Person with reduced mobility delay

smallduck29

Last year I had booked Person with Reduced Mobility (PRM) assistance, due to a broken foot (I was still in a cast and using crutches), for our holiday to Lanzarote directly with the airline (Monarch).


My mobility was wheelchair with assistance to the plane.


On the return journey the airport PRM staff left me holding area and forgot to collect me (and my mobile wife) in time to board our flight, resulting in us missing the flight. The airport arranged and paid for a replacement flight for us with Easyjet, resulting in a delay in getting back home of some 3 1/2 hours. The Monarch agent at the departing airport stated it was our fault because it was our responsibly to present ourselves for boarding at the correct time and also because we had checked in on-line and only had cabin luggage. When I pointed out that I had booked this service directly with Monarch and that the details would have been on their computer system, the agent replied "we don't look at stuff like that on the system".

Who can, and should I claim against for the delay, and what should I claim for???

McKneff

You want to claim compensation because you were three and a half hours late home?

Caz3121

I would guess any claim would be against the company that left you in the holding area. I guess by buying you replacement seats on another airline they have taken some liability

What expenses are you looking to make a claim for?

Did your wife not go to alert someone that you were waiting and appear to have been forgotten?

David_e

smallduck29 wrote: »

Who can, and should I claim against for the delay, and what should I claim for???

Interesting one. You weren't denied boarding (in the usual sense) and your (orginal) flight operated as normal.

The Regulation says: "Operating air carriers shall give priority to carrying persons with reduced mobility ...."

That doesn't tell you a huge amount.

Is the PRM assistance organised/subcontracted by the airline?

Logically you would think you have a claim but then I have some sympathy with the airline. Where you were held, could you not see the departure announcements?

David_e

McKneff wrote: »

You want to claim compensation because you were three and a half hours late home?

Err, that is what the law says if the circumstances fit with the EU Regulation!

System

EU regulations make no mention of home, it is the destination of the flight, not ultimate destination.

David_e

!!!!!! wrote: »

EU regulations make no mention of home, it is the destination of the flight, not ultimate destination.

Ah, OK. I see your point. I did qualify my response with "if ...".

smallduck29

Caz3121 wrote: »

Did your wife not go to alert someone that you were waiting and appear to have been forgotten?

Yes she did. We followed the instructions given to us by the PRM staff which was to wait in the holding area and someone would come and get us 10 mins before boarding. My wife went off and got someone when the airport put an annoucement out for us. This sisn't take too long, however by the time they pushed me to the gate, it was closed.

smallduck29

David_e wrote: »

Is the PRM assistance organised/subcontracted by the airline?

Yes the PRM assistance was orginised by the airport, which I believe is normal practice within the airline industry.

smallduck29

David_e wrote: »

Where you were held, could you not see the departure announcements?

No. There was no view of the departure board without leaving the holding area.

David_e

smallduck29 wrote: »

David_e wrote: »

Is the PRM assistance organised/subcontracted by the airline?

Yes the PRM assistance was orginised by the airport, which I believe is normal practice within the airline industry.

If the delay wasn't caused by the airline, or the airline's agent, your only claim would be against the airport. That claim wouldn't be under Reg 261/2004 and I doubt any claim you could make would be worth the effort.