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Why is it so hard to cancel subscriptions or end ‘free’ trials? Report shows how companies trap you into paying

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Many businesses are trapping Australian consumers in paid subscriptions by making them hard to cancel, hiding important details and offering “free” trials that auto-renew with hefty charges. We need law reform to tackle this continuing problem.</p> <p><a href="https://cprc.org.au/report/let-me-out">A new report</a> shows 75% of Australian consumers have had negative experiences when trying to cancel a subscription, according to the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC).</p> <p>It shows businesses use “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-spot-avoid-dark-patterns/">dark patterns</a>”, which are designs that hinder consumers who try to act in their own best interests. Subscription traps are often called “<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2022/11/checking-out-ftcs-100-million-settlement-vonage">Hotel California</a>” techniques, referring to The Eagles’ famous lyric: “you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave”.</p> <p>In some of these cases, consumers may have remedies under our existing consumer law, including for misleading conduct. But we need law reform to capture other <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2023-430458">unfair practices</a>.</p> <p>In the meantime, the CPRC’s research also gives examples of businesses with <em>fair</em>, consumer-friendly subscription practices. These also benefit the business.</p> <h2>Examples of unfair subscription traps</h2> <p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/09/12/the-evolution-of-the-subscription-model-and-whats-on-the-horizon/">Subscription business models</a> have become common – many products are now provided in the form of software, an app or access to a website. Some of these would once have been a physical book, newspaper, CD or exercise class.</p> <p>Most people who use online services have experienced the frustration of finding a credit card charge for an unwanted, unused subscription or spending excessive time trying to cancel a subscription.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=643&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=643&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=643&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=808&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=808&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=808&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Infographic with a few statistics from the report." /></a><figcaption><span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CPRC_LetMeOut_SubsTraps_Report_FINAL.pdf">CPRC, Let me out – Subscription trap practices in Australia, August 2024</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Businesses can make it difficult for consumers to stop paying for unwanted subscriptions. Some do this by allowing consumers to start a subscription with a single click, but creating multiple obstacles if you want to end the subscription.</p> <p>This can include obscuring cancellation options in the app, requiring consumers to phone during business hours or making them navigate through multiple steps and offers before terminating. The report points out many of the last-ditch discounts offered in this process are only short term. One survey respondent said:</p> <blockquote> <p>I wasn’t able to cancel without having to call up and speak to someone. Their business hours meant I had to call up during my work day and it took some time to action.</p> </blockquote> <p>Other businesses badger consumers with frequent emails or messages after they cancel. One respondent said a business made “the cancellation process impossible by making you call and then judging your reason for cancellation”.</p> <h2>What does consumer law say?</h2> <p>Some subscription traps already fall foul of the Australian Consumer Law and warrant investigation by the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-warns-consumers-to-beware-of-subscription-traps">Australian Competition &amp; Consumer Commission</a> (ACCC). Consumers may have remedies where the business has engaged in misleading conduct or imposes an unfair contract term.</p> <p>For example, the ACCC is <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-court-action-against-eharmony-for-alleged-misleading-online-dating-membership-statements#:%7E:text=The%20ACCC%20has%20today%20commenced%20proceedings%20in%20the,the%20pricing%2C%20renewal%20and%20duration%20of%20its%20memberships.">suing dating site eHarmony</a> for its allegedly misleading subscription practices.</p> <p>In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/06/ftc-takes-action-against-adobe-executives-hiding-fees-preventing-consumers-easily-cancelling">has filed a complaint against software company Adobe</a> for allegedly using dark patterns in its subscription practices.</p> <p>The Federal Trade Commission has alleged that “Adobe pushed consumers toward the ‘annual paid monthly’ subscription without adequately disclosing that cancelling the plan in the first year could cost hundreds of dollars”.</p> <p>Adobe <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2024/Adobes-Recent-Statement-Regarding-Updated-Federal-Trade-Commission-Complaint-/default.aspx">issued a statement</a> arguing the commission’s complaint “mischaracterises” its business. The litigation is ongoing.</p> <h2>We need an unfair practices prohibition</h2> <p>Some subscription traps would fall outside the existing consumer law. This is because they don’t meet the test for misleading conduct or unfair contract terms, but make it practically very difficult to cancel.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-welcomes-consultation-on-possible-unfair-trading-practices-regulatory-reforms">ACCC has advocated</a> for Australia to follow other countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States to enact an unfair practices prohibition to capture conduct like this.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=769&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=769&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=769&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The shift businesses can make today.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CPRC_LetMeOut_SubsTraps_Report_FINAL.pdf">CPRC, Let me out – Subscription trap practices in Australia, August 2024</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Better practices benefit businesses too</h2> <p>The CPRC report also revealed that 90% of Australians would likely purchase from the same organisation if cancelling a subscription process was quick and simple.</p> <p>Businesses focused on a short-sighted cash grab fail to realise that consumers might cancel but later return if treated well.</p> <p>The CPRC highlights businesses that are doing a good job. For instance, the habit change app Atoms (based on James Clear’s book Atomic Habits) has a genuinely free trial. It doesn’t require credit card details, doesn’t auto-renew, and lets consumers know how many trial days remain.</p> <p>The CPRC says the charity World Vision doesn’t auto-renew annual sponsorships, but reminds supporters about when the sponsorship will lapse.</p> <p>Importantly, some businesses – such as Netflix – use their data for good in this context. They notice when users are paying for the service without using it and help them unsubscribe.</p> <p>These practices should be applauded. But we need an unfair practices prohibition for businesses who don’t follow suit and recognise the long-term benefits of treating customers fairly.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237236/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law &amp; Justice; Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law &amp; Tech Initiative, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-cancel-subscriptions-or-end-free-trials-report-shows-how-companies-trap-you-into-paying-237236">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Passengers on cancelled flights to be compensated under new reforms

<p>Plane passengers could soon be entitled to compensation or refunds for delayed or cancelled flights in Australia. </p> <p>The long-awaited Aviation White Paper will be handed down this morning, as part of the federal government's crackdown on the aviation sector. </p> <p>The white paper makes 56 recommendations, including the the establishment of an Aviation Industry Ombudsman Scheme, which will have the authority to make it compulsory for airlines to provide support to passengers and give travellers more rights. </p> <p>The Aviation Industry Ombudsman Scheme will also be able to refer to allegations of misconduct for investigation and enforcement. </p> <p>It will also introduce a new "Charter of Rights" entitling airline customers to refunds for flights that are disrupted, cancelled, or unreasonably delayed. </p> <p>Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the changes were critical to ensure that passenger had better experiences in the air, and will provide them with a baseline for the services they can expect on flights. </p> <p>"The aviation customer experience has deteriorated post-COVID, with an urgent need to better protect the rights of the travelling public," she said.</p> <p>She added that Australians were often not being dealt with fairly by airlines. </p> <p>"The bottom line is if people don't get the service that they are expecting, then customers deserve to get their money back or they deserve to get an equivalent service," she said. </p> <p>"And that's really not what's been happening when it comes to the consumer space."</p> <p>Under the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme, airlines will also have to "show cause" and provide a valid reason why a flight has been delayed or cancelled, and the ombudsperson has the right to request additional information. </p> <p>Airlines will also be required to provide support to people to make alternative travel arrangements. </p> <p>As part of its white paper, the government will also establish new minimum standards for airlines to make their services more accessible to those with disabilities. </p> <p>Legislation to establish the aviation ombuds office will be introduced next year, but the government plans to appoint an interim ombudsperson. </p> <p>The scheme is expected to be fully implemented in 2026. </p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

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Readers response: Have you ever experienced culture shock while travelling? How did you handle it?

