Missed my flight due to M25 Friday 14th Nov 2014

Voyager2002

Driving rather than taking the train was a stupid decision, and this is the result.

mgdavid

callum9999 wrote: »

While I do not know if the airlines still recommend 2 hours, I know for a fact that they recommend you take advice from the relevant airport on this matter.

If you think you can argue to an insurer that ignoring the recommended arrival time stated by the airport (whether you think they have ulterior motives or not) fulfils your obligation to allow "reasonable time" then good for you. I suspect that will be a hard sell for the rest of us though.

care to share the reference for that?

SW17

callum9999 wrote: »

While I do not know if the airlines still recommend 2 hours, I know for a fact that they recommend you take advice from the relevant airport on this matter.

If you think you can argue to an insurer that ignoring the recommended arrival time stated by the airport (whether you think they have ulterior motives or not) fulfils your obligation to allow "reasonable time" then good for you. I suspect that will be a hard sell for the rest of us though.

It's an interesting one. Agree that insurers will do all they can to avoid paying out, but it is now at odds with what airlines say. As we are now in an era of online check-in, there is less and less reference to arriving for that. In my case, I fly with hand luggage 80% of the time so rarely even go to check-in desks.

BA only tells you to allow enough time for security etc to reach the gate before it closes, the only time they give online is when the gate closes. easyJet, who only have online check-in, don't even open bag drop until 2 hours before the flight (at least according to website), and again only tell you when they want you at the gate. Couldn't see reference to airport advice from either of them. And what happens with airports like London City, who actually promote that you can arrive 20-30 mins before the flight?

I guess it then comes down to a fight with insurers over what is reasonable time, which naturally they wouldn't make easy.

In the OP's case, I agree they'd find it tough to get anything back, but this was also an extraordinary delay even by the M25's standards, so reluctant to be too hard on them (but I'm in a minority on MSE as I don't allow oodles of extra time when going to airports).

buglawton

OPs case is weak, you'd have to to have left home at 8 and had delays covered.

Could anyone post something useful from experience here? Who HAS made a successful claim based on traffic delays? I used to check travel policies and they did cover serious traffic delays so long as you left proper time margins.

(Edit)
From the Virgin Money single trip insurance I bought last week:

Section G, missed flight due to traffic (max £500 cover)

Under this policy you must:
1. Leave enough time to arrive at your departure point at or before the recommended time;
2. Get confirmation of the reason for the delay and how long it lasts from the appropriate authority

No definition of what 'enough' means but since it was a transatlantic flight, left home at 8:30 for a 13:00 departure, distance 25 miles nearly all M4. So in this example there would be cover but just a measly £500.

InsideInsurance

zagfles wrote: »

2 hours before is usually when the check-in opens, not closes. The closing time is usually something like 45 mins before the flight eg see http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/checking-in

So the OP allowed about 2.5 hours for a 1-hour journey, however as it's the M25 it could be argued it's not a 1-hour journey typically!

The time check in closes is not the same as the time they recommend you to get there. If it closes 45 minutes before your flight you cannot be pulling up at the car park 45 minutes before the flight time. Even if you just allow walking time you are taking a big punt that there is no queues at check in, security and the gate is near security.

Look at http://www.heathrowairport.com/heathrow-airport-guide/checking-in and Heathrow recommend at least 3 hours for long haul, 2 hours for EU and 90 minutes for UK

http://www.gatwickairport.com/faqs/fights-and-airlines/ Gatwick also recommend at least 2 hours for international flights.

roddydogs

The recommendation to book a nearby hotel is all very well, but if everyone tried this, their wouldn't of course be enough hotels to cope, I dont know the figures but would guess that 95% of travelers arrive by road. I live 25 miles from Gatwick, should I book into a hotel? & of course you still have to get to the Airport by road, that road may be blocked as well.

zagfles

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The time check in closes is not the same as the time they recommend you to get there. If it closes 45 minutes before your flight you cannot be pulling up at the car park 45 minutes before the flight time. Even if you just allow walking time you are taking a big punt that there is no queues at check in, security and the gate is near security.

Look at http://www.heathrowairport.com/heathrow-airport-guide/checking-in and Heathrow recommend at least 3 hours for long haul, 2 hours for EU and 90 minutes for UK

http://www.gatwickairport.com/faqs/fights-and-airlines/ Gatwick also recommend at least 2 hours for international flights.

Point's been dealt with, see above.

zagfles

SW17 wrote: »

In the OP's case, I agree they'd find it tough to get anything back, but this was also an extraordinary delay even by the M25's standards, so reluctant to be too hard on them (but I'm in a minority on MSE as I don't allow oodles of extra time when going to airports).

Nor do I and I've never missed a flight in my life. The thing is even if the OP had allowed oodles of time, he'd have likely missed the flight, so whether he planned to get there one hour before, two or even four isn't the issue, so I don't know why people keep banging on about it.

Things like this can happen whether you allow one hour contingency or five. (OK in this particular case I'd have checked the traffic conditions before setting out and maybe have taken a different route/gone by public transport, but this sort of thing can happen after you've set out).

buglawton

OP still silent on what if any travel insurance was bought. If there was a policy then collect all proof of the huge but rare motorway delay, proof of extra ticket bought and send off a claim. Worth a punt.

roddydogs

Still the op only lost an £180 flight, yes very annoying, but I was thinking their must have been people booked on world cruises/Packages that cost thousands that missed their flight.