Flight delay and cancellation compensation, Flybe ONLY

Justice13075

It does not work that way. Your flight should have taken off at 4.50pm and arrive in Exeter at 6.15pm your flight actually got to the gate in Exeter at 9.13pm. You calculate compensation on how long after your original time you actually arrive and it is 2hours 58 mins.
Now that is the time you arrived at the gate but the time finishes when the doors are opened and not arrival at the gate. If you could prove they took 3 minutes to open you would be due compensation.

xxdiddiexx

Last year I had a flight cancelled by FlyBe (Aberdeen to London) as there was a hole that had developed in the runway. It was fixed within a couple of hours and airlines began taking off and landing. Except FlyBe, who claimed they were "physically not able to operate this flight with the restrictions imposed for safety reasons, accordingly to the EU261 regulation this is considered to be an extra ordinary circumstance"

They put us in a hotel miles away and put us on a 7:00am flight, which meant I had to be up at some ungodly hour in order to get to the airport

They claimed they were not allowed to fly that evening. Then upon further pushing they said they cancelled the flight themselves. I am going around and around in circles with this lot. The case is currently with the Retail Ombudsman who don't appear to be investigating the matter and challenging FlyBe. Instead they seem to be playing postman.

Has anyone had any experience of dealing with Flybe? Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do next? I feel as though FlyBe are deliberately trying to avoid compensation.

Additionally, it does not look good to my Employers when my colleague who was flying with BA managed to take off that same night, albeit a few hrs later - while i had to stay overnight and arrive at work late the following day.

Caz3121

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4384703

xxdiddiexx

Caz3121 wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4384703

Thank You:beer:

diane456

I hope someone can help.

I booked my elderly mother on a Flybe flight (BE866, Manchester to Southampton on 1st Feb at 12.40) so she could attend a funeral. The funeral was at 4pm. We chose the flight time as it meant she was only on her own in Southampton for 2 hours after arrival, prior to attending the funeral. She was then to return back to Manchester on an evening flight.

Mum checked in well in time and was in airside departure lounge waiting for the gate to be announced when the boards flashed up a 2 hour delay. This was concerning but still meant there was a small chance Mum would make the funeral. She went to speak to the ladies at the Flybe desk and they said the plane had been delayed leaving Amsterdam and had to go to Southampton first then on to Manchester. As they were talking the boards flashed up a further delay (2 hours 20 minutes total) which mean my Mum had no chance at all of making the funeral. She broke down and the Flybe ladies were lovely. They apologised and said she could have a refund and helped arrange getting her from airside to landside so she could get home. During this time I was in contact with my mother via phone and text.

I spoke with Flybe on their social media page and received this

Hi Diane, thanks for taking the time to write into us this afternoon.

I apologise for any distress this may have caused, especially under the circumstances of losing her friend. I would also like to offer my sincere condolences to your mother at this difficult time.

Due to the circumstances, I would like to offer a gesture of goodwill. However, we will need to discuss this directly with her for data protection reasons.

Yesterday I contacted Flybe on the number I was also given and gave the reference number. I advised Mum was beside me if they needed to speak with her but was told that wasn't necessary. I outlined the situation and advised Mum had been told she would get a refund. I was told the ticket was non refundable and Mum should have taken out travel insurance. I was also told she could have chosen an earlier flight as then she would not have missed the funeral. And then, to further distress my Mum I was told that, whilst the flight was showing as being delayed that long, in reality it was only delayed 1 hour 50 minutes and made up time in the air meaning it landed 1 hour 27 minutes late. The airline then offered her some Flybe vouchers by way of apology. About as much use as a chocolate teapot to a 74 year old who doesn't fly normally.

I appreciate that EU 261 doesn't cover this, but surely we have some recourse to help Mum. It cost her £100 to get to and from the airport and, because she wasn't able to attend the funeral, I drove her from Yorkshire to Southampton the following weekend so she could lay flowers.