<p>When it comes to travelling abroad, it's not uncommon to experience culture shocks as part of your holiday. </p> <p>Travelling to unique corners of the globe can often come with stumbling onto potentially uncomfortable and unusual situations. </p> <p>We asked our readers if they have ever experiences culture shocks and how they handled them, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Alison Mahoney</strong> - Yes, in the mid 60s got fined for kissing my boyfriend in the street in Athens. How things have changed.</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><span dir="auto"><strong>Margaret Godfrey</strong> - Yes, First time I went to Vietnam - from Hobart. </span></span>The heat, the sheer number of people just outside the airport door, being grabbed by stall holders in Ben Thanh Market and pulled into their stalls with "You Buy".</p> <p>Had a good cry later in my hotel, then a cup of tea with another woman on tour. After going to dinner with rest of group, got over myself &amp; thoroughly enjoyed the trip.</p> <p><strong>Val Beale</strong> - Cambodia was a culture shock for me. Lovely people but so much poverty. Felt overwhelmed. So glad I went though.</p> <p><strong>Jim Janush </strong>- Yes, the first time I went to South America, though not the first country there I was visiting. It was in the second country I had trouble accepting how different it was to what I was used to, the strange, backwards manner of simple organisation, almost everything.</p> <p>It grew on me, and after a few days it felt normal, and now it doesn’t feel anywhere near as bad. But the first couple of days were horrific.</p> <p><strong>Bruce Hopkins</strong> - On a USA Holiday, we took a Day Bus Trip from San Diego to Tijuana, what reality check it was seeing the Mexican/USA Border.</p> <p><strong>Judi Tracey</strong> - Definitely when l went into the Grand Bazaar in Turkey. It was full of males, drinking coffee, smoking and googling at women. I never felt so uncomfortable and concerned for my safety if a fire broke out!! I couldn’t leave quick enough.</p> <p><strong>Kristeen Bon</strong> - Bali. Went 25 years ago and hated it…..the heat, the constant harassment, the food, everything.</p> <p>Went back last year thinking maybe things had changed…..nope, still too bloody hot, locals still harassing you, streets, shops and resorts falling apart……..not even a single comfortable chair on one of the island resorts.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Rod Stewart forced to cancel milestone concert

<p>Rod Stewart has been forced to cancel a milestone concert after falling ill. </p> <p>The 79-year-old rockstar shared an emotional message with his fans on Instagram saying he has had to pull out of his 200th show as part of his Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace due to strep throat.</p> <p>In his post, Stewart said he was "desperately sorry" and "absolutely gutted" over the cancellation.</p> <p>"I'm desperately sorry to miss this 200th show celebration," Stewart began. "Most people can work with strep throat but obviously not me."</p> <p>"I'm absolutely gutted. I've been looking forward to this concert for so long. My deepest regrets for any inconvenience this has caused."</p> <p>Stewart finished the post by adding that he'll be returning to the stage next year to make it up to fans.</p> <p>"Thankfully we'll now be returning in 2025 and I hope to see you all there," he finished, adding a heartbroken emoji.</p> <p>Just days before sharing news of the cancellation, Stewart announced his plans to extend his Las Vegas residency into 2025.</p> <p>"Vegas, I'm having too much fun for this to end so we are coming back for an encore!" he said, adding that he will be playing shows until May next year.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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If Australia had an aviation ombudsman, passengers could get compensation for cancelled flights

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-wastnage-489752">Justin Wastnage</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p>The financial difficulties of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-02/rex-airlines-staff-notified-of-termination/104172020">Rex Airlines</a>, coming so soon after the bankruptcy of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-26/bonza-directors-accused-of-trading-while-insolvent/104022496">Bonza</a>, have brought into sharp focus one of the federal government’s key priorities for aviation: enhancing passenger rights.</p> <p>In each case, passengers were left with tickets for flights that did not fly. In the case of Rex, tickets were honoured by rivals Virgin Australia and Qantas, possibly trying to recapture the small toehold Rex had established in the Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne golden triangle.</p> <p>The Bonza story was more complex as the fledgling airline, which collapsed in May, had sought to exploit under-serviced routes to smaller leisure-based cities including Maroochydore and Port Macquarie.</p> <p>In many cases, passengers were left out-of-pocket and stranded.</p> <h2>Support for an ombudsman</h2> <p>These failures will have emboldened the federal government’s plans to introduce stronger passenger protections and an airline ombudsman.</p> <p>The release of its <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-white-paper">policy white paper</a> is imminent. The paper covers aviation issues including competition between airports and airlines, the sector’s environmental impact and better mechanisms for consultation.</p> <p>After years of opposition, <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/qantas-and-virgin-change-tune-on-aviation-ombudsman-ahead-of-white-paper-release/">Qantas and Virgin quietly fell in behind the idea in May</a>, signalling a deal is close to being announced.</p> <p>The ombudsman is designed to protect consumer rights in what is often monopolistic or quasi-monopolistic operating environments. With the exception of residents of southeast Queensland and the western suburbs of Melbourne, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967070X18302063">most Australians only have one airport from which to fly.</a></p> <p>This, coupled with an effective airline duopoly, can lead to higher prices and poorer service for consumers, the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Airline%20competition%20in%20Australia%20-%20June%202023%20report.pdf">Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC)</a> has argued.</p> <p>The ACCC has been calling for better passenger rights for more than a decade. But its calls grew louder after it fined Qantas <a href="https://theconversation.com/qantas-has-finally-settled-its-ghost-flights-lawsuit-for-120-million-whats-next-229368">A$120 million for selling “ghost” flights in May</a>.</p> <p>Passengers did receive refunds, but the process was not easy compared to many overseas jurisdictions where compensation is automatic and based on distance travelled.</p> <p>Australia is rare among developed countries for not having automatic compensation if a flight is cancelled or delayed.</p> <h2>The EU model</h2> <p>The leader in air passenger rights, as in many areas of consumer protection, is the European Union. <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/261/oj">The EU Passenger Rights regulation</a> is 20 years old and now also applies to rail and bus passengers.</p> <p>The regulation favours the passenger and awards compensation <a href="https://www.airhelp.com/en-int/ec-regulation-261-2004/">of up to €600 (almost A$1,000) for delays or cancellations</a>. There are clauses for when a delay is unavoidable, but generally airlines have now built the scheme into their costs of doing business.</p> <p>The scheme is well publicised and in 2022, about <a href="https://schengen.news/8-million-passengers-affected-by-flight-cancellations-airport-strikes-are-eligible-for-compensation-of-up-to-e600/">eight million passengers were eligible for refunds</a>.</p> <p>Air passenger rights in the UK continued in the EU mould after Brexit and were even strengthened.</p> <p>But in a 2023 review into the UK scheme, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-aviation-consumer-policy-protecting-air-passenger-rights/outcome/response-to-the-aviation-consumer-policy-reform-consultation#chapter-3-compensation-for-delays-and-cancellations">some airlines argued</a> “private insurance was a better option for some passengers”, particularly those with disabilities.</p> <p>The same reasoning led to the removal of Australia’s previous consumer protection scheme for airline passengers, the <a href="https://www.travelmanagers.com.au/peaceofmind/#:%7E:text=The%20Travel%20Compensation%20Fund%20continued,and%20until%2030%20June%202014.">Travel Compensation Fund</a>, which refunded customers when airlines or travel agencies went bankrupt.</p> <p>The scheme was ended under the Abbott government in June 2014, with travellers told instead to take out their own travel insurance.</p> <p>Labor is expected to reintroduce an element of corporate responsibility for airline delays, not least since Brazil, Canada and Türkiye have also followed the EU’s lead.</p> <p>Brazil’s scheme is particularly generous, with up to R7,500 (A$1,950) available to passengers who have to pay for last minute accommodation if their flight is cancelled.</p> <p>Lawmakers there countered claims by airlines that low cost airline passengers could stay in cheaper hotels, by applying the compensation uniformly, regardless of travel class.</p> <h2>Popular with voters</h2> <p>Air passenger rights can be a vote winner, too. Before he withdrew his bid for reelection, US President Joe Biden trumpeted the <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-rule-requiring-automatic-refunds-airline">automatic airline compensation scheme</a> the US Department for Transportation will bring in this year.</p> <p>Until now, airline compensation was mandated by the states without coordinated processes meaning some airlines used vouchers, some credits and a few cash to compensate customers.</p> <p>Despite this, about <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-rule-requiring-automatic-refunds-airline">US$3 billion (A$4.6 billion)</a> in refunds have been issued to US passengers since 2020, including more than US$600 million to Southwest Airlines passengers alone.</p> <p>This was due to a serious scheduling crisis which forced the low-cost carrier to cancel almost 60% of its flights in the 2022 summer.</p> <p>By contrast, in Australia, air passengers have only had basic protections under <a href="https://consumer.gov.au/australian-consumer-law/legislation">consumer rights law</a> since deregulation in 2002.</p> <p>There is no guarantee of a seat or even flight the consumer purchased. This has led consumer advocates including <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/consumer-advocacy/policy/policy-submissions/2023/november/aviation-green-paper">Choice</a> to support calls for an airline ombudsman and automatic delay and cancellation compensation.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235679/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-wastnage-489752">Justin Wastnage</a>, Adjunct Industry Fellow, Griffith Institute for Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-australia-had-an-aviation-ombudsman-passengers-could-get-compensation-for-cancelled-flights-235679">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

