Compensation for delayed flights Discussion Area

JPears

Hey I want to send a beer voucher to Mark2spark - does he have to accept?

NoviceAngel

JPears wrote: »

Hey I want to send a beer voucher to Mark2spark - does he have to accept?

Well I seem to recall someone was taking KLM flights and having a few at their expense, meanwhile Tyzap and I were in Liverpool supporting Kimberley, so I think it's your turn to get the next round :beer::beer: that's for us all JP !!!

Typical Yorkshire bloke!!!

micwil

I contacted Thomas Cook approx 2 year ago to claim compensation for our honeymoon flights that were delayed by 7.5hrs on the outbound flight and 5.5hrs coming home. Thomas Cook employed many of their usual delaying tactics but finally after a year they admitted that compensation was due for the homeward flight and we received £704. They stuck to their guns about the outbound flight though citing 'extraordinary circumstances' but refused to give me any details about why the flight was delayed. At the time, the CAA agreed with them, so I decided to admit defeat.

However, after the Huzar ruling last year, I got an email from the CAA telling me that Thomas Cook should re-look at my claim. I contacted Thomas Cook twice and got no response via email from them. My 6 year time limit runs out in May, so I assume they were just trying to use delaying tactics until I reached my time limit. I called their Customer Services helpline on Monday night and after a 40 min phone call where it transpired that they had many of the details of the two flights mixed up, they admitted that compensation was due for the outbound flight as well, so I now have another £575 on its way to me.

I'm disappointed that it takes so much arguing to get compensation that is rightly owed to me but I'm over the moon that Thomas Cook have finally admitted that they were in the wrong and it is mainly thanks to the wealth of information provided on MSE and all of the lovely and helpful people running these forums. I'm very, very grateful! xx

cheery274

Apologies if my question has been asked but it is quite a long thread.

We were delayed in November going to the Caribbean using TC flights. The result of this was we missed a connecting flight and had to stay over in Antigua and get the first flight next morning. This meant paying extra as we were classed as just turning up for a ticket, when we had booked for the flight the previous day over 6 months before. We also had a hotel stay, food and two taxis to and from the hotel. Total unplanned spend $471 in the first 12 hours of a two week break.

Thomas Cook eventually offered the standard €600 each but nothing for our out of pocket expenses, which we had kept to a bare minimum. Do we have a right to claim these expenses under EU 261/2004 or should I just accept their offer, which initially was in the form of a voucher?

I would appreciate any replies or links to further advice.

Caz3121

cheery274 wrote: »

We were delayed in November going to the Caribbean using TC flights. The result of this was we missed a connecting flight and had to stay over in Antigua and get the first flight next morning. This meant paying extra as we were classed as just turning up for a ticket, when we had booked for the flight the previous day over 6 months before. We also had a hotel stay, food and two taxis to and from the hotel. Total unplanned spend $471 in the first 12 hours of a two week break.

Thomas Cook eventually offered the standard €600 each but nothing for our out of pocket expenses, which we had kept to a bare minimum. Do we have a right to claim these expenses under EU 261/2004 or should I just accept their offer, which initially was in the form of a voucher?

The duty of care and reimbursement of expenses would apply if your delayed departure meant you had expenses for accommodation or meals whilst you waited on the flight leaving.
I am assuming the second flight was on a separate ticket so a different contract. TC obligations to you ended when they got you to your arrival airport with them and they are not responsible for consequential losses. These should be claimed from your travel insurance.

cheery274

Thank you, I shall try that approach.

aceeverytime

Our September 2014 Neilson holiday to greece was delayed by 9+ hours on the way out. After TC refused us compensation I appealed thro the ombudsman. About Feb I got a letter saying we'd get the 800 eus afterall.
Today a voucher for that amount appeared but it was a Thos Cook voucher-which specically can not be used on Neilson holidays. (Neilson is one of their subsidaries!). We have a Neilson holiday booked but they refused to accept the voucher against this. After argueing this back and forth I sarcastically said "right I'll have the cash then" and they said OK. I nearly fell off my chair
I bit the corporate hand off!!:D
What a cynical company they are-the customer service rep didnt offer me a solution at all-if I hadnt have asked for cash I wd never have known it was an option.

Tash14_2

We had with Thomson a 5 hour delay from Gatwick to Montego bay in June 2012. I put in a claim in January 2013 and this was eventually rejected bt Thomson.

I made an online complaint to the CAA and Thomson again rejected my claim. I had forgotten all about this, until I received an email from the CAA advising me to re submit my claim again. I did so and 3 months later, last weekend I received a letter with a cheque for £975.00. I was shocked as I didn't think anything would come from claiming a third time. Thank you MSE antd the CAA..

3DOG

My wife and I were delayed four and a half hours with Thomson Airlines, on a flight from Arrecife to Manchester, 8th September 2014. I completed the online form using your excellent template on the 2nd December, and received an automated e-mail acknowledgement but nothing else.
I wrote to the After Travel Customer Support on the 6th March using snail mail, again using your template, on the 14th March I received a letter (dated 24th February) and a cheque for £600 an excellent result.
Many thanks.

jdybnsn

Can anyone offer any advice on compensation for downgraded flights - in particular the amount of notice required by the airline to qualify for compensation under the EU regulations ?


We were downgraded on our TC flights to Barbados recently - they rang us up 12 hours before the flight to tell us. They did give us a small refund amounting to approx £60pp, but nothing like what the EU regulations dictate. They also promised us all free extra legroom seats for our return flights, but only 2 out of 4 in our party got these.


On our return I applied to TC for compensation under the EU regulations, but they are saying that, as we were "informed before departure" (!?) the EU downgrade compensation rules don't apply.


Does anyone know if there is a defined time period for informing of any down grade ? I have tried to find information relating to this on the internet, but my searches have turned up nothing specific to what might be deemed as acceptable (or unacceptable) notice of a down grade.