Any help appreciated.

Alan_Bowen

Firstly may I send my condolences to you and your Mum, this really must have been very distressing indeed.

As someone who missed half a funeral service due to exactly the same reason, although in my case I was flying to Manchester and needed to get to Crewe for the funeral, it was the last relative of my late father and the flight was delayed by 2hr 30m but they kept on telling us it would be departing in 15 minutes...I am not sure whether over estimating or underestimating the delay is worse.

I can see from flightstats that at its worst the flight was expected to depart at 2.35pm from the original 12.45pm and if it was indeed flying from Amsterdam, I seem to recall there was heavy fog that morning which may have been the cause of the delay. As you say the plane actually arrived at Southampton at 1512 so, depending on how far away the funeral was, it might have been possible to get there, but that is no help now.

As you say, this doesn't qualify for compensation and it really depends on whether you can prove that they offered a refund or not. They will deny it until the cows come home and strictly there is no obligation to offer vouchers but in a distressed state I doubt your Mum took details of the person she spoke to, did she? Suggesting travel insurance is just adding insult to injury, they don't pay out for 2 hour delays, ever.

I fear that without evidence of what was said, the gesture of goodwill is the voucher and that is that. I wish I could offer a better chance of success but unless you can get the sympathy vote with Flybe and frankly I am not sure they have one, I think you are onto a loser, sorry

diane456

Alan thank you for the reply, I do appreciate your time

I am confused as to where you are getting these stats from. The original flight was supposed to leave at 12.40 according to her ticket. It was initially flagged up as a 2 hour delay which would have got her in with 20 minutes to spare, meaning she could just about make it. Whilst I was on the phone to her and she was speaking with the flybe desk a further delay was put on and the flybe staff said that ETA had been pushed back to 16.05, meaning she missed the funeral. And no, in her distress she just remembers speaking to 2 ladies who she says were very helpful and apologetic and they assisted her in getting out of the airport. Mum does remember 2 businessmen on the same flight complaining too and one of them purchased a ticket on a different airline as he had a 4pm meeting he was going to miss.

I'm amazed that airlines are able to take your money, give you a poor service and keep your money after letting you down. Utterly disgusted.

JPears

I think all the regulars here express their sympathy for your mother's predicament but probably no surprise at the behaviour of Flymaybe.
Unfortunately it is a sad fact of life that the majority of airlines will take your money very easily and not give a damn after that. Yes it is very unfair that a 45min(?) flight delayed for over 2 hours doesn't qualify for a refund.
May I suggest you write back to flybe with a strongly worded letter outlining all the facts, including the offer a refund etc. And also try posting the whole story on their facebook page and twitter account.
Social media in a situtaion like this can pull a few strings.

jubbliehontas

Hi all, am sat in hotel after horrendous evening yesterday waiting in airport for a flight that was supposed to leave at 18.35, it was delayed three times with the projected take off at 11.30pm. At 11 they then said they were cancelling and would put us up in hotel and arrange flight for following day. So my question is I am now catching a different flight arranged by them, but was delayed for a considerable amount of time am I still eligible for compensation. App there plane was late or had issues in Channel Islands and this impacted our travel. At one point they said a new plane was on its way from U.K. To Channel Islands to then come to us in Exeter. Any advice appreciated. It's been a horrid time. I've lost work, had additional expenses and am absolutely nakerd. This is my first weekend away from kids too! The hotel they sent us to asked us to sleep with strangers and swore at us and disabled customers. Please give me some good news! Thanks

111KAB

Bad news - you should have posted on Flybe thread.


Good news - although you didn't post on the appropriate thread you are entitled to compensation and to make life easy Vauban has produced a guide (hereinafter known as Vauban's Guide) which explains all. Digest, claim and enjoy your compensation.


No compensation due for being away from the kids - think most on here would regard that as a benefit rather than a matter an occurrence where compensation due.