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Flight cancelled after crew member loses it at passenger

<p>An Air Canada flight heading from Morocco to Montreal was cancelled on Friday after a flight attendant lost it at a passenger who reportedly requested a blanket. </p> <p>Viral footage of the incident showed a female flight attendant yelling: “You will behave or we will get off!” at a female passenger. </p> <p>“I’ll tell the captain right away. Yes or no?”</p> <p>When a passenger asked the flight attendant to call the captain, she refused and said: “I don’t want no bullying against my crew”.</p> <p>She then stormed up the aisle before she turned around and yelled: “Everyone behave! Be quiet … or you’re getting off.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Stress levels are quite high in the sky these days : An Air Canada flight from Casablanca (CMN) to Montreal (YUL) was canceled due to the inappropriate behavior of a flight attendant on July 26, 2024.</p> <p>The Airbus A330-343 aircraft (C-GHLM) did the taxi aiming a departure while… <a href="https://t.co/h3s4fbGF5A">pic.twitter.com/h3s4fbGF5A</a></p> <p>— FL360aero (@fl360aero) <a href="https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1817249195960455420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>According to <em>CTV News</em>, the meltdown occurred after the passenger asked for a blanket. </p> <p>In a statement to the publication, Air Canada said the flight had been rescheduled for Saturday with a different crew. </p> <p>“We are taking this incident very seriously. It is under review, and we will take appropriate action,” the statement read.</p> <p>“It is under review, and we will take appropriate action. We apologise to our customers and deeply regret that their experience today fell far short of what they have come to expect when flying with Air Canada.”</p> <p>The airline has also offered compensation to all passengers affected by the delay. </p> <p><em>Images: X </em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Jack Black cancels Tenacious D tour after on-stage Trump comment

<p>Jack Black has cancelled the rest of Tenacious D's Australia and New Zealand tour after his bandmate Kyle Gass’s on-stage joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was widely condemned. </p> <p>Gass was celebrating his 64th birthday on stage at Sydney’s International Convention Centre on Sunday night, just hours after Trump was fired upon at a rally Pennsylvania, when Black presented him with a cake and asked for his birthday wish. </p> <p>“Don’t miss Trump next time,” Gass replied. </p> <p>The moment was captured and posted to TikTok where it quickly went viral, even attracting attention from radio shock jock <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/kyle-slaps-comedy-legends-with-lifetime-ban-for-twisted-trump-joke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Sandilands</a>, who proposed Tenacious D receive a lifetime ban from touring in Australia.</p> <p>Since the moment garnered online attention, Kyle Gass has been dropped by his talent agency, Greene Talent, with rep Michael Greene telling <em><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/07/16/tenacious-d-kyle-gass-dropped-talent-agency-trump-shooting-comment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">TMZ</a></em> they have parted ways due to the incident.</p> <p>In the hours after the show, Jack Black took to Instagram where he shocked fans by announcing the rest of their tour would be cancelled, as the joke prompted a falling out between the two bandmates.</p> <p>“I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form,” Black wrote in a statement.</p> <p>“After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”</p> <p>Gass has since apologised for the joke, saying, “The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake."</p> <p>“I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement."</p> <p>“I profoundly apologise to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Reynaud Julien/APS-Medias/ABACA/Shutterstock Editorial/TikTok</em></p>

Music

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Worrying pattern of cancellations shows Australian TV's grim future

