Compensation for delayed flights Discussion Area

razorsedge

Mark2spark wrote: »

I see that they say Bird Strikes are an EC... :-(

Bott & Co - tick
NoviceAngel - tick
Don't make me re-educate Sainsbury's too!;)

informus

Elderly Disabled Passengers Treated Badly by American Airlines

Travelers are shocked to learn that American Airlines, because it is forced by European laws, provides incredibly better service in Europe than they provide in North America. If an American Airlines flight is delayed more than 3 hours in Paris or Rome, passengers would be paid up to $672 for their inconvenience plus free meals, refreshments, two telephone calls, hotel transportation and accommodation. This compensation must be paid in cash or check. Airlines cannot substitute vouchers unless the traveler signs an agreement to accept them. Furthermore, the airline must give Europeans written notice of these entitlements. As well, “technical faults with an aircraft” cannot be used as an excuse to deny compensating passengers fairly for cancellations and delays.
In the USA, American Airlines is not now required to pay travelers one penny in compensation for the inconvenience and expense they cause when cancelling or delaying. This actually encourages cancellations because the FAA fines them heavily for delays over three hours.
The experience of the MacDonalds (an elderly, disabled couple, whose US Airlines flight 4430 on February 28th was cancelled) is typical of how American Airlines mistreats passengers. They landed in Charlotte, N.C., at 8:48 PM to make a connection at 10:10. By the time they cleared customs, rechecked their bags and got to the departure gate it was 9:45. Only then were they told their flight had been cancelled (the weather was not the reason). They were told to stand in line with 100 passengers from the flight. When they reached the front of the line, at 10:45, they were told that while they would be booked on a flight the next day, nothing could be done for them that night. A basketball tournament had swallowed up all available hotel rooms. Perhaps some cots might be set up in Concourse C but first they must recover the bags they had just checked. Walking and standing in long lines is painful for both of the MacDonald. By the time they recovered their bags, security had closed at 11:00 PM and they were not allowed to gain access to the Concourses. Greatly concerned with how the stress was effecting his wife. Mr. MacDonald made a decision to find a hotel no matter how far from the airport it might be. In a few seconds, on his iPad, he located a room at the Hampton Inn, a few minutes away from the airport.
Upon his return home, the next day, Mr. MacDonald sent 10 letters to American Airline executives seeking compensation. Eventually he received an envelope with two flight vouchers for $200 to be used within 12 months. He returned the vouchers to American Airlines C.E.O., Douglas Parker with a request for fair compensation. He has never received a response.
Mr. Parker’s salary in 2014 was 21 million dollars. American Airlines had record profits that year of 2.9 billion dollars. So confident is Mr. Parker that American Airlines’ stock will continue soaring that he has now foregone salary and bonus in exchange for stock. American Airlines came out of bankruptcy in December of 2013 at the time they merged, with the previously bankrupt US Airways, to form the largest airline in the world. Mr. Parker was the C.E.O of the smaller US Airways which was noted in one study of being the seventh worse airline for complaints in the world. In 2013 the Department of justice challenged this merger saying it would impede competition and drive up ticket prices. What they should also have considered was how staff cuts, salary cuts, pension cuts and poor morale would affect the traveling public.
When asked how he felt about his American Airlines experience Mr. MacDonald replied, “The executives of this airline feel no responsibility for the inconvenience and real suffering they inflict upon passengers when they cancel flights. They know better, because they have to abide by the fairer laws in Europe. I want travelers to put pressure on their local politicians to enact similar laws here. If travelers send to[EMAIL="ianduncanmacdonald@hotmail.com"]ianduncanmacdonald@hotmail.com[/EMAIL] their horror stories of airline cancellations, I will compile them into a website that will be used to prove the great need for such legislation.”
For further comment and details
contact Ian MacDonald at 416-245-7087[IMG]resource://skype_ff_extension-at-jetpack/skype_ff_extension/data/call_skype_logo.png[/IMG]416-245-7087 or mobile 416-571-4749[IMG]resource://skype_ff_extension-at-jetpack/skype_ff_extension/data/call_skype_logo.png[/IMG]416-571-4749.
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tracylou

I am absolutely shocked to read about the appalling treatment of the elderly couple in the above post.

