Compensation for delayed flights Discussion Area

mpjacko

A quick question for you all

I know that i am entitled to some compensation. when i complained to the airline, they denied it was their fault and offered to pay my travel expenses to the airport i.e taxi costs.

After a number of letters i got fed up and sent in my receipts for the taxi fair and received a cheque for about 30 euros.

My question is this, am i entitled to full compensation even though i have cashed the cheque that they sent me for the taxi fair and secondly, is there a time limit as it was over a year ago now.

thanks

dzug

mpjacko wrote: »

A quick question for you all

I know that i am entitled to some compensation. when i complained to the airline, they denied it was their fault and offered to pay my travel expenses to the airport i.e taxi costs.

After a number of letters i got fed up and sent in my receipts for the taxi fair and received a cheque for about 30 euros.

My question is this, am i entitled to full compensation even though i have cashed the cheque that they sent me for the taxi fair and secondly, is there a time limit as it was over a year ago now.

thanks

If the delay genuinely wasn't the airline's fault then you are not entitled to any compensation at all. They may (as they have) make an ex-gratia payment, but there is no obligation.

Even if it was their fault, the circumstances in which compensation is payable are limited.

dzug

netou wrote: »

Hello, I dont know if somebody can help with this since there is nothing regarding it in the regulations.

I flew from Stockholm to San Diego with stops in Helsinki and New York. The flight from Helsinki to New York with Finnair was delayed on arrival for like 20 min. I had 1 hour to get my connecting flight to San Diego with Delta but with the delay it was impossible for me to go through security, changing terminal, recheck of baggage and check in. So they told me that there was no time even though there were still people boarding. Delta offered a hotel night and a flight next day but I had to get to SD that same night, so I bought a ticket with American and left like an hour later.(There was also like an hour and 20 minutes delay on the American plain without taking off and just circling the airport, but thats another story).

My question is: am I entitled to some kind of compensation from Finnair because of their delay?, because although it was of only 20 min it could have delayed my trip for like 15 hours (if I had accepted the hotel night), but it actually delayed it for like 2 hours and I had to pay for a new ticket to SD. Could it be possible to get a compensation for the money I paid for the new ticket?.

Hope I can get a positive answer...

Hmm don't think so. If it was separate bookings/tickets then definitely not.

If you were on one through booking, then I still think no - but you were entitled to abandon your trip, get a full refund and be flown home. Given that you didn't - no compensation.

Might be worth a try, but I don't think there is any entitlement. Try the angle that you weren't offered the abandon trip option.

Alan_Bowen

Your claim ought to be against whoever ( a travel agent, I hope it wasn't you) booked you a connecting flight in JFK with only an hour to catch it. This is well below the 'minimum connecting time' required for arrival on an international flight, I would have allowed at least 2 and a half hours. The airlines have absolutely no responsibility here at all, 20 minutes delay on a transatlantic flight is nothing other than a normal day at JFK which is the worst airport to consider changing flights at.

hollydays

onewiggie wrote: »

I have just returned from Barbados after a 53 hour delay!!

Although we received hotel accom and food we were given no information, went through the checkin procedure 3 times, we returned to the airport even though the plane was still not operational and spent at least half of the 53 hours stuck in the airport! We were told on the 2nd day that the flight was 'cancelled' over a public announcement but do not have written confirmation of this.

We were eventually put with another arline carrier in order for us to return home.

I feel we deserve some compensation due to the stress this caused and having us both missing a days work and having to arrange care for our children as we arrived back on a Monday rather than Saturday as planned.

Can anyone confirm whether we can claim compensation uder the 'cancellations' classification?

in a similar situation i got comp from my insurer ,a couple of hundred i think,plus "persuaded" the airline to compensate me because they downgraded my seat-but even that was a battle.I requested a letter saying why the flight was cancelled,which was duly sent.

supersaver1000

In around 2001 we got caught up a bus strike that affected Menorca airport. We hadn't taken a package deal but the coaches which the packages were using weren't operating, so in order to stop a massive overload of people at the airport all flights were cancelled. We had a 2 year old at the time and were travelling with friends so had two very nervous fliers along too. We had a 24 hour delay at the airport and were stuck there all night (a nightmare with a 2year old) and they didn't provide very much at all and certainly no proper meal or overnight accommodation. We were willing to leave the airport and go and find a hotel at our own expense but kept getting told not to leave the airport in case our flight came in - we did find out that our plane hadn't actually left England so we got our hire car back and had a few hours having a meal in the town but we returned to the airport and had a very uncomfortable night. It did eventually dawn on us in later days that the airport actually shut at night but we were so tired and the staff were so incompetent - it put me off flying for a long time. We didn't claim any compensation as we hadn't got the relevant form completed at the time - you try getting a form and then getting it completed in that chaos with a 2 year old in tow. In reality I didn't actually want any compensation, what I wanted was a night in a hotel for my family and I would have been happy (I was even willing to pay for it myself). I don't think we would have got compensation even if we'd claimed because of the strike clause, but what I was really miffed about and what still annoys me is that the airline staff kept saying that if we left the airport and missed our flights it would be our own faults (and as flights from Menorca to Bristol were only twice a week it seemed like it could have turned into a big expense). In hindsight we should have just gone to a hotel and risked it, but I don't think I would have slept much - still more than the zero sleep I got on the airport floor. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that if there is a big delay they should keep people informed and if its over a certain time they shoud ensure you are made aware so that you can go and book into a comfy hotel for the night. Does anyone know if the legislation covers this? I have learned that if you are booking your own flights make sure you ring the airport before you leave your accommodation and if there is a problem ring and speak to the agents in England to confirm what they will and won't do. And finally, when we eventually got home after being awake over 36 hours, our two year old, who had been asleep for the whole night, woke up full of energy wanting to play!

