British Airways cancel flight which means costs for me the passenger - what to do?

helenacuriosa

Have booked return flights in Europe for family of 4 for next August.

BA have cancelled the flight and booked us on to flight the following day.

We will incur costs for:

one night's accommodation for 4 people (not that I can find accommodation at the moment so might be in the airport with 2 young children!)
extra day car hire
presumably have to rebook insurance as holiday now longer than holiday
extra night at cattery
both partner and I lose a day off work.

Have spent 2 hours on the phone and BA say take it or leave it. 'Leaving it' isn't an option as only BA fly from this airport. They won't offer any compensation or even a small sweetener to pretend we are valued customers.

Insurance company won't cover it.

Is there anything we can do about this?

jpsartre

Anything they offer will be a gesture of good will. You are not entitled to anything except a refund or an alternative rebooking. Could you perhaps fly back a day early rather than late? Are there rebooking options with some of their partner airlines? If you give your exact itineary someone might be able to suggest alternatives.

It's one of the downsides of booking flights very early in advance as schedules are likely to be adjusted before you fly.

helenacuriosa

Yes, I appreciate that it would be a gesture of good will. There are plenty of good will gestures that they could offer that would involve no actual cost to themselves. I reckon we're going to be c.£300 out of pocket and we miss a day off work each too.

It's been 8 years since we last flew BA. Several flights in a row were cancelled with the same cavalier attitude so we vowed never to fly with them again. How foolish we were to break this vow.

How far in advance do you think it is safe to book, without the expectation that they will reschedule? I find that family accommodation books up early so we'd never leave it terribly late to book.

duchy

Where is it you are travelling to that it is impossible to find any accommodation for a single night nine months in advance ?

Likewise I find it hard to believe you can't change annual leave so far in advance by one day.

Realistically booking so far ahead to a destination without a daily service is always to risk schedule changes like this.

helenacuriosa

Hmmm, not so helpful...

It's been difficult to find family accommodation for us and 2 young children - i.e. have us in the same room or adjacent rooms or even on the same floor. I was surprised myself.

I didn't say we couldn't change annual leave arrangements. As a self-employed person it means not actually earning.

There was a daily service when we booked. They had 2 flights per day when we booked. We book in advance because, as I said, family accommodation can be difficult to find.

When would you suggest it is safe to book?

tomtontom

Where are you flying to and what date do you need accommodation?

callum9999

Why on Earth would they treat someone who hasn't flown with them for 8 years after making a vow to never fly with them again, and then makes that vow again, as a "valued customer"!? And what compensation is going to be valuable to you but " no cost " to BA?

As to actually helping, as others have said repeatedly, no one can help you unless you give the route and the date. BA have told you their position so the only option is to mitigate your losses, which cannot be done without those details.

richardw

Article 8 of EU regulation EC261/2004 advises you must be re-routed when your flight is cancelled. It does not say you can only be re-routed by BA.

So if there is a flight that suits you better, ask BA to put you on it, But read about what happened to Lewroll https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3070460

callum9999

richardw wrote: »

Article 8 of EU regulation EC261/2004 advises you must be re-routed when your flight is cancelled. It does not say you can only be re-routed by BA.

So if there is a flight that suits you better, ask BA to put you on it, But read about what happened to Lewroll https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3070460

Though it also doesn't say that BA have to reroute you on a different airline - which I think the odds of them agreeing to do so is close to zero! Though apparently only BA fly from this airport (which I find hard to believe - if it could sustain two daily flights from BA surely others would have jumped in too?).

richardw

callum9999 wrote: »

...Though it also doesn't say that BA have to reroute you on a different airline - which I think the odds of them agreeing to do so is close to zero!...

It says re-routing, which can be any airline!

I doubt that if a small claim was pursued any airline would let the claim go to a hearing.

jpsartre

I've asked to be re-routed on different airlines twice and BA refused botth times. Of course, that doesn't mean they are right to do so.

As noted earlier, if the OP would post his itinerary people might be able to give some meaningful advice.