FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS: Volcano ash from Iceland hits UK flight plans

jmd4eva

we were due to fly out this morning at 9am to tenerife.

we rang yesterday at about 11am to make sure it was still ok for us to travel up to gatwick from bournemouth, they said yes, just check in as normal.

so we travelled up last night, spent the night in a hotel (where we had also booked parking for our 7day holiday)

woke up this morning to find all flights cancelled until 1am tomorrow morning. so we rang thomas cook and got an email from them to say that there was a delay of at least 12 hours, so we would be covered for "abandonment after 12hr delay" under my natwest advantage gold travel insurance.

we've rang the car hire people, who have cancelled it and will refund us 50% (not sure if it will include the extra money on the extra insurance we bought with it?)

we booked our hotel through their own website. we emailed them yesterday to advise them there may be a delay in us arriving, and they emailed back to say cancellation must be before 24hrs... we have emailed twice now and still have no reply. i don't mind them taking a night off and reimbursing us the rest, but as we paid in advance and it is really totally out of our control, i feel they should do this!!

also, holiday extras are saying that it is impossible to get the parking we are not using refunded, nor even give us an email or letter to say that we have cancelled our parking, so that we can claim on insurance!

total !!!! up i think... needs to be a change in the law to cover extreme circumstances and companies trying to wriggle their way out of being fair!

isplumm

jmd4eva wrote: »

we were due to fly out this morning at 9am to tenerife.

we rang yesterday at about 11am to make sure it was still ok for us to travel up to gatwick from bournemouth, they said yes, just check in as normal.

so we travelled up last night, spent the night in a hotel (where we had also booked parking for our 7day holiday)

woke up this morning to find all flights cancelled until 1am tomorrow morning. so we rang thomas cook and got an email from them to say that there was a delay of at least 12 hours, so we would be covered for "abandonment after 12hr delay" under my natwest advantage gold travel insurance.

we've rang the car hire people, who have cancelled it and will refund us 50% (not sure if it will include the extra money on the extra insurance we bought with it?)

we booked our hotel through their own website. we emailed them yesterday to advise them there may be a delay in us arriving, and they emailed back to say cancellation must be before 24hrs... we have emailed twice now and still have no reply. i don't mind them taking a night off and reimbursing us the rest, but as we paid in advance and it is really totally out of our control, i feel they should do this!!

also, holiday extras are saying that it is impossible to get the parking we are not using refunded, nor even give us an email or letter to say that we have cancelled our parking, so that we can claim on insurance!

total !!!! up i think... needs to be a change in the law to cover extreme circumstances and companies trying to wriggle their way out of being fair!

Did you get a ticket when you left the car park - shows you entry / exit time - that with your car park invoice should be able to used by insurance.

Mark

hieveryone

Can I clarify some details with the more knowledgeable people here?

I'm currently stuck in New York - I flew with Continental from Glasgow to Newark and was due to return on Wednesday.

Continental have offered us nothing at all - no meal vouchers, no accommodation, and I have spent 2 nights so far in a hotel costing >$100.

I am provisionally booked on a flight leaving on Tues (:o!!!), arriving in LONDON on Wednesday, and will need to make my own way back from London.

Any ideas what my rights are?

Thanks

mum2one

Yellowdaffodils wrote: »

Pesky volcano disrupted my travel plans yesterday. Was about to leave but got a notification from thetravelmagazine.net about the problems yesterday.

Upset because I don't know when I can rearrange this for.

Hope you get it sorted out, know exactly what you mean, just spoke to my travel agents, and theyve said don't even bother going to the airport, I was due to fly to Cuba, this morning, theyve said after 12 hrs I can get a full refund allocated, had free ins with that hol, but have a seperate 12 month policy with another company ans they have said presently their not paying out on travel ins, could be classed as an act of god.......

teamcullen

NATS have now said it's now 7am for flights tomorrow at the earliest. Some of Scotland and Northern Ireland can open back up from 7pm. And they have said Newcastle may have some opportunity from 1am tomorrow.

FH_Brit

INSURANCE - Be aware that the "Ash" situation is being denied by many travel insurers because it is an Act of God.

Cancellation/Delayed travel insurance does not cover "Acts of God' and that means volcanic ash delays will NOT be covered my the majority of policies.

I questioned Europ Assistance this morning and put the point over (a bit of a dig really) that the "ash" situation was not an Act of God as the CAA and British Government decided to ground the aircraft (if God wanted to he would just stop the aircraft engines from starting!).

You can imagine the response!!!

I wonder how many people from the UK are here in Orlando without money as they are at the end of their holiday and now finding themselves stuck at the airports, no hotels, and no help from the IC's

The IC's say Act of God - that gives the impression that they are Christians, leaving families stranded = very "Christian" of you!

For "Act of God" read "Act of board of Directors" to save money!

FH_Brit

teamcullen wrote: »

NATS have now said it's now 7am for flights tomorrow at the earliest. Some of Scotland and Northern Ireland can open back up from 7pm. And they have said Newcastle may have some opportunity from 1am tomorrow.

Yes - until the volcano starts up again!!!!

totalzoomer

Pelican_eats_pigeon wrote: »

Sorry, I misread your first post! I don't think you can get a refund of the Match Break under those circumstances, unfortunately...

I was looking at the possibility of claiming the loss suffered from the Airline under the Montreal Convention but article 19 would appear to rule out liability in this case.

If booked via a credit card is there no way that i would be able to claim via that route at all? I know that when there is an issue with flights booked via credit card there may be a chance to claim through the credit card company, am i right and if so how do i go about that route?

FH_Brit

TOTALZOOMER - No - Credit card coverage as you put it, insures or guarntees you against fraud and not getting service or product you paid for. As the airlines, they are within the law by offering refund or re-booking they are not defrauding you and therefore the CC company will not refund you.

You can "go about it" by calling your credit card customer service number (on your card or statement) but I think you will fiond out they won't.

FH_Brit

hieveryone wrote: »

Can I clarify some details with the more knowledgeable people here?

I'm currently stuck in New York - I flew with Continental from Glasgow to Newark and was due to return on Wednesday.

Continental have offered us nothing at all - no meal vouchers, no accommodation, and I have spent 2 nights so far in a hotel costing >$100.

I am provisionally booked on a flight leaving on Tues (:o!!!), arriving in LONDON on Wednesday, and will need to make my own way back from London.

Any ideas what my rights are?

Thanks

Very few - see my other post it is seeming all are doing the same - you can always ask your travel insurance company you may well have an exceptional policy that covers Acts of God.

I have just asked my contact at Virgin Atlantic, and her response is as I said earlier (although she says she does not know VAA Official Policy - but she believes) as an Act of God the airline are only legally responsible for refund or re-shedule. No Food, Hotel, alternative travel method.

It is (apparently) totally different from a mechanical breakdown of an aircraft etc. causing delay.