<p>As the future of free-to-air Australian television continues to be more and more "uncertain", a worrying pattern of dozens of cancelled programs show how the industry has been in trouble for quite some time. </p> <p>In recent years, dozens of seemingly popular shows have been axed across three major networks with thousands of people across the industry preparing themselves for further cancellations, pay cuts, job losses and career changes.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/exclusive-34-axed-aussie-shows-revealed-as-future-of-free-to-air-tv-uncertain-224725084.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em></a>, 34 shows across Seven, Nine and Ten have either been axed, put on an indefinite hiatus, or quietly removed from TV schedules with no mention of it again over the last five years. </p> <p>Many Aussie TV staples such as <em>Millionaire Hot Seat</em>, <em>The Bachelor</em>, and <em>Australian Ninja Warrior</em>, which were all once the highest rated shows on television, have been binned due to declining viewership and dwindling ratings. </p> <p>Channel Ten's <em>The Masked Singer</em> has also become a casualty in the TV wars, as host Dave Hughes <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/hughesy-spills-the-beans-on-major-shows-set-to-be-axed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> that he simply hadn't received a production schedule for the new season of the show, only to discover it had been shelved. </p> <p>In an attempt to breathe new life into the channels, newer shows like Shaynna Blaze’s <em>Country Home Rescue</em> or Kate Langbroek’s <em>My Mum, Your Dad</em> premiered, but have only survived for single seasons after failing to grab an audience. </p> <p>Even revived classics like <em>Big Brother</em>, <em>Celebrity Apprentice</em> and <em><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/channel-10-axes-another-show-amid-ratings-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gladiators</a></em> haven’t been able to survive as they now face growing competition from streaming giants like Netflix and Stan.</p> <p>As the list of cancelled shows continues to grow, one seasoned lighting director, who asked to remain anonymous, told Yahoo Lifestyle that job insecurity for casts and crews is a major concern. </p> <p>They said, “Every year the breaks between jobs are getting longer and longer to the point a lot of us (crew) are now leaving the industry. Ten years ago we’d be booked consistently with jobs locked in 12 months in advance for all of the networks, now everyone’s scrambling to try to get on a three-day pilot shoot. Everything is so uncertain.”</p> <p>Below are all of the free-to-air shows from the last five years that haven’t been renewed.</p> <p id="channel-seven"><strong>Channel Seven</strong></p> <p>Big Brother (2001-2008, 2012-2014, 2020-2023)</p> <p>SAS Australia (2020-2023)</p> <p>This Is Your Life (1975-1980, 1995-2005, 2008, 2011, 2022-2023)</p> <p>Blow Up (2023)</p> <p>Million Dollar Island (2023)</p> <p>We Interrupt This Broadcast (2023)</p> <p>The Voice: Generations (2022)</p> <p>Big Brother VIP (2021)</p> <p>Holey Moley (2021)</p> <p>Ultimate Tag (2021)</p> <p>Wife Swap Australia (2012, 2021)</p> <p>House Rules (2013-2020)</p> <p>Plate of Origin (2020)</p> <p>Pooch Perfect (2020)</p> <p id="channel-nine"><strong>Channel Nine</strong></p> <p>Millionaire Hot Seat (2009–2023)</p> <p>My Mum, Your Dad (2022-2023)</p> <p>The Beach House Escape (2023)</p> <p>Rush (2023)</p> <p>Snackmasters (2021-2022)</p> <p>Australian Ninja Warrior (2017-2022)</p> <p>Beauty and the Geek (2009-2014, 2021-2022)</p> <p>Celebrity Apprentice (2011-2015, 2021-2022)</p> <p>Country Homes Rescue (2022)</p> <p>This Time Next Year (2017-2019)</p> <p>Australia’s Most Identical</p> <p id="channel-ten"><strong>Channel Ten</strong></p> <p>Gladiators (1995-1996, 2008, 2024)</p> <p>The Bachelor (2013-2023)</p> <p>Studio 10 (2013-2023)</p> <p>The Masked Singer (2019-2023)</p> <p>The Traitors (2022-2023)</p> <p>Would I Lie To You? Australia (2022-2023)</p> <p>The Real Love Boat (2022)</p> <p>The Bachelorette (2015-2021)</p> <p>Bachelor In Paradise (2018-2020)</p> <p><em>Image credits: Ten / Seven </em></p>

TV

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More holidays sunk as P&O announce further cancellations

<p>Just days after P&O announced it would be <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/major-australian-cruise-line-shuts-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ceasing operations</a> from early 2025, travellers have been left frustrated after more voyages have been cancelled. </p> <p>After 90 years at sea, P&O Australia is set to be integrated into sister ocean travel outfit Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025, impacting travel plans for many. </p> <p>P&O’s ship Pacific Explorer will be retired under the move, prompting mass cruise cancellations for travellers scheduled to set sail after March 2nd.</p> <p>Now, the company has announced further cancellations on two other vessels in its fleet.</p> <p>Four Pacific Adventure itineraries have been cancelled, including V515, V516, V517, V518, while another four Pacific Encounter itineraries have also been scrapped, including I512, I513, I514.</p> <p>The impacted cruises were scheduled to depart from Sydney and Brisbane in March 2025, but both vessels will be out of action for two weeks while they are rebranded by Carnival and undergo a technology upgrade, a Carnival spokesperson told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/pacific-adventure-and-pacific-encounter-cancellations-follow-news-po-cruises-brand-is-being-retired-c-14919420" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a>.</p> <p>Staff will be contacting impacted travellers in the coming days with information on refunds and offers of extra onboard spending.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We apologise that this change has been necessary,” the company said.</p> <p>“If you are booked on any other P&O Cruises Australia itinerary your cruise is unaffected by this announcement and we look forward to welcoming you on board soon."</p> <p>“No Carnival Cruise Line itineraries are impacted by this announcement.”</p> <p>The Pacific Explorer will be removed from P&O’s fleet at the end of February, with its final journey being an 11-night cruise to Singapore that leaves Fremantle on February 7th 2025. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"Not good enough": Karl takes aim at airline cancellation

<p>Karl Stefanovic has ripped into Aussie airline Bonza, who cancelled all their flights at the last minute and left people stranded all across the country. </p> <p>One of the travellers who were left abandoned was Tracy Hilbert, who was due to fly out of Melbourne on Tuesday morning to see her family after her father suddenly died on Monday night. </p> <p>However, instead of being with her mother and brother, she instead spent the day stuck inside the airport after a fellow passenger informed her their flight had been cancelled with no warning. </p> <p>Tracy spoke to Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo on <em>Today</em> to share how let down she felt by the airline, as they failed to communicate the cancellation with their customers. </p> <p>“I text my husband. He said, ‘yes, it’s been cancelled’ and sent me all the details,” Ms Hilbert told <em>Today</em>.</p> <p>“Then the crew came in and about a 5.45am they said that it’s been cancelled.”</p> <p>Ms Hilbert fought back tears as she told Karl and Sarah the heartbreaking reason why she was so desperate to make her flight. </p> <p>“I’ve actually had my father pass away last night, so I needed to get up there because my brother text me and said that he’s not in a good way.”</p> <p>Ms Hilbert’s husband quickly booked her a flight with the budget airline last night, not realising that as of this morning, services will be “temporarily suspended”.</p> <p>“I’ve never had this problem with them before,” Ms Hilbert said. “It’s only a two-hour flight but now it’s going to take me all day to get up there.”</p> <p>Thankfully for Ms Hilbert, along with thousands of other stranded passengers, Virgin and Jetstar said those who were affected by the cancellation would be assisted to get to their destination. </p> <p>“We are aware of the temporary suspension of Bonza flights,” Virgin posted on X.</p> <p>“We will immediately support any passengers stranded mid-journey by offering complimentary seats on Virgin Australia-operated flights to the airport nearest to their final planned Bonza destination.”</p> <p>While wondering if she would receive a refund for her cancelled flight, Ms Hilbert said she was frustrated with the lack of communication with Bonza, saying, "You can’t talk to anybody, it’s all through emails.”</p> <p>Ms Hilbert said it’s all been “very hard” as she should have been with her mother, brother and other family now.</p> <p>“Oh, sweetheart. Hey, Tracy, we’ll let you go,” Karl quickly responded as Ms Hilbert continued to break down in tears.</p> <p>“Obviously there’s going to be a lot of people who are inconvenienced. You’re inconvenienced in a whole lot more emotional away. And it’s such a big thing for you to be handling right now. And we’re so sorry for your loss.”</p> <p>Karl hit out at the airline saying the very least they can do is communicate with travellers who have been left in the lurch. </p> <p>“It’s not good enough just to say something is cancelled. They might be going through the most, you know, horrible business morning of their lives, but that shouldn’t stop you from communicating with people."</p> <p>“It’s just a basic human necessity. And especially for people like Tracy.”</p> <p>On Tuesday, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said services will be “temporarily suspended” while discussions surrounding the “viability of the business” take place.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Major festival event cancelled after deadly find

