Titan Airways

Trevor_Hall · 10 January 2018 at 7:15PM

Saturday January 6th - departing Chambery, France.

We were a party of 8 returning to the UK (LGW) on a Titan Airways charter flight (ZT448) from Chambery as part of a package ski trip with Inghams.

Chambery airport was chaotic and the flight take off was delayed. As we approached the gate there was an announcement that due to flight crew sickness, the passenger numbers had to be reduced by 25. Our group was part of the 25. Our luggage was removed from the aircraft and we were allocated an alternative journey aboard a TUI flight (TOM4695).

This landed (doors opened) at 22:05 - 3 hours 20 minutes later than the original Titan flight scheduled time. Am I "entitled" to flight delay compensation? If so should the claim be made for the whole group or on an individual/family basis? Any help advice would be appreciated!

Caz3121 · 10 January 2018 at 7:28PM

Trevor_Hall wrote: »

the passenger numbers had to be reduced by 25. Our group was part of the 25.

Did the airline ask for volunteers to come off the flight?
Did you volunteer or were you just told you were not getting on?

Trevor_Hall · 10 January 2018 at 7:30PM

Just told we werent getting on - no choice

JPears · 10 January 2018 at 11:13PM

Airline are bound by the regulations which says they must ask for volunteers in a circumstance like this.
At which point some haggling can be done for any amount.
If insufficient volunteers are found, only then can the ailine chose who to deny boarding to.
At which point you are almost certainly due compensation.
Put your claim in.
And make a complaint to the CAA for Titan's disregard for the regualtions. The latter will make no difference individually, but the more people that complain, the more likely, at some point, the CAA will be forced, either "voluntarily" or by a higher power, to actually do something. The abysmal behaviour of airlines and their disregard for the customers that keep them in business cannot continue.

JPears · 10 January 2018 at 11:14PM

And download Vauban's instructive and most helpful guide.

Trevor_Hall · 18 January 2018 at 12:40PM

It seems that the airline is covered by the "extraordinary circumstances" line for compensation for either flight delay compensation or denied boarding.

Can anyone tell me if "crew illness" is classified as an extraordinary circumstance?

JPears · 18 January 2018 at 3:30PM

Crew illness is not usually an EC unless it occurs in flight. This didn't happen.
I am trying to work out why you would have to reduce passenger numbers if a crew member were missing, presumably not the pilot/co-pilot.
If a cabin crew was missing I would have thought a much higher number in passenger reduction was necessary.
Apparently the CAA minimum limit is at least one cabin crew per 50 seats (not passengers)
I suspect the plane that arrived at Chambery was not the original one intended for your flight and had fewer seats?
You were denied boarding, I suggest continue with your claim or hand to a NWNF firm such as Botts, if thy think you have a valid claim.

Tyzap · 18 January 2018 at 4:22PM

JPears wrote: »

Crew illness is not usually an EC unless it occurs in flight. This didn't happen.
I am trying to work out why you would have to reduce passenger numbers if a crew member were missing, presumably not the pilot/co-pilot.
If a cabin crew was missing I would have thought a much higher number in passenger reduction was necessary.
Apparently the CAA minimum limit is at least one cabin crew per 50 seats (not passengers)
I suspect the plane that arrived at Chambery was not the original one intended for your flight and had fewer seats?
You were denied boarding, I suggest continue with your claim or hand to a NWNF firm such as Botts, if thy think you have a valid claim.

If a flight attendant is too sick to fly, the number of PAX may have to be reduced for safety reasons.

Generally this ratio is around 1x FA per 50 PAX, so in this case there may have been 25 empty seats.

JPears · 18 January 2018 at 5:19PM

The regulation is usually per seat, not passenger.
Some short haul aircraft are 156 seats but they have 6 seats "blocked out" ie cabin crew only or with fixed table in the middle so they can get away with 3 cabin crew, not 4.
Looks like the Titan airbus is a 168 or 180 configuration requiring so at least 4 cabin crew required irrespective of passenger numbers.

Tyzap · 18 January 2018 at 7:55PM

You could be right.

I recall reading a post where some PAX's were off loaded, on a flight from the Caribbean iirc, when a FA was taken to hospital thus leaving the flight short of one crew member.

Once some PAX were removed, the op reported that the flight continued.

JPears · 18 January 2018 at 9:43PM

The point is Tyzap, the number of passengers is irrelevant, it's the number of seats on the aircraft.
I have seen reports of several pilots experience where they have taken off with a 2 cabin crew staff because less than 100 passengers return due to tech fault, swap aircraft but have to find 3rd crew member because the replacement aircraft was more than 100 seats..
If Titan flew with insufficient cabin crew for number seats they may have broken law.
Unless there is some emergency contingency that allows the passengers number to be reduced.
The other reason maybe that you were bumped off because of the chaos at Chambery, some other passengers from a previous affected flight were put on your plane instead, like you were put on a later This flight.
I would presume your claim. Have you checked with Botts online?

Titan Airways

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