Compensation Claim Rejected - 'De-icing'

regency_man

Just had a compensation claim for an 8 hour delay rejected.

Airline originally stated it was a technical issue and cancelled the flight and put everyone on the next plane.

After I applied for compensation they are claiming it was delayed due to cold weather and the plane needing de-icing, but no de-icers were available. They said this was an act of god and refused to pay out.

Seriously? Surely their failure to plan for the weather conditions and make sure there were adequate levels of deicing services available is just part-and-parcel of running an airline? I've been on a flight that was so cold the water in tea/coffee supplies froze and they were unable to serve drinks, but it still took off on time and got to its destination! That's like saying, the plane needed fuel and there were no fuel trucks available, so it was an act of god.

I should point out, the airport was fully operating at the time and I don't remember seeing any other cancellations on the boards, despite the cold weather. Can I get proof of this from somewhere to send back to them?

Any ideas on next steps?

111KAB

regency_man ~ best to post on the thread applicable to your airline and mention the airport involved as this will have a distinct bearing on offers of assistance regarding both provision of ground equipment and your assertion that other flights were departing on time. 8 hours is way beyond belief in respect of the provision of a de-icing machine particularly if at a UK base.

David_e

regency_man wrote: »

the plane needing de-icing, but no de-icers were available. They said this was an act of god and refused to pay out.

Right, so they say that God controls the de-icing machines. I'm sure that will stand up in court!