Air Madagascar delaying flight 36 hours

Chomeur

I booked a return flight from Paris to Madagascar with Air Madagascar through ebookers, using a debit card. I've just been told that Air Mad are delaying my return flight by 36 hours. No reason has been given. This will require me to pay for:

1. Two extra days in Antananarivo;
2. Visa costs (because the delay takes my journey over 30 days and only visas for less than 30 days are free);
3. A supplement on my travel insurance because it also only covers trips up to 30 days;
4. Transport from Paris to London because I have eurostar booked and I don't think I can change this.
5. Perhaps also a night in Paris since the Air Mad flight arrives at 6:15pm and it's a bit of a risk to book onward transport that evening.

Do I have any hope of getting any compensation from Air Mad?

I've got travel insurance with Nationwide which says:

"We will pay you up to £250 per insured person after the first four hours delay of the pre-booked flight, sailing, train or coach for additional expenses
such as accommodation, travel, meals and refreshments which arise because the transport you have checked-in for is delayed."

£250 would probably go a fair way towards covering my costs for this delay. But the term is very badly written. Are Nationwide trying to say that they will only pay if the delay occurs after I have checked in? Or is it that once I have checked in for my delayed flight (as I will) then my claim arises? I think it's the latter, but I can foresee an argument here.

Thanks for any advice.

Voyager2002

This is a schedule change rather than a delay, and they are allowed to do this up to 14 days before the date of travel.

The simplest solution would be for them to put you on a flight the previous day. You would lose a bit of time in Madagascar but gain some time in Paris.

Chomeur

Voyager2002 wrote: »

This is a schedule change rather than a delay, and they are allowed to do this up to 14 days before the date of travel.

The simplest solution would be for them to put you on a flight the previous day. You would lose a bit of time in Madagascar but gain some time in Paris.

From their website it doesn't look as if they have any availability on the days before. Plus I've already made reservation booking and have a domestic flight with Air Mad into Antananarivo which would then have to be changed which would be difficult.

Voyager2002

Chomeur wrote: »

From their website it doesn't look as if they have any availability on the days before. Plus I've already made reservation booking and have a domestic flight with Air Mad into Antananarivo which would then have to be changed which would be difficult.

You will have to contact them... since they are responsible for the problem they should sort out the change to the connecting flight and perhaps find a way to make space for you on the flight back to Paris.

You will find that timetables and advance bookings and so forth are VERY flexible and changeable in Madagascar. I suggest that you fly back to Tana two days before your international flight to allow for delays, schedule changes, over-booking and cancellations...

Madagascar is a wonderful country, and very different from the developed world.

Chomeur

Where do Air Mad get this right to reschedule the flight from? The fare rules don't seem to say anything about it:

