Stuck in Lanzarote and paying accommodation - Monarch grrr!

Coupon-mad

Hi all,
Our family (2 adults and 4 children) are currently stuck in Lanzarote and after several phone conversations, Monarch have refused so far to pay for our accommodation since our flight should have gone yesterday. So we have stayed at our hotel and will have to pay on a credit card for a few days stay (it´s all-inclusive, costs 300 Euros per night for the 6 of us). It´s very worrying and we are stressing about it...hope someone can help.

I am hoping for some advice on how to handle things right now to see if we can should be able to push for our accommodation to be paid for as it´s going to cost us a fortune until we can get home. I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction for whether any EU directives or ABTA code of conduct would suggest that Monarch should be doing something for us as regards paying for accommodation?

In this hotel, Thomson and Thomas Cook are paying for their customers to stay on. Thomas Cook have also included flight-only customers in this (their rep told me there are some SAGA customers who had flight only with T.C. but that T.C. are still paying as the customers are their responsibility.

When I spoke to Monarch, they said we won´t pay for accommodation as you bought flight only...:mad:

We bought the chartered flight on the internet on the Monarch website last minute (as there were no packages left including flights, when we booked with a week to spare). The site took us via their agents, Avro. I think Cosmos own these companies.

We bought our accommodation through Airmiles, which bought it through Thomson.

The insurance is with Airmiles but they have said at the moment that the policy doesn´t cover this as it´s an Act of God, according to them. However I believe other policies are covering it and as the Volcano is neither on Lanzarote nor in the UK, isn´t it more adverse weather conditions that has caused our flight to be cancelled. The plane is not here on Lanzarote, it is presumably still at Gatwick.

Any advice welcome, the hotel is great so I am not complaining - just seriously worried about money.

Thanks all for any help, travel industry advice or just MSE support.

C-m x

apt

Whatever Monarch say they are liable for accommodation, food and drink plus some communications costs during the delay. However, your all inclusive rate may include some things that go beyond this liability.

spheric

Also, Monarch appear to have failed to inform you of your rights under the EU legislation, which means you already have grounds for complaint

It appears the EU have issued a press release reminding everyone that although "extraordinary circumstances" means no compensation for delayed/cancelled flights (the EUR250 /400 depending on distance compensation) it doesn't get the airline out of paying for meals and accommodation. Here's the link

http://www.sofiaecho.com/2010/04/16/888176_eu-reminder-passenger-rights-still-apply-despite-ash-cloud-disruption

Coupon-mad

Thanks so much for the above info, I will look on these links now.

We are feeling like we are on our own out here, no rep and no return phone call today from Monarch. I am about to phone them again and will state the above.

We walked with our kids a mile or so in the heat to the next town this pm, as there is a Cosmos office there. They were English and said ´sorry we don´t know anything yet and we can´t help as Monarch is separate to Cosmos´. They are paying for accommodation for those people booked through Cosmos for a package hol, or through Monarch for a package hol, but denying flight only people anhything at all.

On the phone yesterday their best suggestion was to ´get ourselves to Fuerteventura´ for a flight on Saturday, or book the next Lanzarote plane next Thursday! But if we did the former and that flight is cancelled, as seems likely, we´d just be on a different island and more out of pocket. And we were hoping they would get a plane out here before Thursday...So we stayed here at the moment, not sure if that was right or not as we feel pretty stressed but are trying to enjoy these extra days and ignore the looming cost...

I work in a school, both myself and OH were due back at work on Monday but that doesn´t look likely now.

I will phone Monarch in a mo.

photome

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Thanks so much for the above info, I will look on these links now.

We are feeling like we are on our own out here, no rep and no return phone call today from Monarch. I am about to phone them again and will state the above.

We walked with our kids a mile or so in the heat to the next town this pm, as there is a Cosmos office there. They were English and said ´sorry we don´t know anything yet and we can´t help as Monarch is separate to Cosmos´. They are paying for accommodation for those people booked through Cosmos for a package hol, or through Monarch for a package hol, but denying flight only people anhything at all.

On the phone yesterday their best suggestion was to ´get ourselves to Fuerteventura´ for a flight on Saturday, or book the next Lanzarote plane next Thursday! But if we did the former and that flight is cancelled, as seems likely, we´d just be on a different island and more out of pocket. And we were hoping they would get a plane out here before Thursday...So we stayed here at the moment, not sure if that was right or not as we feel pretty stressed but are trying to enjoy these extra days and ignore the looming cost...

I work in a school, both myself and OH were due back at work on Monday but that doesn´t look likely now.

I will phone Monarch in a mo.

Hope you get it sorted but as someone else pointed out, is an airline really going to pay for an all inclusive hotel (maybe they will) but if it was me i think I would be looking to move to cheaper hotel if possible and keep all receipts

livingspain

Editor of The Independent travel section on Radio 4 this morning confirmed that if airline is an EU airline then they have a duty to look after you...

C_Mababejive

What can you do...? Make the most of your extra days in Lanzarote. It could be worse,you could be back in blightly and going to work next week.

Its an act of God.

MollyJoe

Please could anyone tell me if there is a similar procedure for american flights?
My cousin and family are having to spend another week in Florida at the expense of villa, car etc but they were lying with Delta Airlines to Manchester.
Thank you

Coupon-mad

Thanks to everyone for the help so far.

Am I right in thinking that the CEO of Monarch Airlines is Tim Jeans? I only have another 2 mins on here but think that he is the current CEO, can anyone please confirm?

Also, another passenger here in the same position as us, has said that the Monarch website has been changed in the last few days to remove a paragraph which said ¨If your flight is cancelled by us we will provide meals/refreshments/accommodation¨.

Is this true, can anyone find the cached page or help me to look for it next time I am on here? Thanks for all help, it is much appreciated. x

aj9648

Does the article 9 clause apply to EU regulated companies i.e. Lufthansa flying out of an international non EU country?

kayla99

KEY EXECUTIVES FOR Monarch Airlines Limited

Tim Jeans -Managing Director
Alistair Moffat - Chief Financial Officer
Richard Scott - Operations Director
Peter Brown - Chief Executive Officer of the Monarch Travel Group Alan Murray - Managing Director of First Aviation