MSE News: Brussels terror attacks travel disruption: your rights 24 March 2016 at 3:28PM in Flight delay compensation 11 replies 2.7K views

MSE_Luke

If you're affected by travel disruption after Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels, here's what you need to know...

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'Brussels terror attacks travel disruption: your rights'

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indiegirldi

Hi there, I'm really puzzled what to do. I was on a city BA holidays break in Brussels and was due to travel home on the day of the bombing. As of a result of this I was unable to get home for 3 days until I chose to go home via Euro Star. I am trying to claims for costs incurred (food, calls, Euro star ticket) but when i called my insurer they told me to contact BA and BA told me to contact my insurer!!! Arrragh! Can someone please advise? I'm concerned if I wait for BA to give me an answer I will miss the window of claims with my insurer.

Caz3121

had you stayed under BAs care until they could get you back they would indeed have been responsible for accommodation etc until they could get you back
As per the article in the link you took yourselves away from BAs care and as such they are due you a refund for the flight you didn't take but no replacement tickets etc
It is possible that the insurers will deduct the flight refund from your claim so they will need to know that you have been to BA and they have refunded £x so your out of pocket expenses minus that are £y which your insurer should hopefully cover

riley28

Hi,


I have just returned from my holiday and am unsure of my rights.


I was due to fly into Brussels on the 23rd March and then fly from Brussels to New York the same day. When I contacted lastminute.com they could not offer me alternative flights apart from one from Frankfurt in business class which would cost £1600!


As I had various other internal USA flights and hotels booked and paid for I had to book a last minute one way flight myself at a cost of £550 with a different operator(my previous booking in total was £400 return) and use the original return flight as previously booked.


Am I entitled to compensation for the new flight that I had to book?

JPears

No as the Brussels incident was totally outside of the airlines' control. You should get a refund of both legs of the journey and some cover from your travel insurance, I would have thought?

ShipleyButcher

riley28 wrote: »

Hi,


I have just returned from my holiday and am unsure of my rights.


I was due to fly into Brussels on the 23rd March and then fly from Brussels to New York the same day. When I contacted lastminute.com they could not offer me alternative flights apart from one from Frankfurt in business class which would cost £1600!


As I had various other internal USA flights and hotels booked and paid for I had to book a last minute one way flight myself at a cost of £550 with a different operator(my previous booking in total was £400 return) and use the original return flight as previously booked.


Am I entitled to compensation for the new flight that I had to book?

I think Bott are looking in to a class action against Islamic State, great news for you all!

indiegirldi

When I contacted BA it seems I received a cut and pasted response that I was not entitled to compensation for out of pocket expenses but surely this should be the case whilst I was their customer in that period under the care of BA holidays? I can't seem to find a law stating this as quoting the article does not form a legal basis. By way my travel insurance with Columbus Direct did not cover my delay as terrorism is not covered under the general exclusions, unlike insure and go, and Columbus were very slow to point this out!

indiegirldi

Your airline should have offered you an alternative and looked after you under care of duty, here is what your legal rights are: see the update in my reply below or do a search ec law 261/2004 on thisismoney.co.uk

Caz3121

as per the link in post 1

I'm stuck in Brussels – will my additional expenses (eg, hotels and food) be paid for?
.........
However it's important to understand this right only applies to cancelled flights where you choose to be re-routed at the earliest opportunity. If you decide to get a refund for the cancelled flight, or decide to be re-routed at a later date, the airline doesn't have to provide this assistance as you're no longer its customer.
As you removed yourself from the airline's care to arrange alternative transportation (for good reason) they are not liable for the expenses but you are entitled to a refund of your flight ticket

Fluffy_81

Hi all,

My partner and I had booked to travel to Brussels on 10th April, (like we normally do to go visit her family) but due to hearing about the attacks and looking at the onward travel from the airport, - Normal travel arrangements are fly into Brussels, then catch the Metro with 1 change out to West Flanders, which is a 90minute journey- but we looked into arrangements like hiring a car or taxis from the airport but, with me being the driver i had no idea of how to get out of Brussels, so just after the attacks we followed the instructions on getting a refund,
We booked the tickets on 22nd Jan - £266.88
Got a partial refund on 29 Apr - £117.88

Contact with Brussels Airlines isn't that great, they have said "light&relax fare was refunded according to fare conditions, penalty of EUR 120 equivalent GBP 95, In these cases a fare of GBP 70 is taken into penalty"

This doesn't make sense to me, the refund is £149 difference.
And also on the day that we were meant to travel they even emailed to say that they had changed the time of the flight from daytime to evening which meant that we wouldn't have arrived at our final destination until at least 2am.

We decided to drive at a fraction of the cost.

But is there anything we can do to get the outstanding amount.
Sorry for the long winded approach.
:think:

DIYBaldyman

Fluffy_81 wrote: »

....so just after the attacks we followed the instructions on getting a refund,

And also on the day that we were meant to travel they even emailed to say that they had changed the time of the flight from daytime to evening which meant that we wouldn't have arrived at our final destination until at least 2am.

We decided to drive at a fraction of the cost.

But is there anything we can do to get the outstanding amount.
Sorry for the long winded approach.
:think:

As you applied for a refund on the tickets this really isn't a flight delay issue. Your only hope is to try & negotiate with Brussels Airlines for the shortfall, but from what you posted it appears as though you've fallen victim to their stated refund penalty charges.

Ironically had you kept the tickets & taken the flight you could possibly have claimed EU261/2004 compensation, depending on the reason for the delay.