"Fare rules
Each fare you have booked carries unique rules and restrictions:
If each fare has an airline change fee, then the highest fee applies to each traveller.
If any fare does not allow changes, then no changes are allowed to any flight.
If any fare is non-refundable, then all flights are non-refundable.
Please read the 'Penalties' portion of each fare for all exchange and cancellation rules.
Fare rules for fare type: Adult
Collapse TSPLSP1
Penalties
Travel Restrictions
Sales Restrictions
Ticket Endorsements
Child Discount
Seasonality
Flight Applications
Advance Reservations/Ticketing Restrictions
Stopovers
Transfers
Refunds/Reissues Carrier Processing Profile
Combinability
Penalties
Amendments to this ticket will incur airline charges detailed below and an ebookers fee of £10.00 per ticket
BETWEEN EUROPE AND MADAGASCAR FOR TSPLSP1 FARES CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE. CHANGES CHARGE EUR 300.00 FOR NO-SHOW. CHARGE EUR 100.00.UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED NOTE - FOR MODIFIABLE FARES IN CASE OF REBOOKING AND WHEN MORE THAN ONE FARE COMPONENT IS BEING CHANGED THE HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS WILL APPLY -NO DISCOUNT FOR CHILDREN- -NO FEE FOR INFANTS WITHOUT SEAT- IN CASE OF NEW BOOKING IN ANY HIGHER FARE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FARE PAID AND THE NEW FARE MUST BE COLLECTED PLUS THE PENALTY
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Travel Restrictions
NONE FOR -SPLSP TYPE FARES
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Sales Restrictions
FOR FC TYPE FARES TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON MD. EXTENSION OF TICKET VALIDITY IS NOT PERMITTED. NOTE - EXTENSION OF VALIDITY - READJUSTMENT-REROUTING - NOT PERMITTED
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Ticket Endorsements
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED THE ORIGINAL TICKET MUST BE ANNOTATED - NONEND/VALID MD ONLY - IN THE ENDORSEMENT BOX.
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Child Discount
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED NOTE - GENERAL RULE DOES NOTAPPLY ACCOMPANIED CHILD 2-11 - CHARGE 75 PERCENT OF THE FARE OR - 1ST INFANT UNDER 2 WITHOUT A SEAT - CHARGE 10 PERCENT OF THE FARE.
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Seasonality
BETWEEN EUROPE AND AFRICA FOR TSPLSP1 FARES FROM EUROPE - PERMITTED 01JAN THROUGH 30JUN OR 16AUG THROUGH 17DEC OR 24DEC THROUGH 31DEC FOR EACH TRIP.
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Flight Applications
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL WITHIN EUROPE THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST NOT BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING AZ FLIGHTS 2400 THROUGH 3999 AZ FLIGHTS 7000 THROUGH 7999 SN FLIGHTS 4400 THROUGH 9999 MA FLIGHTS 4000 THROUGH 7999 AF FLIGHTS 3600 THROUGH 3799 AF FLIGHTS 6300 THROUGH 6399 AF FLIGHTS 8000 THROUGH 8179 AF FLIGHTS 8200 THROUGH 9999 AF FLIGHTS 4400 THROUGH 4499 AF FLIGHTS 4600 THROUGH 4999 AY FLIGHTS 4000 THROUGH 9999 UX FLIGHTS 3000 THROUGH 3999 LY FLIGHTS 8000 THROUGH 8999 TK FLIGHTS 7800 THROUGH 9299. AND IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL WITHIN TICKETED POINTS EUROPE THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON ANY AZ FLIGHT ANY UX FLIGHT ANY AY FLIGHT ANY SN FLIGHT ANY LG FLIGHT ANY MA FLIGHT ANY AF FLIGHT ANY RO FLIGHT ANY BE FLIGHT ANY TK FLIGHT ANY LY FLIGHT ANY XK FLIGHT. THE FARE COMPONENT MUST INCLUDE TRAVEL BETWEEN AFRICA AND EUROPE ON ANY MD FLIGHT.
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Advance Reservations/Ticketing Restrictions
FOR TSPLSP1 FARES RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL SECTORS. NOTE - -WHEN RESERVATIONS ARE MADE MORE THAN 21 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE TICKETING MUST BE COMPLETED AT LEAST 72 HOURS AFTER RESERVATION -WHEN RESERVATIONS ARE MADE LESS THAN 21 DAYS AT THE SAME TIME
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Stopovers
BETWEEN EUROPE AND MADAGASCAR NO STOPOVERS PERMITTED.UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED UNLIMITED STOPOVERS PERMITTED. NO STOPOVER OCCURS IF PASSENGER TAKES NEXT AVAILABLE FLIGHT WITHIN 24 HOURS.
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Transfers
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED UNLIMITED TRANSFERS PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED AND EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED ON THE FARE COMPONENT.
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Refunds/Reissues Carrier Processing Profile
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED NOTE - RULE 0102 IN IPRG100APPLIESBETWEEN FRANCE AND MADAGASCAR ORIGINATING FRANCE - IN THE EVENT OF CHANGES TO TICKETED FLIGHTS ANYTIME WITHIN TKT VALIDITY CERTAIN DOMESTIC REISSUE PROVISIONS MAY BE OVERRIDDEN BY THOSE OF MD INTERNATIONAL FARES CHARGE EUR 100.00 OR HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS - DISCOUNTS APPLY - NO FEE FOR INFANTS W/O SEAT AND REPRICE A. BEFORE JOURNEY DEPARTURE USE FARES IN EFFECT TODAY B. AFTER JOURNEY DEPARTURE USE HISTORICAL FARES BASED ON TRAVEL COMMENCEMENT PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC 2. FULLY FLOWN FARE NOT REPRICED TO FURTHER POINT 3. CHANGE IS BEFORE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED FLIGHT 4. MD FARES ARE USED 5. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM NEW TKT ISSUE DATE IF CURRENT FARES/FROM PREVIOUS TKT ISSUE DATE IF HISTORICAL FARES TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT REFUND VIA ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT ENDORSEMENT BOX- HIGHER NON-REF AMT AND NEW ENDORSEMENTS. OR - ANYTIME WITHIN TKT VALIDITY CERTAIN DOMESTIC REISSUE PROVISIONS MAY BE OVERRIDDEN BY THOSE OF MD INTERNATIONAL FARES CHARGE EUR 300.00 OR HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS - DISCOUNTS APPLY - NO FEE FOR INFANTS W/O SEAT AND REPRICE A. BEFORE JOURNEY DEPARTURE USE FARES IN EFFECT TODAY B. AFTER JOURNEY DEPARTURE USE HISTORICAL FARES BASED ON TRAVEL COMMENCEMENT PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC 2. FULLY FLOWN FARE NOT REPRICED TO FURTHER POINT 3. CHANGE IS AFTER ORIGINAL SCHEDULED FLIGHT 4. MD FARES ARE USED 5. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM NEW TKT ISSUE DATE IF CURRENT FARES/FROM PREVIOUS TKT ISSUE DATE IF HISTORICAL FARES TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT REFUND VIA ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT ENDORSEMENT BOX- HIGHER NON-REF AMT AND NEW ENDORSEMENTS.