gareth01892

Got to the airport at 9am for my flight from gatwick to barbados leaving at 12. When arriving at the check in, the small que of people had not moved.

Soon after i discovered that the flight had been cancelled and we had been asked to wait to see if they could get us on the next flight. Knowing the only other flight was Virgin at 10am i knew that we would be waiting untill the next day.

Later on we were put into a hotel and told we would be flying with Virgin the next day at 10am. We were told our flight had been delayed due to technical reasons, but due to the fact it looked like the was only 35 people who would be flying it looked more like economic reasons.

I have applied to the airline for €600 compensation. Should i get this? How can I proove that the flight was not cancelled due to a major fault with the aircraft, as XL are likley to pretend this is the real reason.

dzug

gareth01892 wrote: »

Got to the airport at 9am for my flight from gatwick to barbados leaving at 12. When arriving at the check in, the small que of people had not moved.

Soon after i discovered that the flight had been cancelled and we had been asked to wait to see if they could get us on the next flight. Knowing the only other flight was Virgin at 10am i knew that we would be waiting untill the next day.

Later on we were put into a hotel and told we would be flying with Virgin the next day at 10am. We were told our flight had been delayed due to technical reasons, but due to the fact it looked like the was only 35 people who would be flying it looked more like economic reasons.

I have applied to the airline for €600 compensation. Should i get this? How can I proove that the flight was not cancelled due to a major fault with the aircraft, as XL are likley to pretend this is the real reason.

Bit of a grey area - were the technical problems, if they existed, beyond their control or not? On balance you are probably not entitled to compensation. If you took them to court they might pay up - but more likely because it's cheaper to do so rather than on the rights and wrongs of the issue.

As to proving anything, you are on a total loser there - you can't.

UKTraveller_2

Hi. Total newbie here who has just found this site and hope'd that one of you might be able to offer me some advice?!

I have just returned from a round the world volunteering trip with my partner. Our trip back to the UK from Fiji was a pretty torrid affair due to delays! Our 'round the world' ticket was booked Qantas which involves their partners and British Airways from LAX to the UK. Keeping a very long story short, here goes -

We were due to fly out of Fiji with Air Pacific to LAX on Jan 1st at 10.30pm. This flight was delayed by 7 hours (we were told it was due to technical problems with the plane in Sydney) so we left Fiji at 5.30 am on the 2nd. (Now because of the date line we arrived into LAX at around 7pm on the 1st!)

Because of the delay our connecting flight from LAX to Heathrow left without us. After spending three hours in immigration, customs, blah, blah we were eventually told by a member of Air Pacific ground staff that we were booked onto a BA flight the next day at 5.30pm so we would be put up in a hotel with dinner and breakfast (No telephone calls) which obviously we had no choice but to accept.

We decided to go to LAX the next day early to se if there was any way we could get the earlier flight at 3.30. Good job we did as when we eventually got to the check-in desk, we were told we hadn't actually been booked onto any flight! We stood around and managed to get on the 3.30 pm flight standby.

We arrived back in the UK almost exactly 24 hours late and because I had to call the UK to make arrangements to be picked up at Heathrow (this involved 3 calls because of the lack of information we were getting from ground staff we didn't know what time we would be getting in to Heathrow) the total phone bill was £75!! To top things off, one of our bags arrived 24 hours later!

So as the total flight began and finished in the UK does anybody think i have a case for compensation? Like most people I think I will be wasting my time even thinking about contacting Qantas or British Airways or Air Pacific, but if any of you can guide me I would very greatful.

dzug

You are not entitled to any compensation under the EU regulations.

They looked after you (hotel, meals) as required. OK maybe you missed a lunch.

There is no obligation to provide phone calls (though many airlines do - one only though in my experience)Edit - no longer as sure of this as I was

You can still ask for compensation - and may get an ex-gratia payment - but you have no entitlement.