How can the airline possibly get away with this kind of behaviour and still be allowed to operate? Is there no regulatory body in the USA like the CAA equivalent to bring them to book?

Dreadful behaviour from a company that relies on passengers to keep them in business. I can't understand how anyone would want to fly with them. Hopefully there will be an enormous back-lash after this and they'll suffer the consequences of their actions. My heart goes out to that elderly couple and I hope they're ok now after their terrible ordeal. :mad:

jacquikoo

Question please new here, we as a family of 8 travelled manchester to hurghada egypt in August 2013 costing £8,700 hotel and flights all incl
the flight back had technical probs 9.30pm sat there on tarmac sweltering in heat of sahara with doors open and fumes choking as we were in front seats with 3 children,(one a baby) for over 3 hours starting and restarting plane offered no water or anything, kids had to be stripped off as burning up, ok so around midnight all told going nowhere so off the plane, sat in airport 1/2 hour then herded out to coaches... taken back to Hurghada ... left at a different hotel with luggage sat around until 3.30am waiting for a room, finally showed to a room no lifts carrying 8 cases and 3 kids up 2 flights of stairs to find 2 rooms no cot and 2 beds short after complaints at 4.45am 2 campbeds brought in and we went to bed..bearing in mind since getting on plane at 9pm we had been offerred no food or drink ... breakfast next day and told plane would leave at 2.30 pm ish.. finally took off and went home to find we had to pay twice as much for taxi at airport as ours had not
come back ..... Now question am I entitled to compensation from TC under this ruling flights delayed/cancelled etc...... Sorry I rambled on any advice would be appreciated

Caz3121

this is the best place to start - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5173888
re refreshments that were not provided - just send in copies of the receipts for the items you purchased and you will be reimbursed (if did not buy then nothing to reimburse)
Taxi is not responsibility of the airline (classed as consequential loss and contract with the airline ends when they get you back to airport) either claim from travel insurance (probably not worth it depending on excess) or accept that the EU comp is meant to cover that
You do not need all that detail above when you make your claim, just facts
1) flight delayed due to technical problem - claim EU comp
2) reimbursement for refreshments
If you want to send a complaint about waiting in hotel, carrying cases etc then keep that to a separate communication as it is irrelevant to EU261 claim

johndoe70

ok, so my court bundle is due in tomorrow (hearing in a fortnight) but do i need to agree the docs in my bundle with Thomas cook before i hand it to the court, i.e. Email a copy of my index or is this not the 'done thing' in eu261 claims
thanks for pointers guys, jd70

johndoe70

in other words, must i follow practice directions 39 to the absolute letter or is some slack afforded to litigants in person

Vauban

johndoe70 wrote: »

in other words, must i follow practice directions 39 to the absolute letter or is some slack afforded to litigants in person

You need to do what the judge ordered you to do. That usually means copying all the documents you intend to rely upon to the other side, in time for the court's deadline.

johndoe70

thanks vauban, on my notice of allocation (hearing) it states
"By 25 may all parties must send to the court and each other copies of all docs upon which they rely and copies of the written statements of themselves and their witnesses".
this sounds like the order for submitting the bundles and witness statements but ive read (somewhere) that the contents of the bundle must be agreed between the parties (where possible by perhaps emailing the other side a copy of the bundle index) before submitting the bundle to the court. Is this correct as far as you know (havnt had anything from the other side) or did you do this with monarch before submitting your final bundle?

111KAB

johndoe70 - as Vauban says (and indeed the Court) ..... yesterday was the latest day by which both you and the airline were ordered to submit your bundles to both the Court and each other. You do not (and indeed should not) try and agree the content prior to submitting.


It could well be, for example, that the airline copies of their bundles lands on your doormat and at the Court today (slightly late but the Court may allow some slack for a bank holiday) and I presume yours has not yet been sent in which case you may well lose the case!


Suggest you 'phone the Court to discuss - where are you at with your bundle?