Refused travel due to bad weather, but flight still departed

FreckBlue

I was scheduled to travel from Manchester to Berlin via Amsterdam on 4th November 2015. On arrival at Manchester airport I was advised by my carrier KLM, that they could not honour the booking due to adverse weather in Amsterdam, and they immediately rebooked me with Brussels Airlines via Brussels.

I was at the gate awaiting departure when I (and 5 other passengers) were called forward and advised that since we did not have checked luggage then we were to be offloaded. The flight subsequently departed, without the 6 of us, but with all other passengers.

After being rebooked on another Brussels flight to depart the next morning we then had to wait a number of hours for Brussels Airlines to approve hotel accommodation, which in the end we arranged ourselves as Brussels airlines were "too busy".

Upon arrival in Berlin the next day I opened a case on Brussels website to claim against them, both for the out of pocket expenses (hotel, dinner and taxi) and also for the Flight Delay.

Brussels have rejected this claim (March 2016) claiming Force Majeure - they cannot control the weather.

My question is therefore can they claim that my delay/refusal to travel is due to bad weather, when the flight departed for the vast majority of passengers. The only criteria for refusing to carry me was I had hand luggage only.

Would this delay/refusal to travel be eligible for a claim under the European Directive.

Brussels Airlines maintain that had they carried me I would have missed my connecting flight - of course this is true, but I would have been able to catch a much earlier flight the next day to arrive for my meeting on time, not 4-5 hours late.

JPears

Was your original flight actually with KLM, not Brussels airlines?
If so, then your claim is probably against them, not Brussels airlines, irrespective of KLM then using them as a carrier.
You were then denied boarding, irrespective of any delay.
Have you downloaded Vaub's most excellent guide? If not, that is your first port of call then back here for any further questions.