZAR440.00 (four hundred and forty Rand) plus 15% VAT is applicable.

9.6.4

The Airline accepts no further liability to the Passenger for any loss or expense whatsoever. 

9.7.1

In the event Airlink needs to deny boarding to a Passenger, the Passenger will not be denied a seat until Airlink first asks for volunteers willing to give up their confirmed seats in exchange for compensation and travel on the next available 4Z flight.

In the event of an overbooked flight, Airlink will call for volunteers who are prepared to surrender their confirmed reservation in exchange for an agreed compensation credit voucher.

9.7.2

If there are not enough volunteers, Airlink will deny boarding to Passengers in accordance with its company policy on boarding priority. If a Passenger is involuntarily denied boarding and has met all the applicable check-in and boarding deadlines, Airlink will transport the Passenger on the next available 4Z flight. A letter of compensation will be e-mailed to the Passenger from the Airlink Customer Care department which will entitle the Passenger to:

• a) A compensation voucher that is redeemable on www.flyairlink.com for Airlink operated flights only.
• b) The compensation voucher is valid for three (3) years from date of issue.
• c) The compensation voucher is issued in South African Rands (ZAR) regardless of the ticket currency the ticket was issued in.
• d) The compensation voucher cannot be exchanged for cash.
• e) Once the compensation voucher has been used, the portion of the funds used to purchase tickets or services on Airlink remains Non-Refundable.