Stuck in Lanzarote and paying accommodation - Monarch grrr!

Alias_Omega

I would look for some cheaper accomodation, even if it means that you book it for 2 adults, and all sneak into the hotel room self catering.

Im sure you could find an apartment / room above a shop somewhere for a few days until your sorted.

Even if airspace opens tomorrow, its going to be 3-4 days before they can get you back, your aircraft might not be in Lanzarote, but somewhere else in Europe.

bullshot

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I would look for some cheaper accomodation, even if it means that you book it for 2 adults, and all sneak into the hotel room self catering.

Im sure you could find an apartment / room above a shop somewhere for a few days until your sorted.

Even if airspace opens tomorrow, its going to be 3-4 days before they can get you back, your aircraft might not be in Lanzarote, but somewhere else in Europe.

This is good advice CM...been listening to Radio 4 all morning and they had a chap on from another airline who said they will look after their customers re help with ' some of the cost towards food and accommodation'...he stressed the word ' some'...so I wouldn't go mad ( sorry no pun intended CM)and eat and drink to your hearts content thinking it will all be paid for, but I'm sure all reasonable expenses will be covered for you....news at 9am stated no flights being considered until 1am tomorrow....

lky2k23

So we are screwed?

bullshot

Just heard a spokesman say that the EU airlines are obliged to re-schedule your flight,provide you with accommodtion and refreshment, (did not say 'meals') on Working Lunch they are saying they have a duty of care to look after you, but it can be a blanket at an airport, depends on the airline and refreshments , no gaurantees it will be the hotel you have been staying in....BA have announced they will waive carpark charges for people delayed abroad...

lky2k23

ARe England sending boats to people in Spain? What about people who have no options unlike them people! I can't believe that everyone booked with eu holidays are covered and a.airlines are just laughing at us! Insurance company don't want to know either. Booked tickets on egg credit card does this help us at all?

BLUEWKD

lky2k23 wrote: »

ARe England sending boats to people in Spain? What about people who have no options unlike them people! I can't believe that everyone booked with eu holidays are covered and a.airlines are just laughing at us! Insurance company don't want to know either. Booked tickets on egg credit card does this help us at all?

Have you tried the British Embassy as to where you stand?
I would think there is a site like this somewhere, where Americans travelling to London and back will have put their experiences on. You might find AA are treating their American customers different to the British ones as I cannot see any Americans putting up with crappy treatment. I think it may also be worth telling AA that you intend to get in touch with one of the telly networks about the way they have treated a tourist to their country.
Sorry cannot help re egg card, except it may be worth ringing them, hope something is resolved soon for you.

Coupon-mad

withabix wrote: »

CouponMad, you will probably have to pay for your accommodation and then claim it back when you get back to the UK, simply because Monarch don't seem to understand their obligations under EU Regulations. Clearly someone will have to pay your hotel bill when you check out and it will undoubtedly be you, because it will take longer than the date of your return to the UK to resolve the argument with Monarch.

To be honest, the EU Regs weren't written to cover severe widespread disruption such as this - trying to get companies to direct-pay individual hotels during this disruption is unworkable. Unfair as it may be, refunding their customers expenses in the UK is a more practical solution.

The EU Regs covering air travel are unique and will probably send some of the airlines out of business.

There will undoubtedly be a template letter and verbatim reproduction of the rules posted on MSE as a sticky or website page within a few days, so you can use that when you get back home. Weather forecast suggests that flights will resume by about Thursday/Friday this week following a change in wind direction.

On the following link:

http://www.monarch.co.uk/news/holidays/travel-alerts/icelandic-volcano

it says

Avro ZB Flight-Only travellers may contact the Call Centre to transfer their flight, once operations restart, or claim a refund for the cancelled ZB inbound sector. Airlines may consider reasonable claims for receipted out of pocket expenses.

AVRO Flight-Only pax on Charter Flights (Monarch, ThomsonFly, Thomas Cook etc,) should liaise with the local Tour Operator Representative, as they will be notified when the Charter operation resumes, but also to ensure that we have a local contact number for them. Airlines may consider reasonable claims for receipted out of pocket expenses.


They may argue about paying for you to stay in the hotel of your choice at the AI price you are paying. Clearly three meals a day and soft drinks/tea/coffee is reasonable, but paying for you to get drunk and to eat/drink 24/7 clearly isn't!

(I'm not criticising you - I'm looking forward to my 4* AI holiday to Lanzarote in two weeks....hopefully)

I would suggest that you check some prices for alternative accommodation on a full board basis to make sure you are paying a reasonable cost. If you are in a 5* and 3* is available, you may end up with an argument there, although in reality you coud bill them for accommodation and all meals and drinks separately, which would obviously cost more.


Your flight will have been a 'ZB' scheduled flight and not a 'MON' charter flight, as they operate a scheduled service to Lanzarote, HOWEVER, you presumably booked a CHARTER ticket on a SCHEDULED flight, as you booked via Avro.

Contact numbers for flight customers are apparently:

08719 40 50 40 - if calling from the UK
+44 8719 40 50 40 - if calling from overseas on a UK mobile
800 099 260 - if calling from Spain, the Canary or Balearic Islands (landline only)
20041169 - if calling from Gibraltar
800 860270 - if calling from Portugal
800 95242 - if calling from Cyprus

The biggest problem I can see is not actually getting your out-of-pocket expenses back. I see the problem being who you get it back FROM.

I can see there being business carnage in the travel industry - some low cost airlines and tour operators probably won't be around in a few weeks time, as they just won't be able to survive this.

Many thanks for this, Withabix.

Yes we bought Charter tickets with Avro, didn´t realise this meant we were simply put on a scheduled flight. Your post explains things very clearly.

I am thinking we will have to pay and will lose most of our money as I think Monarch won´t survive this.

withabix

Monarch/Cosmos may be OK - they've out-survived other holiday compnaies who have fallen by the wayside over the last 20 years.

They are a private, family owned company (Monarch Holdings) and hence do not have to publish financial reports, so it is hard to tell.

They are the longest surviving independant and own 28 planes.

bullshot

Just been announced Manchester Airport is opening tomorrow morning and Edinburgh etc.are opening tomorrow at 6pm...and yes the government is/was arranging for 3 aircraft carriers to collect people that could manage to get to Spain

bullshot

Update on Airports, now saying all Northern Airports will re-open tomorrow morning....Heathrow opening late tomorrow