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I feel so let down - who can I speak to to recover costs?
jojeba
Posts: 82 Forumite
On 21 May 2009 we were due to fly to Maui for a wedding, via Chicago and Los Angeles, with United airlines. We had an hour and a half to connect to our next flight to Los Angeles. However, there were only 4 staff on at customs and no queue for people with connecting flights. It took us over 2 hours to get through the queue. I tried to ask an official about our connection but they just said "You don't have a chance."
To cut a very stressful and upsetting ordeal short, we were unable to then get a flight to Los Angeles until about 3.50pm that afternoon, arriving in Los Angeles. we could not get on another flight from Los Angeles to Maui until 2.40pm the following day, so we had to fork out to stay in a hotel near Los Angeles airport, which the airline refused to pay for as the fault cause for our delay lay with customs.
We had travel insurance, and tried to claim back the cost of the airport hotel as well as the 1 night of accommodation in Maui that we had paid for, and of course, never used. Our insurance company said they will only pay out insofar as compensating for the 23-hour delay - we get £20 each.
Despite us, the customers, doing everything we were meant to do, and being everywhere we were meant to be promptly and co-operatively, I feel so let down. Does anyone know how I might regain the money we lost? Normally when people are delayed the airline puts them in a hotel, and gives them a meal voucher - for us, they wouldn't pay for so much as a sandwich. We had to pay for two days of airport food (breakfast, lunches, and dinner!) as well as the hotel, of course, and then the lost costs in Maui.
I don't know what to do, or who to speak to!
To cut a very stressful and upsetting ordeal short, we were unable to then get a flight to Los Angeles until about 3.50pm that afternoon, arriving in Los Angeles. we could not get on another flight from Los Angeles to Maui until 2.40pm the following day, so we had to fork out to stay in a hotel near Los Angeles airport, which the airline refused to pay for as the fault cause for our delay lay with customs.
We had travel insurance, and tried to claim back the cost of the airport hotel as well as the 1 night of accommodation in Maui that we had paid for, and of course, never used. Our insurance company said they will only pay out insofar as compensating for the 23-hour delay - we get £20 each.
Despite us, the customers, doing everything we were meant to do, and being everywhere we were meant to be promptly and co-operatively, I feel so let down. Does anyone know how I might regain the money we lost? Normally when people are delayed the airline puts them in a hotel, and gives them a meal voucher - for us, they wouldn't pay for so much as a sandwich. We had to pay for two days of airport food (breakfast, lunches, and dinner!) as well as the hotel, of course, and then the lost costs in Maui.
I don't know what to do, or who to speak to!
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Comments
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The delays were not their fault as you didn't miss the flights due to anybodies fault.
1.5 hours for connecting flights on a long haul flight doesnt seem sufficient either.
Also are you american? if so then this site isnt likely to know the laws applicable0 -
No, I'm from the UK - we were travelling from London.
But it IS someone's fault. An airline sells tickets with a connecting time that is insufficient to clear customs - that's their fault. Customs don't have queues for those with connecting flights - that's their fault. I travel a lot, and have always found that when there is a long queue at immigration, people with connecting flights are herded through a separate queue. Never in my life have I seen what I saw at Chicago; shambles!
Because of this we also missed the wedding party diving tour we'd organised, plus the wedding rehearsal dinner, but this is just a sore point at my end, and I know there is nothing I can do about that. But I at least want my costs covered.0 -
Its unfortunate but I dont think you have any evidence that someone elses neglience or a breach of contract is to blame for the delays.
You can try the complain and hope method but legally I don't think you will get anywere.
Its not the airlines fault the airport were short staffed, and likewise the airport customs didnt have a duty of care to you.
If you thought the connecting time was insufficent why buy it.0 -
We weren't aware we had to clear customs until we landed in Chicago, so we felt the given connecting time was plenty to make our next flight. Even if we had known ahead of time, I would have felt this was sufficient, as most airports allow onward customers to go through a separate queue.
And while I do appreciate your comments, LinaPilibaitisisbatman, I am really looking for someone who might actually be able to suggest a contact or company I can speak to. Thanks. x0 -
Did you buy all flights at the same time from the same company? If so complain to them - they should have been aware that 1.5 hours is tight and should have checked it was possible.Don't put it DOWN; put it AWAY"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily Dickinson
Janice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear0 -
The only company you could really contact are the people running Chicago airport. They might not have anything to do with the staff though.Come on you Irons0
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LinasPilibaitisisbatman wrote: »The delays were not their fault as you didn't miss the flights due to anybodies fault.
1.5 hours for connecting flights on a long haul flight doesnt seem sufficient either.
Also are you american? if so then this site isnt likely to know the laws applicable
It's obvious that if the tickets were bought at the same time then the selling organisation or airline should take much of the responsibility for insufficient stopover time. The airline will, in turn, have the legal or commercial clout to take action against the airport.
Anyone who has ever been to the United States will realise that their immigration processes are an utter shambles. That said, 90 minutes to switch aircraft should be ample.0 -
Fwiw, customs at Chicago are a nightmare, its your first point of call into the US so its usually a lengthy procedure involving you being photographed and finger scanned.
We booked our own flights and made sure our connection from Chicago to L.A gave us at least 2 and a half hours, especially as Chicago is such a huge airport anyway and to get to the connecting flight involved getting a train through the airport to the check in desk.
Of course, this info is of no use to you now as you have found out to your cost its a lengthy affair.0 -
No, I'm from the UK - we were travelling from London.
But it IS someone's fault. An airline sells tickets with a connecting time that is insufficient to clear customs - that's their fault. Customs don't have queues for those with connecting flights - that's their fault. I travel a lot, and have always found that when there is a long queue at immigration, people with connecting flights are herded through a separate queue. Never in my life have I seen what I saw at Chicago; shambles!
Because of this we also missed the wedding party diving tour we'd organised, plus the wedding rehearsal dinner, but this is just a sore point at my end, and I know there is nothing I can do about that. But I at least want my costs covered.
If you've travelled a lot I'm not sure how you didn't know that you would have to clear customs in Chicago, its the same in every country that you clear customs at your first touch down point?Its not that we have more patience as we grow older, its just that we're too tired to care about all the pointless drama
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If you've travelled a lot I'm not sure how you didn't know that you would have to clear customs in Chicago, its the same in every country that you clear customs at your first touch down point?
WHere does OP say that he/she didn't know that customs (actually immigration) had to be cleared in Chicago?0
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