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Combinability
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED ADD-ONS PERMITTED. OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS/CIRCLE TRIPS FARES MAY BE COMBINED ON A HALF ROUND TRIP BASIS -TO FORM SINGLE OR DOUBLE OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS/CIRCLE TRIPS. PROVIDED - COMBINATIONS ARE WITH ANY FARE FOR CARRIER MD IN ANY RULE AND TARIFF. END-ON-END END-ON-END COMBINATIONS PERMITTED. VALIDATE ALL FARE COMPONENTS. COMBINATIONS ARE FOR CARRIER MD IN RULE 1500/3MDB IN TARIFF IPRAFRD - WITHIN AFRICA-DOMESTIC.
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Penalties
Other Discount
Travel Restrictions
Sales Restrictions
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Child Discount
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Advance Reservations/Ticketing Restrictions
Minimum Stay
Maximum Stay
Stopovers
Refunds/Reissues Carrier Processing Profile
Combinability
Penalties
Amendments to this ticket will incur airline charges detailed below and an ebookers fee of £10.00 per ticket
BETWEEN MADAGASCAR AND FRANCE FOR QPROMO FARES CHANGES/CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE. CHANGES NOT PERMITTED.UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED NOTE - FOR MODIFIABLE FARES IN CASE OF REBOOKING AND WHEN MORE THAN ONE FARE COMPONENT IS BEING CHANGED THE HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS WILL APPLY -NO DISCOUNT FOR CHILDREN- -NO FEE FOR INFANTS WITHOUT SEAT- IN CASE OF NEW BOOKING IN ANY HIGHER FARE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FARE PAID AND THE NEW FARE MUST BE COLLECTED PLUS THE PENALTY
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Other Discount
FOR QPROMO FARES SENIOR CITIZEN 60 OR OLDER. ID REQUIRED - CHARGE 85 PERCENT OF THE ROUND-TRIP FARE. TICKET DESIGNATOR - SRC.
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Travel Restrictions
NONE UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
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Sales Restrictions
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED EXTENSION OF TICKET VALIDITY IS NOT PERMITTED. NOTE - NO ADJUSTMENT PERMITTED.
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Ticket Endorsements
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED THE ORIGINAL TICKET MUST BE ANNOTATED - VALID MD ONLY - NON END - IN THE ENDORSEMENT BOX.
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Child Discount
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED NOTE - GENERAL RULE DOES NOTAPPLY ACCOMPANIED CHILD 2-11 - CHARGE 67 PERCENT OF THE FARE. TICKETING CODE - BASE FARE CODE PLUS CH OR - 1ST INFANT UNDER 2 WITHOUT A SEAT - CHARGE 10 PERCENT OF THE FARE.
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Seasonality
BETWEEN FRANCE AND MADAGASCAR FOR QPROMO FARES PERMITTED 12SEP 13 THROUGH 17DEC 13 FOR EACH TRIP. PERMITTED 02APR 14 THROUGH 30JUN 14 OR 16AUG 14 THROUGH 17DEC 14 OR 24DEC 14 THROUGH 31DEC 14 OR 12JAN 15 THROUGH 30JUN 15 FOR EACH TRIP OR - PERMITTED 06AUG 15 THROUGH 11SEP 15 FOR EACH TRIP NOTE - VALID ON FOLLOWING FLIGHTS/DATES MD051- 01JUL15/05AUG15/07AUG15/09AUG15/12AUG15/14AUG15/16 AUG15/19AUG15/21AUG15/23AUG15/26AUG15/28AUG15/ 30AUG15/02SEP15/04SEP15/06SEP15/11SEP15 MD059- 10AUG15/13AUG15/17AUG15/20AUG15/24AUG15/27AUG15/31 AUG15/03SEP15/10SEP15 MD050- 03JUL15/04JUL15/07JUL15/10JUL15/11JUL15/14JUL15/17 JUL15/18JUL15/21JUL15/24JUL15/04AUG15/07AUG15/08AU G15/11AUG15/14AUG15/04SEP15/11SEP15 MD058- 01JUL15/06JUL15/08JUL15/13JUL15/15JUL15/20JUL15/03 AUG15/05AUG15/10AUG15 OR - PERMITTED 12SEP 15 THROUGH 31DEC 15 FOR EACH TRIP.
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Flight Applications
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED THE FARE COMPONENT MUST BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY MD FLIGHT.
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Advance Reservations/Ticketing Restrictions
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED RESERVATIONS FOR ALL SECTORS AND TICKETING MUST BE COMPLETED AT THE SAME TIME.
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Minimum Stay
NONE UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
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Maximum Stay
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED TRAVEL FROM LAST STOPOVER MUST COMMENCE NO LATER THAN 30 DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE FROM FARE ORIGIN.
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Stopovers
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED UNLIMITED STOPOVERS PERMITTED. NO STOPOVER OCCURS IF PASSENGER TAKES NEXT AVAILABLE FLIGHT WITHIN 24 HOURS.
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Refunds/Reissues Carrier Processing Profile
FOR QPROMO FARES NOTE - RULE 0100 IN IPRG100 APPLIESUNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED IN THE EVENT OF CHANGES TO TICKETED FLIGHTS ANYTIME WITHIN TKT VALIDITY CHANGES EXCEPT RBD NOT PERMITTED TO THE FARE COMPONENT- CHARGE HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS.
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Combinability
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED ADD-ONS NOT PERMITTED. OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS/CIRCLE TRIPS FARES MAY BE COMBINED ON A HALF ROUND TRIP BASIS -TO FORM SINGLE OR DOUBLE OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS/CIRCLE TRIPS. PROVIDED - COMBINATIONS ARE WITH ANY FARE FOR CARRIER MD IN ANY RULE IN THIS TARIFF. END-ON-END END-ON-END COMBINATIONS PERMITTED. VALIDATE ALL FARE COMPONENTS. COMBINATIONS ARE FOR "

