Knesset: Refund for canceled flights will be made within 30 days of the flight departure

The Knesset plenum today (Monday) approved in the second and third reading the amendment to the temporary directive, according to which the refund for canceled flights will be made within 30 days of the flight departure and not within 90 days as was the case so far. In addition, the clause initiated by MK Hila Shai and Zan (Blue and White) was approved, according to which travel agencies will be obliged to return the money for canceled flights to the customer within 15 days of receiving the money from the airline. From December 15th.
The bill comes in the wake of numerous complaints from consumers who have claimed that since the onset of the corona crisis, and especially since October, travel agencies have been delaying refunds and even evading refunds. The agencies took advantage of the loophole in the law to roll the business expenses on the backs of the consumers, as a sort of taking credit from the consumer without his consent, while placing difficulties in repaying the money.
MK Hila Shai and Zan, initiating the proposal to include the travel agencies in the amendment: “Today we managed to put an end to the oppression of travel agents. The situation where thousands of shekels that belong to consumers are in the hands of travel agencies and are used, without the knowledge and consent of consumers, must stop. As I struggle to return the advances to the couples who got married and their marriage was canceled, even now I will continue to insist that no consumer will pay a single shekel for a product or service they have never received. "