Air France and Air Mauritius

seandave

Good morning all,

Some advice please. I have been messed about something terrible with my solicitors who took on my case 18 months ago and have now emailed me saying that they can no longer support. The short story is that my flight to Mauritius from Paris was cancelled due to pilot illness. I booked via Air France and flew with Air Mauritius, the delay was 16 hours. Can anyone recommend a solicitor firm who will take on this case for 7 people? 
Thanks for help in advance

DrA_Harrogate

Bott & Co (to whom I have no relation) have a LOT of experience in this area

https://www.bottonline.co.uk/compensation/flight-claims/flight-delay-compensation?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googlecpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjKqABhDLARIsABbJrGnIVTKgwzXWHg-IHmBGPs_OVli9hYR1v4CDrkfhlWJD3sEP-AF2w5oaAtCdEALw_wcB

Westin

seandave said:

Good morning all,

Some advice please. I have been messed about something terrible with my solicitors who took on my case 18 months ago and have now emailed me saying that they can no longer support. The short story is that my flight to Mauritius from Paris was cancelled due to pilot illness. I booked via Air France and flew with Air Mauritius, the delay was 16 hours. Can anyone recommend a solicitor firm who will take on this case for 7 people? 
Thanks for help in advance

Presumably they elaborated and told you why?  Did they think that you did not have a case?

Alan_Bowen

Just a warning, Air Mauritius applied for administration last April and ceased all long-distance flying altogether. Even those who are due refunds for cancelled flights are not being offered anything other than a voucher..

seandave

Thanks for your help all. It was indeed Bott and Co who told me they could no longer handle my case due to Brexit. This was very disappointing as they had agreed to take on the case over 12 months ago. As for the heads up about Air Mauritius, I actually booked through Air France. Does this make any difference?

seandave

A new solicitor firm other than Bott and Co would be greatly appreciated, any other tips?

Westin

The claim would be against the operating carrier - so Air Mauritius. No claim against the marketing carrier - Air France.

I suspect Botts may have stepped back because there may be little point in chasing an airline which is unlikely to pay out given their financial state. They are unlikely to earn out of it.

You could of course instruct a solicitor of choice but you would have to pay for those services. Given the airline is in administration and unlikely to pay out your compensation claim that might be a false cost and a folly to continue with action. Your money your choice however.

Alan_Bowen

It is obviously a big claim with 7 on the booking form, but the business is effectively bust so I have to agree with Westin that spending money with no realistic prospect of a successful outcome at the present time is probably not the best use of your money. Botts know more about the scheme than anyone else and if they cannot go further then I would take that as an excellent pointer to go no further at the present time

*j*

If you paid with a credit card look into a Section 75 against the card company.  From which.co.uk...

"Section 75 means that your credit card provider is jointly liable if something goes wrong. This means it's equally responsible along with the retailer or trader for the goods or services you’ve bought. 

So if the retailer goes bust, and the goods or services you paid for cost you between £100 and £30,000, then you can benefit from the full protection of Section 75 by claiming from your credit card company."

Alan_Bowen

'j' Credit card companies have never accepted responsibility for EU261 claims irrespective of whether the airline has failed or not as they do not consider it a breach of contract

*j*

Alan_Bowen said:

'j' Credit card companies have never accepted responsibility for EU261 claims irrespective of whether the airline has failed or not as they do not consider it a breach of contract

Thanks for that Alan.  It must have been a good argument to show that paying for a flight and it not going didn't constitute non-delivery of the contract!

I've had insurance companies initially claim that their policy didn't cover a particular set of circumstances, only to reverse their decision after an explanation showing that those circumstances were exactly what the policy did cover  (Finnair pilots in contract negotiations and refusing to cover for colleagues who declared themselves sick at short notice a few years ago, resulting in the cancellation of about 8 long haul flights from Helsinki on one day, together with their returns.)