<p>Mardi Gras Fair Day has been cancelled four days out from the event after asbestos was discovered in Victoria Park, Sydney CBD. </p> <p>The organisers of the event, were informed of the site's contamination on Monday, with EPA officers finding positive results for bonded asbestos after undertaking tests earlier this week. </p> <p>Mardi Gras chef executive Gil Beckwith said that they are heartbroken after the decision was made, but the community's wellbeing is more important. </p> <p>“Fair Day is one of our most loved events, and is attended by over 70,000 people each year,” Beckwith said. </p> <p>“It breaks our heart to see this Sunday not go ahead, but given the safety concerns, we must put our communities’ wellbeing first.</p> <p>“The rest of our festival continues unchanged, offering many chances over the 17 days for our communities to come together in celebration and solidarity.”</p> <p>Other highlights including the Mardi Gras Parade and Bondi Beach Party will still go ahead as planned. </p> <p>This comes after the EPA confirmed that there is a widespread asbestos contamination with 22 sites across Sydney being affected, prompting the closure of parks, building sites, schools and train stations. </p> <p>Asbestos is a fibrous substance that can be trapped in the lungs if it's breathed in, and can lead to an increased risk in developing lung, ovary and throat cancer, according to the cancer council. </p> <p>Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said that it was an “incredibly disappointing” decision.</p> <p>“The NSW government and the EPA must make sure this never happens again,” she said. </p> <p>Asbestos has been found in two other city parks including Belmore Park in Haymarket and Harmony Park in Surry Hills. </p> <p>The Sydenham to Bankstown Rail Corridor sites including Campsie, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill, Belmore, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Marrickville have also been affected, with licensed removalists working hard to clear the sites. </p> <p>Over the coming week 32 more parks will be closed off, as they conduct more tests for contamination. </p> <p>“We urge everyone to avoid the mulched garden beds and mulched areas under trees at these parks while the inspections are being carried out,” a City of Sydney spokesperson said.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Flight cancelled after parents demand free upgrade for their child

<p dir="ltr">A flight was delayed for hours before being ultimately cancelled after two parents demanded that their child was upgraded to first class for free. </p> <p dir="ltr">A plane in China was grounded for three hours after the parents caused a ruckus with the cabin crew, and were eventually kicked off the aircraft. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to a fellow passenger, the argument kicked off when an unsupervised child began to sob uncontrollably after boarding a flight from Chengdu to Beijing. </p> <p dir="ltr">As it turned out, the inconsolable toddler’s parents were seated in first class but had only bought their child an economy ticket.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was then that the angry dad confronted the staff, demanding that his son be moved to first class at no extra cost.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em>South China Morning Post</em>, the irate dad explained that because he had already paid for two first class tickets, his child’s upgrade should be free. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the clip shot by a fellow passenger, the outraged dad began berating a group of passengers, crew members, and security guards as they repeatedly explained why his child isn’t entitled to an upgrade.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop swearing at me,” fumed the father. “You have no right to do that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When a security guard attempts to de-escalate the situation, the parent lays into him, shouting: “What gives you the right to order me about?”</p> <p dir="ltr">This prompts a woman to retort: “You’ve wasted too much of our time and we won’t tolerate it any longer.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After three hours of back and forth, the couple were eventually kicked off the plane, while the flight was cancelled. </p> <p dir="ltr">The entitled passenger has since been rinsed on social media with one commenter fuming, “This man is so selfish.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others suggested solutions for the father that didn’t involve the airline giving the man an extra first-class seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He can switch seats,” advised one person. “Let him sit in economy class, and have the mum take care of the child in the first-class cabin.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Some on social media were quick to chastise the airline for their handling of the situation, with one person writing, “Keeping the quarrel going for hours? The problem-solving skills of the crew are poor.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Twitter</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd8af609-7fff-7da2-9017-179b6317cd24"></span></p>

Travel Trouble

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Vale ‘sister suffragette’: how Glynis Johns became a pop-culture icon in the story of votes for women

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-stevenson-196768">Ana Stevenson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-helwig-1500979">Lindsay Helwig</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Glynis Johns, most famous for her role as the suffragette mother Mrs Winifred Banks in Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964), passed away last week at the age of 100.</p> <p>A fourth-generation performer who made her <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-17-ca-126-story.html">stage debut</a> in London when she was only three weeks old, Johns inherited her Welsh father’s love of acting. She appeared with him in The Halfway House (1944) and The Sundowners (1960) and argued for the establishment of a Welsh National Theatre <a href="https://twitter.com/huwthomas/status/791367871242862592">as early as 1971</a>.</p> <p>Johns’s career spanned eight decades in Hollywood, Broadway and the British stage and screen. As Palm Springs’s Desert Sun <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&amp;d=DS19630426.2.50">reported</a> in 1962, her “husky voice and big blue eyes” were her hallmarks. But it was her portrayal of Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins which would make her a pop culture icon.</p> <h2>A childhood inspiration</h2> <p>Feminist activists and scholars often describe the Mrs Banks character as a childhood inspiration.</p> <p>As feminist communications scholar Amanda Firestone <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Resist_and_Persist/s5HiDwAAQBAJ">reflects</a> on the film: "I especially loved […] Mrs Banks (Glynis Johns), who marches around the family home, putting Votes for Women sashes onto the housekeeper, cook, and the (departing) nanny. Of course, as a kid, I had no idea that the people and events embedded in the song’s lyrics were actual parts of history, but I did find a kind of joy in a vague notion of women’s empowerment."</p> <p>Set in 1910, the symbolism associated with Mrs Banks references the history of the British suffragettes. Johns’ musical showstopper, Sister Suffragette, directly refers to <a href="https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/the-pankhursts-politics-protest-and-passion/">Emmeline Pankhurst</a>, who founded the militant Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903. In 1906 British newspapers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859007003239">coined</a> the moniker “suffragette” to mock the union.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K0SDECwO54E?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>This ambivalence continued into the 1960s. Historian Laura E. Nym Mayhall <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316653">argues</a> that American concern over the impact of women’s public roles on their domestic responsibilities influenced the film’s depiction of Mrs Banks, especially her movement from a public suffragette back into an involved mother at the film’s end.</p> <p>For Mayhall, the figure of the suffragette emerges in popular culture as “a symbol of modernity”: a harbinger of democracy and political progress whose characterisation would elide ongoing struggles such as the civil rights movement.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=949&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568335/original/file-20240108-23-tf6kwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1193&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">This 1909 Dunston Weiler Lithograph Co. anti-suffrage postcard offers resonances of Mrs Banks and her household staff in Mary Poppins.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://thesuffragepostcardproject.omeka.net/items/show/44">Catherine H. Palczewski Postcard Archive/The Suffrage Postcard Project</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>While some see the character of the suffragette mother as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Mary_Poppins/BLujEAAAQBAJ">supporting</a> women’s votes during the 1910s and women’s liberation during the 1960s, other readings of the film suggest a more satirical representation of the suffrage movement. Some historians even find <a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/02705346-6923118">resonances</a> of anti-suffrage propaganda in Mrs Banks, including in her usage of her Votes for Women sash as the tail of a kite in the film’s final scene.</p> <p>Looking back at film reviews offers insight into how audiences received this character – and, by extension, Johns as an actor. American studies scholar Lori Kenschaft <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Girls_Boys_Books_Toys.html?id=Or13vhnA_W4C">suggests</a> that film critics who saw Mrs Banks as a “nutty suffragette mother” reiterated popular stereotypes about suffragettes and feminists being “mentally unbalanced”.</p> <p>Such stereotypes may have been reinforced by the film’s depiction of motherhood and the nuclear family. Involved parenting emerged as the bedrock of the 1960s nuclear family, an idea both supported and actively promoted by Walt Disney in both his films and his theme parks, as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Children_Childhood_and_Musical_Theater/XHrRDwAAQBAJ">argued</a> by American musicologist William A. Everett.</p> <p>As Mrs Banks, Johns embodied the transition from the distant, uninvolved parenting of the British middle-class in the earlier 20th century to the involved mother who facilitated the stable nuclear family. As women’s studies scholar Anne McLeer <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4316893">argues</a>, Mary Poppins, through Johns’ portrayal of Mrs Banks, demonstrated the liberated woman of the 1960s could be contained within the nuclear family: the bedrock for a Western capitalist economy.</p> <h2>A long career</h2> <p>Beyond Mary Poppins, her most prominent role was in Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical A Little Night Music (1973).</p> <p>Johns originated the character of ageing actress Desiree Armfeldt, becoming the first to sing Send in the Clowns. As she <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-17-ca-126-story.html">reflected</a> of the classic in 1991: "It’s still part of me. And when you’ve got a song like Send in the Clowns, it’s timeless."</p> <p>Sondheim composed this song with Johns’s famously husky voice in mind. Yet some were less enamoured with her performance. One 1973 theatre critic <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3850619">described</a> Johns as “a now somewhat overage tomboy, kittenish and raspy-voiced, precise and amusing in her delivery of lines but utterly, utterly unseductive.”</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OAl-EawVobY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>A veteran of stage and screen, Johns appeared in more than 60 films and 30 plays. In 1998, she was honoured with a Disney Legends Award for her role as Mrs Banks. Johns also received critical acclaim throughout her career, including a Laurel Award for Mary Poppins and a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for A Little Night Music.</p> <p>Regardless of how incongruous her status as a “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-05/glynis-johns-mary-poppins-send-in-the-clowns/103287036">Disney feminist icon</a>” may be, Johns’s extraordinary influence upon the 20th century’s cultural memory is a remarkable legacy. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220766/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-stevenson-196768"><em>Ana Stevenson</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-helwig-1500979">Lindsay Helwig</a>, Lecturer in Pathways, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Disney</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/vale-sister-suffragette-how-glynis-johns-became-a-pop-culture-icon-in-the-story-of-votes-for-women-220766">original article</a>.</em></p>

