Flight cancellation when on a package holiday

Cleveleys

Our flight at the end of our holiday was cancelled. We travelled 24 hours later. The cancellation was due to windy weather BUT all jet aircraft were still flying. Our aircraft was a twin propeller aircraft which could not land/take off in the wind.

Can we make a claim for compensation for the cancellation because other aircraft were still flying.

To be fair we were put up in a hotel and given meals but the delay disrupted post-holiday plans.

We were travelling from Rhodes to Heathrow via indirect flights to Athens.

duchy

Weather related delays are excluded as the airlines have no control over the weather.

I assume this was your domestic flight from RHO to ATH that was delayed ? Unless the aircraft type changed between the time you booked it and the time you flew then you wouldn't have a claim as you chose to book on a plane more prone to the problems of weather.

You could write and complain to the tour operator and you might get a token payment or an offer of a small discount on your next booking with them at best.

dzug1

Cleveleys wrote: »

Our flight at the end of our holiday was cancelled. We travelled 24 hours later. The cancellation was due to windy weather BUT all jet aircraft were still flying. Our aircraft was a twin propeller aircraft which could not land/take off in the wind.

Can we make a claim for compensation for the cancellation because other aircraft were still flying.

To be fair we were put up in a hotel and given meals but the delay disrupted post-holiday plans.

We were travelling from Rhodes to Heathrow via indirect flights to Athens.

The EU regs quote




meteorological conditions incompatible with
the operation of the flight concerned,


as being extraordinary circumstances.


So I doubt if you can get compensation

Cleveleys

ok thank you both for the responses. I will write to the travel company. I thought as all other aircraft were flying we may be able to claim but best just to chalk it up to experience.

David_e

duchy wrote: »

Unless the aircraft type changed between the time you booked it and the time you flew then you wouldn't have a claim as you chose to book on a plane more prone to the problems of weather.

I'm not sure that's what the law says. The counter argument is that they shouldn't be using aircraft unsuited to the local weather conditions!

dzug1 wrote: »

The EU regs quote meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned,
as being extraordinary circumstances.

So I doubt if you can get compensation

EC is the first part of "the test", the second being what steps they took to minimise the delay. You'd need to know when the weather affected arrivals/departures. If it was for the whole 24 hours then maybe there was nothing they could reasonably do. If it was only during the first couple of hours, is a further 22 hour delay the best that they could do?

Not necessarily the easiest case but I wouldn't write it off necessarily. Have a word with a no win no fee firm and see what they think.

Cleveleys

thank you for the further advice. Apparently some passengers were told the day before the flight by local people that if they didn't get out that day they would be stuck so the airline probably knew they would have problems. The flight was cancelled before the actual flight time.

As all other flights were going it seemed reasonable to us that they might try to get a different aircraft to take us which was why I raised the thread this morning although I did understand that weather conditions are outside the control of the airline.

I'll probably try to raise an issue with the Airline and just see what happens.

System

David_e wrote: »

I'm not sure that's what the law says. The counter argument is that they shouldn't be using aircraft unsuited to the local weather conditions!

For all we know , flights may have only been affected for this one day for prop driven aircraft so the aircraft used was eminently suitable.

Should BA have aircraft with skids ready at Heathrow for when the snow is too heavy for normally wheeled aircraft to take off?

David_e

!!!!!! wrote: »

For all we know , flights may have only been affected for this one day for prop driven aircraft so the aircraft used was eminently suitable.

Should BA have aircraft with skids ready at Heathrow for when the snow is too heavy for normally wheeled aircraft to take off?

I genuinely don't understand the point you are making.

System

David_e wrote: »

I genuinely don't understand the point you are making.

You said the aircraft was not suitable for the local weather conditions. I gave an example of your thinking as applied to this country to highlight the absurdity of your expectations

David_e

!!!!!! wrote: »

You said the aircraft was not suitable for the local weather conditions. I gave an example of your thinking as applied to this country to highlight the absurdity of your expectations

Sorry I had no idea you were an expert on Greek meteorology generally and specifically the frequency and severity of the occurence of adverse flying conditions for propeller driven aircraft at Rhodes airport.

I think it's absurd that this airline can't get a passenger out of a European airport for 24 hours after the scheduled departure time when others can. But that's just me, Mr Absurd!

You don't appear to be a regular poster on the Flight Delay threads so if you think I'm absurd, you really don't want to start reading some of the other stuff on here!

System

But that's just me, Mr Absurd!

At least we agree on that.

I am not an expert on Greel meteorology but there again neither are you. If the airline consider the weather conditions are unsuitable for the aircraft that they use and the forecast predicts it going on for some time then the 24 hour delay is understandable.