Flight delayed for 24h - can virgin pay for transfers to re-route?

underthesea

Virgin cancelled a flight back from the USA to the UK till the following day. I needed to get back to the UK to work (loss of earnings) and there were plenty of flights back to the UK from another state.

This is the issue; Virgin said WE would have to pay for the transfer flights ourselves even though Virgin were putting everybody up in a swanky hotel with breakfast and steak dinner buffets!

Is this right? Where do i stand with this? Can i claim for loss of earnings? Its insane there was a way to get back but Virgin could not accommodate so i end up loosing money from work and Virgin pay more in keeping us in the USA with 4 star hotels and buffets!

The only thing i've found is this. Our DESTINATION was the UK so it wasn't ANOTHER destination as the wording suggests.


http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/customerrelations/cancelledordelayedflights.jsp
Re-book/Re-route to a later date

Re-book/Re-route to a later date

Take an alternative flight to your destination under comparable transport conditions at a later date more convenient to you, subject to the availability of seats in the ticket class originally purchased and seasonal supplements being paid. If the new fare is lower the difference will be refunded. (The option to re-route applies if your flight is cancelled not delayed)

Re-book on a Virgin Atlantic flight to another destination

Subject to availability. Any additional fare cost will be charged. If the new fare is lower the difference will be refunded.


Thanks for any advice!

Caz3121

Was the flight actually cancelled or delayed? How much notice were you given? What reason was given for this?
You could check your travel insurance for consequential losses (the airline will not cover this) but if the flight was cancelled you could be entitled to compensation from Virgin depending on the reason

underthesea

Thanks for the reply Some answers

-Travel insurance won't pay as the reason for the delay was the pilot was ill.

-Virgin say the flight was 'delayed' although I consider it cancelled as it was scheduled next day

-I was given an SMS the night before 8pm. We were due to flight the next day at 16.40

Virgin on numerous occasions by phone and in person said they will not pay for the transfers to get out the country - is this claimable? Also, the reason for not flying was the pilot was 'sick' - this is not an 'extraordinary circumstance' which should be favourable in regards to 261/2004. What do people think?

Just been reading this http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-1724140/Ash-cloud-Flight-compensation-on-delays-cancellations.html

You should tell them that under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 Article 5 you are entitled to be reimbursed or re-routed under Article 8 and also offered assistance, including accommodation, meals and transport under Article 9.


If your flight is cancelled, you are denied boarding, ie because the flight is overbooked, or you are delayed heavily, your airline should provide you with details of your rights under (EC) 261/2004.
If your airline fails to fulfil their obligations and you end up having to fork out yourself, keep spending to the minimum, keep all receipts and make a claim when you get home.
In order to reclaim flight and accommodation costs off your airline you will need to write to them, referencing the regulations and their responsibilities and including as many receipts as possible.
If the airline does not claim exceptional circumstances you can claim compensation if you were denied boarding or your flight was cancelled.
The amounts are:
1. €250, for a flight of less than 1,500 km
2. €400, for flight within the EU of greater than 1,500 km in distance, or any other flight of greater than 1500 km but less than 3500 km in distance
3. €600, for a flight not within EU of greater than 3500 km in distance where flight types are as defined in notes.

Also found this


If a passenger’s destination is an airport at a city with multiple airports and rerouting results in the passenger being taken to another of those airports, the airline must also pay for transport for the passenger to the original intended airport or an agreed nearby destination.

Caz3121

I answered on your other thread but it would be useful to have flight number/date you were scheduled and actually travelled on as there are websites that will state whether the flight was cancelled or delayed. If it is a daily flight and you were put onto the next days scheduled flight and no extra flight was operated the following day I would agree that this was a cancellation, if there was an extra flight operated this would have been the delayed flight from the previous day

underthesea

Thanks for the reply! appreciated.

Is the website you mention flightstats.com? I was under the impression historical data is not accessible for security reasons. I couldn't see past dates with flightstats.com

I wanted to keep the flight no out of it, but I can PM you or if you know a site that does show delay/cancelled flights that would be great to post it up!

ferf1223

you can see past flights with flightstats but you have to be logged in.
I have a guess at the flight number...but don't know the date and am too lazy to go through and check a bunch...and I may be wrong anyway...but it definately will show you if it was cancelled vs. delayed.

underthesea

Thanks ferf1

I logged in and it came up with my flight twice in 'multiple segments'. One flight was early, one was late.
I checked my late flight which i was suppose to be on and it says i arrived on a date & time i did not.

Flight status says 'Status:Unknown'

Centipede100

Musioman

See my response to you on your other thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3906743