Compensation for delayed flights Discussion Area

dzug1

CPH wrote: »

We were delayed on taking off from humberside flight to amsterdam due to bad weather in christmas 2007, we ultimately missed the connection to munic which was one of the last of the day as all the staff had gone home when we arrived at the airport after midnight. KLM organised a 10 hour train to munich after 12 hours overnight in the airport that really ruined our 4 day break, as we never really recovered.

Is there a time period that this claiming is limited to. i.e 1 year. we have all the details and receipts and tickets for the inconveniences it caused

Tahnks folks, sorry if this detail is mentioned elsewhere i searched and found nothing

The EU regs as far as I know don't mention a time limit - but you won't get compensation as such, just reimbursement for expenses (food, etc) that the airline should have met during the delay.

You may well run up against 'you should have followed this up before'

jayarcee

Hi there - advice welcome on the following situation...

Booked flight from Southampton to Japan via Paris CDG with Air France. About six weeks before departure, CDG to Paris route on return journey was cancelled and we were offered return via Orly three hours earlier. Checked with travel agent that connection was doable and would be paid for by Air France and we were told yes to both.

Plane from Japan arrived in CDG on time. Air France refused to issue bus voucher and said it had to be paid for. Bus late and then stuck in traffic and so missed the connection. Air France refused to pay for the hotel or expenses because the Japan CDG flight had been on time. Booked on flight the next morning. This flight was cancelled because of staffing shortage. No other flights. AF eventually paid for cab to Gare du Nord to get a Eurostar. Had to pay Eurostar fare, train fares from London and for cab pre-booked to pick up from Southampton Airport.

What can I claim for and should I do this via Air France, the travel agent or on insurance?

PS Never travel Air France or via CDG if you can possibly help it!

mad_rich

Wow, jayarcee, that sounds like the flight from hell! I'm afraid it's going to be a hassle to get your money back though, because a) it's Air France and b) it's a series of knock-on consequences...

1. When the first flight was cancelled, Air France should have paid for your bus from CDG-ORY, and you should have also been given the option of a full refund, or any other reasonable flight (eg: CDG-LHR, although you would probably have been on your own at LHR).

2. When your bus was delayed, they should have taken respobsibility for it (because it was their flight cancellation which caused you to be on the bus in the first place). They should have paid your overnight expenses.

3. Depending on the reason for the cancellation of your flight the next morning, you may have a claim for compensation of €250 (assuming arrived in SOU more than two hours later than planned - a fairly safe assumption!). Push AF for the exact reasons, and ask them how they intend to prove that it was caused by 'extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken'.

4. You definitely should have been offered your choice of refund or rerouting to Southampton. If they wanted to send you on the Eurostar, they should have paid the fare for you, as well as the train fare from St Pancras to Southampton, and any incidental expenses.

I would put your claim in writing to AF. I hope you have receipts, but don't let it put you off if you don't. Credit card statements and 'estimates' are also worthwhile.

Make it clear that you are claiming for two separate incidents: the initial cancellation of CDG-SOU, and the second cancellation. Be prepared to fight, and don't take no for an answer.

Of the costs that you've mentioned, the only one I can think of that you wouldn't get back is the pre-booked cab at SOU. (Assuming AF pay *all* your costs in getting home, then you are in no worse situation that you would have been before.)

dzug1

It may be worth looking at your travel insurance as well - they usually pay a flat rate for every 12 or 24 hours.

However some (?all) express it in terms of delayed departure and delays after departure may not count, so don't get your hopes too high before you check it.

If they do pay it doesn't affect what Air France will or will not pay you

jayarcee

Thanks for responses and yes definitely the journey from hell! Thanks for detailed responses. Yes, have got copies of all the receipts etc and am ready to go into battle. The online form on the Air France website has the option of "compliment" as well as "complaint", would you believe... I entered all the details on the form and it crashed when I hit the submit button, so need to take a few deep breaths before I try again!

dzug1

jayarcee wrote: »

Thanks for responses and yes definitely the journey from hell! Thanks for detailed responses. Yes, have got copies of all the receipts etc and am ready to go into battle. The online form on the Air France website has the option of "compliment" as well as "complaint", would you believe... I entered all the details on the form and it crashed when I hit the submit button, so need to take a few deep breaths before I try again!

You'd do far better sending it as a recorded delivery letter

PLJ_3

I would like some reassurance that I am on the right track, I have read
the page and followed the links and come to the conclusion that passengers booked on this flight for 18th April 2009 all have the right to Euro 400 plus Montreal rights to car hire expenses, accomodation etc...

I would like someone to agree, and confirm to me how to proceed with my claim to Easyjet - the interesting item of this story is that all passengers have volunteered their email addresses so that a few can keep them all informed as we have a genuine complaint to how EZJ handled the following:

EZY8695 was due to depart at 15:35 on 18th April 2009 - from the North Terminal Gatwick London - at check in, passengers were advised that the flight was delayed due to technical difficulties with the aircraft and that it had been rescheduled for 00:30 on the 19th April.

Passengers were misinformed by Menzies staff representing EasyJet — and told the flight would leave at 00.30 on the 19th April, and then 01:45, and then told the pilot was too tired to fly and that a hotel room had been laid on for weary passengers. EZY8695 was subsequently cancelled at 22:00 hrs on the same day. Passengers were told they had been rescheduled to EZY9596 departing LGW North at 8:40 on the 19th April 2009 - which completed the journey to Las Palmas Gran Canaria, and whose Captain addressed the passengers in a pleasant manner and rued their disappointment and informed them that they had not been told the truth, that there was no crew..that they should complain, and later in fact even encouraged passengers to seek compensation

There were 168 passengers and we are all in email contact - what do you think? And how should we all proceed to claim our compensation.?
thank you on behalf of our group

dzug1

Don't know where you got car hire expenses from - and the accommodation was provided so that's already covered.

Just write to Easyjet asking for the payment of €600 for the delay caused by the cancelled flight (I'm assuming you've got the flight distance right).


I doubt if you were deliberately misinformed by the ground staff - they will have been passing on the information they had. I also wouldn't take for gospel what the pilot said - he may have been twisting things too.

Easyjet will either pay up or plead 'extraordinary circumstances' or whatever the phraseology is. Your problems begin if they do that.

Shona99

I'm presuming the car hire and accomodation values relates to the Canaries end-i.e the wasted cost of these expenses consequent to the overnight delay in arrival-and this seems to have stumped the previous poster.
Looking upthread did your researches include the review of the Flightmole forum?
Would it be posting there as well?

There was an example there I was reading where a large group- 200 plus passengers- who were delayed in Egypt for 48 hours had kept in contact but their claim petered out because they failed perhaps to take the obvious route at an early stage whilst the group still retained interest in the matter. Obtain qualified competent legal advice and assistance to prosecute their claim when the airline chose to stonewall their claim correspondence..

How you obtain such competent advice and assistance that could be tailored to individual passengers within the group may be the route you need to explore.

PLJ_3

thanks to Dzug1: result of delay meant that prepaid 7 day car hire would be used for 6 days without any refund from Eurocar (at Las Palmas)
Shona99: thank v much - useful comment re group - I'll pass that on, and explore flightmole forum and route to individual claims
plj