MSE News: Take off for flight delay compensation

Nikkit

I have tried to claim compensation for this June when we were delayed with Virgin nearly five hours. The delay was due to their computer system crashing and all Virgin flights were delayed. They have turned down that claim. Does anyone think that this is the airlines fault? They have said it wasn't! But it was their computer system.

I am also trying to claim for a flight with Travel City Direct in September 05 when we were over eight hours late due to (I think) problems with the plane meaning another one had to be acquired. I got in touch with TCD who said to contact Virgin BUT at the time of the flight TCD were part of Excel Airways who are no long in existence. Virgin have asked for more information than I have and want the flight number to begin with their flight info not TCD.

Any ideas where I should go now with this? Also if I am able to claim this flight back can I also claim for my father who has since passed away?

Many thanks. Nikki

DJMSJM

Sianderz wrote: »

I received a response from Thomas Cook to my claim. They just sent me a standard template saying that as I complained over 28 days after the flight they wouldn't be investigating my comments.

Any advice on what my next step should be?

I had the same response. I have now sent all my correspondence, including the reply from Thomas Cook to the CAA. Am still waiting for a reply from them (should have rec'd it before xmas, but I guess they are inundated at the mo)

smartypants99

Hi. We had a 12 hour delay from Gatwick to Sanford (MON327) in July this year. We have sent the claim to Monarch using the correct forms just over 6 weeks ago, but have heard absouluely nothing. Has anyone had any success with Monarch via email or phone? Regards, Dave

richardw

cubegame wrote: »

Of course, if true.....(and I take any MSE news headline with an unhealthy lump of salt)......MSE has just helped kill cheap airfares.

It isn't.

It hasn't.

richardw

Sianderz wrote: »

I received a response from Thomas Cook to my claim. They just sent me a standard template saying that as I complained over 28 days after the flight they wouldn't be investigating my comments.

Any advice on what my next step should be?

Search the threads, your question has been answered a few times.

richardw

Nikkit wrote: »

I have tried to claim compensation for this June when we were delayed with Virgin nearly five hours. The delay was due to their computer system crashing and all Virgin flights were delayed. They have turned down that claim. Does anyone think that this is the airlines fault? They have said it wasn't! But it was their computer system.

I am also trying to claim for a flight with Travel City Direct in September 05 when we were over eight hours late due to (I think) problems with the plane meaning another one had to be acquired. I got in touch with TCD who said to contact Virgin BUT at the time of the flight TCD were part of Excel Airways who are no long in existence. Virgin have asked for more information than I have and want the flight number to begin with their flight info not TCD.

Any ideas where I should go now with this? Also if I am able to claim this flight back can I also claim for my father who has since passed away?

Many thanks. Nikki

The executors of his will would probably have to do that.

brizzoT

Hi all,

A question for those in who might know:

A few months back my Girlfriend and I were due to fly back from Cyprus, but the flight had to be cancelled because the plane was grounded as the nose cone had a crack on it due to a bird strike on the way out from bristol to cyprus, that was deemed not safe for flight by the Aircraft Manufacturer. I'm assuming the pilot on our rescheduled flight didn't make this excuse up.

if the above reason is "outside of the airlines control", was it really acceptable having to wait until 4am before being put into the most awful hotel? The flight was scheduled at 9pm, and why did we have to wait 24 hours to leave on the rescheduled flight? it was 2 hours after the flight was supposed to depart that the flight was cancelled. it must have been possible to arrange the replacement plane for sometime the next morning or early afternoon.

for those who love cyprus and might throw out the comment, well at least its 24 hours in paradise... it's really not when you've simply not slept and have a banging headache! :mad:

I did complain, but easyjet stated it was out of their control and provided some other generic, get lost, text.

richardw

Ain't your fault easyJet haven't got a sensible back up/ standby system to negate such long delays is it?

NFH

The statutory compensation amounts are denominated in EUR, not GBP. Be very wary of airlines converting the EUR amount to GBP at a bad rate in their favour. When I claimed from British Airways once, they mistakenly tried to reimburse a EUR amount to me in GBP, despite my having given them my EUR bank account details. The EUR/GBP rate they used was very low. Check that the EUR/GBP rate is close to the wholesale market rate, i.e. within 0.25%. It would also be fair to demand that airlines use the European Central Bank's reference rate for the date in question.

Rotax47

richardw wrote: »

Large airlines like TUI Thomson Airways and Monarch appear not to be paying out, so floodgates are not open.

Not true!

Our TUI Thomson flight was delayed in July 2010 from Paphos, Cyprus to Manchester (3 people in party).

We arrived in plenty of time at the airport for a 2PM flight, and were in a very large queue. As we got towards the front, we were told that the plane was now full and asked for all remaining passengers to congregate outside. We were then told that the plane sent for the flight home was smaller than needed, with approx 100 passengers not boarding. We were taken straight to a hotel for something to eat and told to await further instructions. At around 8PM we were taken back to the airport and told we could all fit on their 11PM flight to Gatwick, and that they would then ferry us all back to Manchester via coaches. We boarded the Gatwick flight, which was almost empty and realised why they had done this; cheaper to fill two small planes! We finally arrived back in Manchester around 8AM, which was approx 12 hours of delay.

I sent a letter to customer services on 6th November 2012 (2 1/2 years after the event). I had no booking references or tickets etc, just stated the dates and details etc. I gave them two weeks to respond, which they did not stick to.

I received a telephone call from them on Friday 21st December from customer services who appologised for the delay in responding, but agreed that they would compensate us for the delay at €400 each. total €1200, and at that days exchange rate worked out to around £980. She said I would receive a cheque within 28 days!

We have been flying with Thomson for years, flight only as we sort out our own accomodation, and considering this was the first major delay that we have suffered, and will be quite generously compensated, we will continue to fly with them. They also put us up for a week in a 5 star hotel, during the volcano cloud dust earlier the same year, when we were stuck in Lanzarotte. Again we were on a flight only basis and were treated like Royalty!

Thumbs up for TUI Thomson!

Ian