Caring

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Passengers stranded after three-year cruise abruptly cancelled

<p dir="ltr">When Life At Sea <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/world-first-three-year-cruise-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> their world-first three-year voyage in early 2023, many were quick to jump at the opportunity to spend the next years of their life onboard. </p> <p dir="ltr">People from around the globe <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/meet-the-woman-preparing-to-spend-three-years-at-sea#xd_co_f=YTM5MzVmOGQtNTY4My00NWE1LThjNDctMTUxMjJlNjVhMWNj~" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sold their homes</a> and belongings to fork out the hefty $180,000 price tag to spend 36 months travelling the world, with their once-in-a-lifetime voyage set to kick off in November. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf609a3-7fff-7e5e-04e2-f5d7a488896d"></span>But now, as their departure date loomed, Life At Sea have left passengers stranded after abruptly cancelling the trip in its entirety. </p> <p>Life at Sea Cruises was scheduled to depart from Istanbul, Turkey on November 1st but departure was relocated and delayed twice to November 30th, before passengers were informed on November 17th the cruise was off, according to <em>CNN</em>.</p> <p>The news outlet reported that the ship that was destined to be the vessel of the three-year journey was bought by another company just one day before the voyage was cancelled. </p> <p>The owner of Life at Sea Cruises’ parent company Miray Cruises, then confirmed they couldn’t afford the ship because investors had pulled out “due to unrest in the Middle East” – but suggested they were working on getting another ship and a new departure date. </p> <p>The idea that the vessel would be replaced filled some travellers with hope they would still be embarking on their three-year adventure, before CEO of Miray Cruises was forced to clarify: “In case we weren’t clear, the Life at Sea cruise trip is cancelled.”</p> <p>Passengers were devastated by the news, with those who thought they had locked in the next three years of their lives telling <em>CNN</em> they felt “incredibly sad”, “angry” and “betrayed”.</p> <p>“I had the next three years of my life planned to live an extraordinary life, and now [I have] nothing,” said one cruiser.</p> <p>“I don’t think they will ever understand how much damage they’ve caused us,” said another.</p> <p>The more than $180,000 three-year trip had been celebrated by big cruising fans and called a “nightmare” and “claustrophobic” by critics across social media.</p> <p>The company’s website is still advertising the cruise as normal, with a countdown stating on Monday it was three hours “until we go for an adventure of a lifetime”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Life At Sea</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Flight cancelled after passenger's sickening act

<p dir="ltr">A flight has been cancelled at the last minute after a passenger allegedly defecated on the floor of the airplane bathroom. <br />The EasyJet flight was due to depart from the Spanish island of Tenerife to London’s Gatwick airport, which had already been delayed by several hours when the incident took place. </p> <p dir="ltr">A passenger on board by the name of Aaran Gedhu told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/easyjet-flight-canceled-defecation-incident/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>CNN</em></a> that the problems began when the scheduled plane was switched out for a smaller aircraft. </p> <p dir="ltr">Passengers were turned away from boarding the plane while the switch took place, which stirred up a frustrated atmosphere amongst passengers. </p> <p dir="ltr">After travellers eventually made it onto the plane two hours after their scheduled departure, they had to wait for their luggage to be transferred to the new plane, which again took several hours. </p> <p dir="ltr">As the delay extended, the atmosphere on the packed flight was characterised by "suspense and anger," Gedhu said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"EasyJet planes, as they are, just aren't very comfortable – it's just a basic seat with okayish legroom room. So everyone was just a bit tense," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Then, the pilot finally gave the all clear, and then he said that it will be about 20 minutes until departure," recalled Gedhu.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And that's when the incident happened with the defecation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Gedhu, who was seated in the middle of the aircraft, saw "two passengers" visit the front airplane bathroom with word quickly spreading that someone had defecated on the bathroom floor. </p> <p dir="ltr">As an unpleasant smell followed, passengers grew more irritated, but Gedhu says most people onboard believed the incident was an "accident".</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everyone was being polite to each other. There was no fighting amongst the passengers," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was just a very uncomfortable experience. Obviously, the plane was in an unsanitary state. So they had to get external cleaners out from the airport to clean it. So that's when the stairs reconnected, and the cleaners came on to deep clean the flooring."</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Gedhu, passengers remained in their seats during the cleaning process, and after the situation had been resolved, the captain of the aircraft told the plane's occupants they would have to disembark.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was very frustrating," another passenger, Kitty Streek, told <em>CNN Travel</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We obviously can't prove whether the person simply had an accident or if they had done this out of anger for the delayed flight but it was hard not to be angry either way as nobody wants to be stranded in another country."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"Magical": Ed Sheeran crashes wedding after cancelled Vegas concert

