In the old days, we grumbled about delayed flights or the fine print on tickets. Then came the life-changing battles of 2020
There’s a whiff of nostalgia for my awards from previous years. Back in those days, we got exercised over airlines failing to pay compensation for delayed flights, obscure restrictions on train tickets and recalcitrant retailers. Then came Covid. Never mind compensation – the battle of 2020 has been to get hold of refunds for flights that never left the ground. Retailers have spent much of the year shut by government decree, and who rides trains any more?
I’m ambivalent about naming and shaming companies that face ruin. Some of the horrors that have filled my inbox arose because of decimated workforces and unprecedented demand. Some of the firms that have refused a refund were one payroll day away from oblivion.
