Flight delay and cancellation compensation, KLM/AF ONLY

iwillretireatfifty

I presume my case is a straightforward one as I can prove the KLM flight was delayed resulting in 19 hours or so delay to my final destination of >3500km. However the connecting flight that we missed due to the delay (that I booked directly with KLM) has a KL prefix but is operated by Delta, does that make my claim invalid?

How long does it usually take to receive compensation from KLM in a straightforward case?

JPears

Unfortunately, you may not be due any compensation, UNLESS this was a single journey through ticket type? How long was your first flight delay, with KLM?

iwillretireatfifty

JPears wrote: »

Unfortunately, you may not be due any compensation, UNLESS this was a single journey through ticket type? How long was your first flight delay, with KLM?

Oh, that would be unfortunate :-/
I don't know what a single journey through ticket type is? I booked a ticket from UK to Orlando, they re-routed us.
It was delayed by one hour. I presume that as it was KLM that I booked directly with, and it was they that made arrangements for overnight accommodation etc that they took the responsibility for the lateness of the flight? I shall watch and wait with anticipation.

Vauban

You need to be clearer about the journey details.

Are we talking a Europe to US flight, or US to Europe? I assume it's the former.

If you booked the whole flight through the KLM airline - London to Orlando - then it is a through booking and, depending on the cause of the initial delay (to Amsterdam?) then you'll qualify for compensation from KLM, who caused the delay.

iwillretireatfifty

Yes, England to Orlando so it is a through booking, and yes, through Amsterdam.
I've used the flightradar24 website to track the plane, and it shows that it arrived just short of an hour late at our airport, having been late on the previous 2 flights too that day.
So there is hope that my claim may go through for the full 600 Euros :j

Caz3121

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Team_Twister

Team_Twister wrote: »

The first leg of our flight from NWI to MCO via AMS & ATL left over 2 hrs late due to KLM not having a spare tyre available (a nose wheel tyre was flat). This caused us to miss the connecting flight (on the same ticket), with KLM's partner Delta, and we eventually arrived well over 5 hrs late. KLM now claim that the onward flight was with a different carrier, so no compensation is due. Here's their reply:

"Your flight was delayed for 2 hours and 30 minutes due to technical reasons. We regret that you missed your connecting flights DL 239 from Amsterdam to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Orlando, as a result of the delay ...... however it is relevant in that case was that both flights were operated by the same carrier, which is not applicable in your case. Hence, we regret that we will be unable to accede to your request for compensation on this occasion. We are sorry for any disappointment this may cause."

After receiving this cop-out reply from KLM, I followed various links and eventually found the CAA website, which has a complaint section.

This was duly filled in, acknowledged by the CAA, who then contacted KLM. This week I heard again from KLM, much more conciliatory, who have now changed their minds and now decided that compensation is indeed payable, they even invited me to claim for related phone costs while en-route. Total offered is £1019 + £30 phone costs. It's not yet received, but they said it would take about 10 days for payment. Seems to me worth the effort.

Thanks to MSE for flagging the compensation up to begin with.

So the conclusion is, don't take No for an answer too readily, and it's well worth complaining through CAA after first contacting the airline.

glentoran99

Team_Twister wrote: »

After receiving this cop-out reply from KLM, I followed various links and eventually found the CAA website, which has a complaint section.

This was duly filled in, acknowledged by the CAA, who then contacted KLM. This week I heard again from KLM, much more conciliatory, who have now changed their minds and now decided that compensation is indeed payable, they even invited me to claim for related phone costs while en-route. Total offered is £1019 + £30 phone costs. It's not yet received, but they said it would take about 10 days for payment. Seems to me worth the effort.

Thanks to MSE for flagging the compensation up to begin with.

So the conclusion is, don't take No for an answer too readily, and it's well worth complaining through CAA after first contacting the airline.

I was totally with you until the last line, the CAA are a waste of space

bstoke211

Those of you who claimed successfully did you go via the KLM site that has a compensation section or did you go with the letters printed off here?

iwillretireatfifty

I have received this email today:

"..... was delayed due to bad weather conditions at destination airport. This was an unforeseen problem and all necessary actions were taken to prevent this issue. Therefore this is considered an extraordinary circumstance I cannot offer compensation ......"

This is untrue, the weather conditions were absolutely fine. I've used the flight tracker sites to track the plane and it had been late arriving and departing each airport on that particular day before our flight was due to depart. My flight delay was entirely due to the plane not arriving and not that it had arrived and was unable to fly to its destination due to weather conditions.

Anybody know how I can get confirmation or data to show the weather conditions for 22nd October in Schiphol to back up my claim?

Is the next step to reply to KLM and then to contact the CAA or just go straight ahead and contact the CAA?