<p>Ed Sheeran, the man of the hour, recently pulled off a surprise move that left a wedding chapel feeling less little and a lot more magical. After recently being forced to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/ed-sheeran-fans-left-devastated-moments-before-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrap his Las Vegas gig</a> due to some venue woes, he stumbled upon a teeny spot he couldn't resist: The Little White Wedding Chapel.</p> <p>In a moment that's now etched in matrimonial history, Sheeran couldn't resist the urge to crash Jordan and Carter Lindenfield's intimate wedding ceremony. And boy, oh boy, was it a surprise!</p> <p>The couple were just about to say their "I dos" when up popped Ed Sheeran like a musical jack-in-the-box. Strolling in with an acoustic guitar and a gang of backup singers, ready to serenade the lovebirds with his upcoming single, "Magical", the jaw-dropping, starstruck expressions from the bride and groom said it all.</p> <p>After Sheeran finished crooning his heart out for the tearful duo, they sealed the deal with a kiss and the all-important certificate-signing ritual. But here's the kicker: Sheeran himself became an official witness to their nuptials, sheepishly admitting: "This is the first time I've been a witness."</p> <p>As if the entire affair wasn't surreal enough, Ed took to Instagram to immortalise the moment, captioning it with the understatement of the century: "Crashed a wedding, this is Magical."</p> <p>The fans, always ready to hop on the Sheeran bandwagon, couldn't contain their excitement in the comments section. Some were so swept away by the thought of Ed showing up at their own weddings that they contemplated tying the knot, fiancé or not.</p> <p>"I never wanted to get married, but if this could happen, I might reconsider," one fan playfully quipped. Another enthusiastic soul chimed in, "You can crash my wedding too! No date set, and I'm still looking for the fiancé, but hey, baby steps."</p> <p>This isn't the first time Sheeran has indulged in his wedding-crashing whims. In 2015, he made headlines by gatecrashing a wedding ceremony in Sydney, courtesy of a local radio station. They had organised the dream wedding for a couple who had faced some serious hardships, so Sheeran decided to sprinkle some stardust on their special day.</p> <p>Fast forward to the present, and Ed's spontaneous wedding performances are still going strong. This latest magical moment came hot on the heels of his Las Vegas concert cancellation. He had to break the news to fans just an hour before showtime. But he then went on to assure everyone that the safety of his fans was his top priority. "I really am gutted," he confessed, but promised that the rescheduled show on October 28 would be nothing short of spectacular.</p>

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Ed Sheeran fans left devastated moments before show

<p>Ed Sheeran has been forced to abruptly cancel his show in Las Vegas, just hours before it was set to begin. </p> <p>The British singer-songwriter, who is coming to the end of his Mathematics World Tour, broke the news to devastated fans on Sunday, saying he was "so sorry" for the last minute cancellation. </p> <p>Sheeran wrote on Instagram, “I can’t believe I’m typing this but there’s been some challenges encountered during the load in of our Vegas show."</p> <p>He continued, “It’s impossible to go forward with the show. I’m so sorry. I know everyone has travelled in for this and I wish I could change it."</p> <p>“The gig will be postponed to Saturday October 28th and all purchased tickets will be valid for that date. I’m so, so sorry x.”</p> <p>Fans were quick to express their disappointment, with many saying they had travelled to attend the show and weren't able to come back for the postponed gig. </p> <p>One fan wrote, “I can’t believe we travelled all the way to Vegas 10 hours to see Ed Sheeran for him to cancel less than an hour before the show."</p> <p>“My poor husband a disabled vet along with so many people standing waiting on 103 degree heat to be turned away!!! I can’t come back in October, and no refund!!”</p> <p>Many demanded an explanation as to how the gig could be cancelled at such short notice, to which Ed took to Instagram again in the hours after the cancellation to shed some light on the issue. </p> <p>According to his statement on Instagram, the show was cancelled over safety concerns when two tall towers, used to hold up the stage and lighting equipment, had become unstable. </p> <p>Despite best efforts to restabilise the structures, the issue then travelled to the safety of the floor, which was set to hold 65,000 concertgoers, and the whole show had to be cancelled. </p> <p>Adding to the explanation, Sheeran wrote,  "I really am gutted, this was very much out of my control but I do take full responsibility for everyone that was put out from the cancellation. Of course refunds are available at point of purchase, and there is a rescheduled show October the 28th if people still want to come, I promise it will be special."</p> <p>"We really thought the show was going to happen up until the very last moment but it just couldn’t for safety reasons. Sorry again to everyone affected, and hopefully see you in October x".</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Booking customers on flights that were cancelled – how could Qantas do that?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827">Purdue University</a></em></p> <p>Fining Qantas <a href="https://www.atn.aero/#/article.html?id=87951">A$600 million</a> if it is found to have knowingly sold so-called “ghost flights” would be fair, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.</p> <p>The commission this week <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-takes-court-action-alleging-qantas-advertised-flights-it-had-already-cancelled">launched action</a> in the Federal Court alleging Qantas engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by selling tickets on flights that had already been cancelled, and not informing passengers of cancellations in a timely manner.</p> <p>The regulator’s charges against the airline, which last month reported a record <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/24/qantas-delivers-record-247bn-profit">$2.47 billion profit</a>, have precipitated the early exit of longtime chief executive Alan Joyce, who quit this week two months ahead of schedule. This court challenge will certainly add to the workload of his successor, Vanessa Hudson.</p> <p>Qantas <a href="https://www.atn.aero/#/article.html?id=87951">has acknowledged</a> that service standards might have slipped as the airline was struggling to recover after the pandemic.</p> <p>The nature of the oversights that led to the airline’s errors will determine the airline’s liability – both to the consumer regulator and to individual claims for compensation.</p> <p>Importantly, the case also points to the need for greater regulatory protection of the airline’s passengers, in line with other jurisdictions.</p> <h2>How did Qantas get in this mess?</h2> <p>The short answer, most likely, is that the carrier did not handle flight cancellations promptly due to the sheer volume of work and labour shortages as it sought to resume operations following the end of pandemic restrictions.</p> <p>The consumer regulator’s allegations relate specifically to May and June 2022. Australia lifted many of its COVID-related travel restrictions in <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/australia-lifts-covid-restrictions-and-welcomes-travelers-/6451955.html">March</a>, and travellers entering the country <a href="https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/australia-lifts-remaining-covid-19-travel-restrictions">after July 6</a> were not required to show proof of vaccination. The airline was trying to bring its planes back into service and hire or retrain its employees, and generally was struggling to get back to more or less normal operations.</p> <p>In its statement, the competition watchdog noted the carrier cancelled nearly one in four flights scheduled during that period; and for two out of three cancelled flights it either continued selling tickets or failed to inform the passengers –sometimes for extended periods of time – or both.</p> <p>Flight cancellations are a normal part of an airline’s operations. However, the “usual” cancellation rate is <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/air-travel-consumer-report-march-2023-and-1st-quarter-2023-numbers#:%7E:text=DOT%20remains%20committed%20to%20ensuring,first%20three%20months%20of%202022.">less than 2%</a>, less than a tenth of what Qantas experienced in May and June 2022. What is unusual is that Qantas did not immediately remove cancelled flights from its booking system. This is something I have never heard of.</p> <p>One also suspects the airline has had enough “practice” with schedule adjustment during the pandemic to know better. There are clearly gaps in the carrier’s management. It has lessons to learn from this debacle.</p> <h2>What is Qantas’ liability?</h2> <p>The question of the extent of the airline’s liability is not straightforward. Obviously, a business willingly selling a product or service it has no intention to deliver is at fault, and has to face consequences.</p> <p>At the same time, a business selling a product that has defects it is unaware of, despite doing its best to prevent such defects from occurring, will face certain costs (such as those associated with a product recall) but may be spared sanctions.</p> <p>The onus will be on Qantas to demonstrate it made an honest mistake rather than a lapse of judgement. But considering the scale of the problem, the airline faces a very difficult task here.</p> <h2>Individual claims pending</h2> <p>As well as a potential fine, Qantas should brace for a flood of claims from individual passengers who bought a ticket for an already cancelled flight or were not informed in a timely manner.</p> <p>Timing will be of the essence here. If a passenger incurred expenses assuming the flight was operating when it had already been cancelled, such as making a non-refundable hotel reservation, there is a case to request compensation for such expenses.</p> <p>Otherwise, the standard policy will apply: the airline is not usually responsible for any non-refundable and uninsured expenses a passenger incurs prior to the flight cancellation.</p> <h2>Closing the regulatory gap</h2> <p>The regulator should, however, also take a closer look at the existing air passenger rights in Australia.</p> <p>Currently, <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/specific-products-and-activities/travel-delays-and-cancellations">the consumer is entitled to replacement or refund</a> if an airline does not provide services “in a reasonable time” - that is, in the event of a lengthy delay or a flight cancellation. However, the definition of “reasonable time” and the specifics of the compensation policies are left to the airlines.</p> <p>In other parts of the world, actions have been or are being taken to strengthen customer protection. For instance, in <a href="https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm">the European Union</a>, lengthy delays that are the airlines’ fault lead to the carriers paying out cash compensation as well as the cost of accommodation and meals.</p> <p>Similar regulations <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-propose-requirements-airlines-cover-expenses-and-compensate-stranded-passengers">were proposed in the United States</a> earlier this year.</p> <p>Perhaps, if stronger consumer protection rules had been in place in Australia in 2022, Qantas would have managed the aftermath of flight cancellations more diligently.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212793/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827">Purdue University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/booking-customers-on-flights-that-were-cancelled-how-could-qantas-do-that-212793">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Alan Joyce grilled over cancelled flights and Covid credits