Chomeur

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Madagascar is a wonderful country, and very different from the developed world.

I've been to a lot of countries very different from the developed world and have never had any issues like this before.

Caz3121

are you travelling in the next 2 weeks?
the further in advance you book a flight, the more chance there is of being schedule changes as the timetables will not have been set in stone.
Scheduled airlines tend to offer a summer and winter timetables with the change dates usually around end of March and end of October...if you book a flight that goes past this change, there is a chance that the times can change.
example - you would usually be fine booking a flight in April for September as the summer timetable will already be in operation but booking in April for November could end up with a schedule change when they finalise the winter timetable

Chomeur

Caz3121 wrote: »

are you travelling in the next 2 weeks?

Yes I fly from Paris next Monday.

Caz3121

Chomeur wrote: »

Yes I fly from Paris next Monday.

is the affected/changed flight within the next 2 weeks?

Chomeur

Caz3121 wrote: »

is the affected/changed flight within the next 2 weeks?

no, it's the return flight, which is five weeks away.

Alan_Bowen

If you are staying a month, they have given you more than 14 days notice of the change, so EU216 won't give you compensation at all. Certainly talk to them politely because on the face of it you have no specific legal rights at all, and you are travelling from a non EU departure point on a Non EU based airline which negates EU261 completely anyway!