BA - Alternative Flight From Different Airport

alfie136

We had Vancouver > London Heathrow > Glasgow flights. 8 days before the flight the London Heathrow > Glasgow leg got cancelled.

I was able to login to BA and they gave me alternative options.  One of them would have been the same flight from Vancouver to London Heathrow but then we would have had to get to London City Airport for the Glasgow flight.  We would have had 4 hours for the connection but we weren't comfortable doing this as we have 3 small children and thought it would have been quite stressful.  If we had opted for this we would have arrived in Glasgow about 3 hours later than our original flights.

The next alternative that would have flown from Heathrow to Glasgow would have had a 7 hour layover and would get in to Glasgow 5 hours later than our original flights.

From what I understand we would be entitled to compensation if we arrive at our destination more than 4 hours later than expected. With the first option it would have been less than 4 hours but the flight was from a different airport. With option 2 it would be over the 4 hours.

In the end we didn't want either option so we booked new flights with a different airline.

Will be be entitled to compensation from BA?

eskbanker

Article 5(1)(c)(ii) of the regulations states that passengers whose flight is cancelled

have the right to compensation by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 7, unless:

[...]

(ii) they are informed of the cancellation between two weeks and seven days before the scheduled time of departure and are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than two hours before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than four hours after the scheduled time of arrival

so if you were offered re-rerouting allowing you to reach your final destination less than four hours after the scheduled time of arrival then it seems that would preclude compensation.  Unfortunately, the fact that you didn't fancy the quickest re-routing proposal doesn't affect the fact that it was offered....

alfie136

Ok, thanks.

Yes, I was unsure about the rerouted part as I assumed that would refer to them flying to a different airport for a connection from the same airport.

It seems strange that they would expect you to make make your own arrangements to travel between airports in the middle of the journey?

Is there a reasonable time they would need to allow you to do this? We would have had 4 hours between arriving in Heathrow and leaving from London City.  Seems like a lot of time but to disembark, clear customs, get our bags, get to London City and then get bags checked in again and get to the gate I'm not sure we would have had enough time.  We have twin babies and a 6 year old so it takes an an eternity trying to do anything! 

Though I guess they probably don't take individual circumstances in to account?

Brie

alfie136 said:

Ok, thanks.

Yes, I was unsure about the rerouted part as I assumed that would refer to them flying to a different airport for a connection from the same airport.

It seems strange that they would expect you to make make your own arrangements to travel between airports in the middle of the journey?

Is there a reasonable time they would need to allow you to do this? We would have had 4 hours between arriving in Heathrow and leaving from London City.  Seems like a lot of time but to disembark, clear customs, get our bags, get to London City and then get bags checked in again and get to the gate I'm not sure we would have had enough time.  We have twin babies and a 6 year old so it takes an an eternity trying to do anything! 

Though I guess they probably don't take individual circumstances in to account?

I would have expected them to arrange the transfer between airports frankly.

And I wouldn't want to try to do that in 4 hours on my own let alone with your small flock!!  The Heathrow express is clocked at taking 1.5 hours and that's assuming there's one to take immediately you exit the building.  And even the underground would take almost that time plus the hassle of lugging children and suitcases.  

eskbanker

alfie136 said:

I was unsure about the rerouted part as I assumed that would refer to them flying to a different airport for a connection from the same airport.

Rerouting is a generic term for arranging alternative flights and doesn't necessarily imply any change of airport or route.

alfie136 said:

It seems strange that they would expect you to make make your own arrangements to travel between airports in the middle of the journey?

They ought to pick up the tab for doing so when rerouting, but yes, you're left to your own devices.

alfie136 said:

Is there a reasonable time they would need to allow you to do this? We would have had 4 hours between arriving in Heathrow and leaving from London City.  Seems like a lot of time but to disembark, clear customs, get our bags, get to London City and then get bags checked in again and get to the gate I'm not sure we would have had enough time.  We have twin babies and a 6 year old so it takes an an eternity trying to do anything! 

Though I guess they probably don't take individual circumstances in to account?

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/airport-information/flight-connections#

Your baggage will not be automatically forwarded so please collect all your bags before you leave to connect to or from London City airport.

We recommended that you allow at least:

• 3.5 hours if you're connecting from London Heathrow or London Gatwick to London City
• [...]

eskbanker

Brie said:
The Heathrow express is clocked at taking 1.5 hours and that's assuming there's one to take immediately you exit the building.

The Heathrow Express takes 20 minutes from T5 to Paddington, which is as far as it goes, and journey planners estimate 1.25 hours in total from LHR T5 to LCY.

JPears

I think I'm inclined to agree with alfie136 - 4 hrs is a bit tight to collect baggage from reclaim, find your way out of Heathrow and  transfer between LGH and London City. At least 90 mins by car 70 mins by tube minimum, then check- in baggae, security etc.

k3lvc

I wouldn't be doing LHR-LCY in that time even as a solo traveller so understand the reluctance (unless they're laying on a transfer with baggage) 

However in the current circumstances I'm not sure who becomes responsible - BA have been told by LHR (or HAL) to cut pax numbers so they're obviously looking at domestic/short haul first (I speak as a (previously) regular LBA/MAN - LHR onwards passenger who's now defected to KLM/AF)

Good luck with your travels and any refund/compensation

eskbanker

JPears said:

I think I'm inclined to agree with alfie136 - 4 hrs is a bit tight to collect baggage from reclaim, find your way out of Heathrow and  transfer between LGH and London City. At least 90 mins by car 70 mins by tube minimum, then check- in baggae, security etc.

I suppose it's all down to personal perspectives and preferences about what's doable, comfortable, etc, but as above BA evidently consider 3.5 hours connecting time to be viable - LCY is chalk and cheese too when compared with LHR, in that it takes nothing like as long to get airside there, hence check-in desks closing no more than 20 minutes before departure, unlike 60 minutes at LHR T5 for long haul....

alfie136

Thanks everyone.  

I guess it all comes down to whether they need to take personal circumstances in to consideration?

The extra time we would need to feed 2 infants, change diapers, get around with children, a double buggy and extra luggage would turn that 3.5 hours in to an easy 4+ hours.

eskbanker

alfie136 said:

Thanks everyone.  

I guess it all comes down to whether they need to take personal circumstances in to consideration?

The extra time we would need to feed 2 infants, change diapers, get around with children, a double buggy and extra luggage would turn that 3.5 hours in to an easy 4+ hours.

Personally I still think that it comes down to whether their offer of a 4 hour LHR/LCY connection is a valid one, and, given their published minimum 3.5 hour gap, it would seem that it is - it's entirely understandable that you'd have preferred more time but in itself that doesn't negate the fact that they offered flights that would (or at least should) have got you home less than four hours late, and therefore they can claim that compensation wouldn't be applicable.

Having said that, there's nothing stopping you from claiming, and escalating to CEDR if necessary, if you feel you can make a case that they couldn't have got you home in time.  Perhaps worth noting that their obligation is to reroute you 'under comparable transport conditions' and it could be argued that three or four trains to get from one airport to another is significantly less convenient (and road transport less reliable given London traffic) - there is also an argument (not necessarily directly relevant) that the CAA expects airlines to arrange transportation between airports in such circumstances....