British Airways - Cancelled Flight, Late Arrival, Missed Connection & 2 Back To Back Next Day Delays

TojoRalph

Asking for a couple of relatives with regards to what compensation they might receive having been royally messed around by BA. First point, none of the issues were weather related. Secondly they have kept receipts for the travel to/from hotel in London, the hotel, Etc. 
Day One: Booking Aberdeen - London Heathrow - New York. BA cancelled Aberdeen to London Heathrow leg of the journey departing approx 11:30 Hrs a few hours before the flight. Best available BA rebooking option was Edinburgh - London Heathrow - Washington DC the following day departing approx 14:00 Hrs.
Day Two: Edinburgh - London Heathrow - Washington DC. BA Edinburgh to London Heathrow 14:00 Hrs flight was delayed and the connection to Washington DC was missed. Best available BA rebooking option was London Heathrow - Washington DC the following day departing approx 12:30 Hrs.
Day Three: Flew London Heathrow - Washington DC approx, 12:30 Hrs. and in total 46 Hrs late.

Where do they even stand on compensation and where is their first point of contact to apply for compensation? Thanks in advance.

eskbanker

Just because the issues weren't weather-related doesn't in itself mean that the airline is liable to pay compensation, but if all the delays were within the airline's control then there are potentially two separate compensation claims, one for day one and another for day two, at £520pp each.

As well as compensation, the airline is obliged to fund travel from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and a night's hotel accommodation in London (plus transport to/from it), and reasonable meals too.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/delayed-or-cancelled-flights/compensation has all the details, including how to claim....

Westin

Seems strange that BA would offer IAD as the termination point of the journey rather than JFK/EWR.  Was IAD offered and accepted as a voluntary re-route?

TojoRalph

Westin said:

Seems strange that BA would offer IAD as the termination point of the journey rather than JFK/EWR.  Was IAD offered and accepted as a voluntary re-route?

Yes. The two passengers were part of a group meeting in NY and then traveling to DC the next day for a large family gathering. The only ABZ-JFK flights offered after the cancelling of the ABZ-LHR leg, was the lsast flight ABZ-LHR the following day and then a 10+ hr layover in LHR (the two passengers are not youngsters). Had they taken that option, they would have arrived in NY after the group they were meant to be travelling with had left NY for DC. So during the discussion about "options", EDI came up being 120 miles away and DC came up as that's where the group would either be or be in transit to. So given that the 24 Hr delay meant they would not be able to catch up with the group in NY, DC was now preferable to NY and within the 300 mile rule on rerouting.

TojoRalph

eskbanker said:

Just because the issues weren't weather-related doesn't in itself mean that the airline is liable to pay compensation, but if all the delays were within the airline's control then there are potentially two separate compensation claims, one for day one and another for day two, at £520pp each.

As well as compensation, the airline is obliged to fund travel from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and a night's hotel accommodation in London (plus transport to/from it), and reasonable meals too.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/delayed-or-cancelled-flights/compensation has all the details, including how to claim....

I have been looking at the BA process for family members and it's not clear how to claim for the two day delay given that it was a cancelled flight, then a delayed flight, then amissed connection? Initially the question is, "are you claiming for a cancelled flight, delayed flight or missed connection"? I am wondering if they start with the first issue (cancellation) and put in just the one claim, or if they need to do a second claim? 

If they need to do a second claim addition, on day two the flight was delayed, then the connection missed, but I assume "delayed flight" is the claim if a second claim is needed?

Lastly, this was a booking for two passengers and the plan is to have the lead passenger claim for both passengers. I read somewhere that "approval" is required from the second passenger to do this, but can no longer find the info. I wondered if a simple signed and scanned letter was the norm and if so if there was a template? Thanks.

eskbanker

I'd say that it's two completely separate claims - one for the cancelled flight on day one, and then another for the missed connection on the replacement itinerary on day two.  If you combine them onto one claim, you might only end up with half the eligible compensation!

The BA page does say "To make a claim on behalf of someone else, please provide a signed letter of authority from all passengers included in the claim" but I don't recall doing this when claiming as lead for two passengers last year - a simple one should suffice though, and they'll advise if they feel that anything else is needed....

TojoRalph

eskbanker said:

I'd say that it's two completely separate claims - one for the cancelled flight on day one, and then another for the missed connection on the replacement itinerary on day two.  If you combine them onto one claim, you might only end up with half the eligible compensation!

The BA page does say "To make a claim on behalf of someone else, please provide a signed letter of authority from all passengers included in the claim" but I don't recall doing this when claiming as lead for two passengers last year - a simple one should suffice though, and they'll advise if they feel that anything else is needed....

I am also leaning in the direction of two claims for the same reasons that you have stated. Claim one being the cancellation, full stop. Claim two being the rebooked flights and the delayed and missed connection part, with the second part being where the expenses are as it was just fuel and IHG points to get them to Edinburgh and if they weren't, the guidance mentions that if you accept a reroute you cannot claim associated travel and accomodation. BA of course have nobody available to guide me.

I am guessing that when you claimed, if you had expenses, they all went through on the same claim for delays/cancellations? The passengers were advised (at the airport) to claim expenses seperately, which makes no sense on any level. 

The authorisation letter i have drafted and will get both signed and scanned.

Thanks. 

TojoRalph

@eskbanker More research and a Reddit user turned up this Judgment in Case C-832/18, which in terms of the chain of events, and claiming for a cancellation then delayed rerouting, are pretty much exactly the circumstances in question.   https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2020-03/cp200031en.pdf

Quote From Top of Page 2: "It follows that, under the case-law of the Court, an air passenger who, having accepted the rerouting flight offered by the air carrier following the cancellation of his flight, reaches his final destination three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled by that air carrier for the re-routing flight, is entitled to compensation".

Thanks 

eskbanker

TojoRalph said:

@eskbanker More research and a Reddit user turned up this Judgment in Case C-832/18, which in terms of the chain of events, and claiming for a cancellation then delayed rerouting, are pretty much exactly the circumstances in question.   https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2020-03/cp200031en.pdf

Quote From Top of Page 2: "It follows that, under the case-law of the Court, an air passenger who, having accepted the rerouting flight offered by the air carrier following the cancellation of his flight, reaches his final destination three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled by that air carrier for the re-routing flight, is entitled to compensation".

Thanks 

Yes, that case gets linked on here sometimes too!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79621267#Comment_79621267

The CAA cites it in their summary of EU case law in their rerouting guidance document as well:

http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/Re-routing Guidance (CAP2155).pdf