<p>Outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has faced a line of tough questioning after appearing in front of a Senate committee on Monday, who questioned his enormous salary in the face of the cost of living crisis.</p> <p>At the explosive public hearing of the select committee on the cost of living, which Joyce had to be summonsed to after repeatedly refusing to attend, the outgoing Qantas chief executive defended the record $2.47bn full-year profit he announced just days earlier.</p> <p>Senators were confused by the extraordinary profit, given Qantas has seen 12 months of soaring customer dissatisfaction and a looming class action lawsuit over the travel credits policy during the height of the pandemic, as well as facing accusations of anti-competitive behaviour, and historically high cancellation rates out of Sydney airport.</p> <p>Joyce defended the profits, saying Qantas had been caught up in a wave of “criticism of corporate profits” due to cost-of-living pressures.</p> <p>As well as the company's incredible profits, Joyce himself, who is walking away from the CEO role at the end of the year, is set to walk away with as much as $24 million in personal pay. </p> <p>Labor senator Tony Sheldon quizzed Joyce on if he feels "embarrassed" over his huge personal salary, given the airline’s soaring complaints and his decisions to restructure the airline to pay employees less.</p> <p>Joyce refused to answer the question, saying the senator was "making a whole series of points that are just incorrect.”</p> <p>Joyce was then grilled on the seemingly "strategic" cancellation of domestic flights, in which some senators, as well as airline competitors, had accused Qantas of booking in flights out of Sydney airport and then cancelling them last minute, to block other airlines from increasing their services. </p> <p>He again denied these claims, stating that Qantas’s cancellation rate on a national level (not out of Sydney specifically) were the lowest of the major carriers, and blamed the cancellations on “supply chain issues” and “air traffic control delays”.</p> <p>Finally, Joyce was confronted over his policy of not refunding travel credits that were issued when travellers' trips were cancelled during the height of the pandemic. </p> <p>In June, Qantas announced more than $500 million in Covid credits remained unclaimed and would expire by the end of the year.</p> <p>While refunds have been offered for some credits, not everyone was able to claim these, and a class action lawsuit is now claiming compensation for lost interest on the credits.</p> <p>At the Senate committee meeting, Jetstar chief executive, Steph Tully, said the number of unclaimed credits now lies at $370 million, however this figure did not reflect Jetstar or overseas customers’ credits.</p> <p>“Around $100m” in Jetstar credits remain unclaimed, on top of Qantas’s $370m, Tully said.</p> <p>Senator Sheldon then slammed Tully for "not being transparent” before asking “what’s stopping you from refunding the money”.</p> <p>Tully replied “lots of reasons”, citing codeshare flights and “half-taken trips”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Bruce Springsteen cancels shows after being "taken ill"

<p>Bruce Springsteen's upcoming performances have been unexpectedly put on hold due to his falling ill, leading to the postponement of his scheduled shows.</p> <p>A sudden announcement, posted on the singer's official X account, has informed fans that the show dates will be rescheduled.</p> <p>"Due to Bruce Springsteen having been taken ill, his concerts with The E Street Band at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed.</p> <p>We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled shows."</p> <p>This announcement emerged mere hours before the debut show, just as eager fans were anticipating a memorable experience with Springsteen and his band.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Due to Bruce Springsteen having been taken ill, his concerts with The E Street Band at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed.</p> <p>We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled…</p> <p>— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) <a href="https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1691872953414115424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>This occurrence isn't the first instance where the music icon had to modify a show at the 11th hour due to health issues.</p> <p>Earlier this year, Springsteen communicated the postponement of his March 9 event at the Nationwide Arena in Ohio, attributing it to "illness."</p> <p>No explicit details about his health condition were disclosed in that instance either, but fans were encouraged to retain their original tickets for the rescheduled shows.</p> <p>Following the Ohio cancellation, two more postponements were subsequently declared.</p> <p>The performance originally slated for March 12 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut has been rescheduled to September, while the March 14 show at the MVP Arena in Albany, upstate New York, was similarly postponed.</p> <p>Both changes were tied to unspecified health concerns.</p> <p>During this period, Steven Van Zandt, a member of the E Street Band, assuaged fans' concerns. He reassured them via Twitter, stating: "No need to be anxious or afraid. Nothing serious. Just a temporary situation. We will all be back in full force very soon."</p> <p>The band embarked on their tour in February, commencing in Tampa and traversing the United States before crossing the Atlantic to Europe in April.</p> <p>Returning to the United States in August, Springsteen and his crew intended to entertain audiences for several more months before culminating the extensive tour on December 10 in San Francisco.</p> <p>With a career spanning over 50 years, the seasoned singer-songwriter shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.</p>

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