Is there a set time by which an airline should respond to a claim?

Scarlets_mum

Hello all
We have recently returned from a holiday and like many others had significant delays to our return home.  There was no support from the airline and we are £'000s out of pocket as even the rebooked flight, following a cancellation was also cancelled! I am just pulling together the claim and am wondering if there is any statutory requirement that the airline needs to respond to the claim within a set number of weeks? If not, as the airlines will be inundated, they may well drag refunds out for as long as possible. If no statutory timeframe any idea what is deemed to be an acceptable period of time to expect a response/refund?

Many thanks for your help

eskbanker

The only statutory time limit that I'm aware of is the seven days within which they're obliged to refund the cost of cancelled flights, if that's the option you choose, but of course that doesn't mean that they actually do refund within that timeframe.

If you've incurred significant costs rebooking flights yourself then there isn't a specified timeframe within which such costs need to be reimbursed, but if you clarify which airlines are involved then other posters may be able to advise of recent experiences....

Scarlets_mum

Thank you. We were flying with Wizzair and they cancelled whilst we were at check in. For ease we rebooked the next available flight with wizz air which thy cancelled again. Having lost faith, we booked flights home with Virgin atlantic. Of course as there were so many people in the same boat, the cost of return flights were significantly more than the original booking.
I am thinking that I will give them a max of 30 days and then if no joy take it further if needs be

eskbanker

Scarlets_mum said:

I am thinking that I will give them a max of 30 days and then if no joy take it further if needs be

Where would you be thinking of taking it?  They're not obliged to comply with an arbitrary deadline that you set, so failure to meet it doesn't really change anything - there is always an element of reasonableness that comes into play in the event of legal action, but obviously if it was going to get that far you'd be months down the line and potentially even outside UK law anyway, depending on which entity you booked each flight through.  If they actually rejected your claim then you could pursue your card company, but a delay in claim processing is weaker ground for that approach....

Scarlets_mum

I see your point but I think that given the last few weeks and all of the hassle and delays people have suffered that airlines will do their best not to pay up. When you have over £6000 of additional expenditure on your card which was incurred wholly through cancellation of the original flight, someone needs to pay for that. Credit card interest on that will be high. 
Looking at their site where you make a complaint they do aim to respond within 30 days so that is set by them, but no doubt it will over run that due to volume. Sometimes I do feel you have to be forceful

Westin

I think eskbanker is just trying to give a reality check.

Why not just follow the process and put in a claim and seem what happens.  

We had similar recently for a 20h EasyJet delay.  I thought it might take time for things to progress but they acknowledged the delay compensation claim in three days and paid out in just over a week from the claim.

Scarlets_mum

Oh yes I do agree with what has been said, I am just a terrible cynic and would be stunned if I dont have to chase for the money. Will be so happy if it is straight forward.

eskbanker

Yes, as above, it's all very well being forceful but always best to know the strength of your position and in particular what escalation and/or expediting options are actually open to you, as companies on the receiving end of claims and complaints will be well versed in such areas and won't be influenced by empty threats!

You might consider splitting your claim into multiple components, such as per flight or per head of claim, depending on how their claims process is arranged, e.g. reimbursement of expenses separate from compensation - although you doubtless have your arguments lined up, it'll probably be less contentious to claim for a like-for-like replacement Wizzair flight for the first cancellation than for switching to an expensive Virgin flight for the second one if there was a cheaper Wizzair option (implied by your reference to going with Virgin because of losing faith with them rather than it being the only realistic option).