Flight Delay Compensation

dionne.mulligan

Can someone please advise on the 2nd November 2010 Tuesday we arrived at Gatwick to get our flight to Mexico with Thomas Cook Airlines on arrival whilst checking our luggage in we were requested to go to Customer Desk as there was not enough seats available on the flight, when we approached the Thomas Cook Customer Help Desk we were told that due to the pilot being taken ill in Cuba the plane that we should of been getting on was smaller because they had no one to fly the plane from Cuba to Gatwick, they therefore downgraded the plane to a smaller one and approximately 30 passengers did not get on their booked flight. We then had to wait around in the airport with two young children, when they then told us that they had managed to get us on a flight to Madrid with Ryanair from there we would be getting a connecting flight to Mexico, we went all through check-in etc but when we got to the gate the plane had left, then we had to go all the way back through Customs, collect our luggage and hang about again, we waited until 11am when we were informed we were being put up at the Hilton Hotel at Gatwick, until they had further information about getting us on a flight to Mexico. We waited all day and did not see any Reps at the hotel until the evening when we were told that no-one was getting on a flight as there was no flights available. Then the next morning we receive a phonecall to say that they maybe getting us on a flight to Toronto and from there we would fly to Mexico. This eventually happened on the Wedsnesday we were transferred to Heathrow Airport where we got a flight with Air Canada to Toronto we had to stay overnight and then fly from Toronto with Air Canada again to Mexico on Thursday 4th November. We lost 2 days of our holiday not to mention all the messing about and the extra expense we had to pay out at the hotels in between.

After writing to Thomas Cook about this they have come back with a response saying that, there is no provision within leglislation within the Airline Industry to make compensation payments.

I find this hard to believe as they were the ones whom downgraded the plane, the flight was not delayed or cancelled it took off without us and all they have sent us is a refund cheque of £20 for additional taxi transfer we had to pay out. They have not even mentioned the 2 days holiday we lost.

I would appreciate your advice where we stand.

richardw

It appears you were denied boarding see post number 1143 in https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/41245558#Comment_41245558

Have you got Legal Expenses cover with an insurance policy?