Weather delayed in Canada/US

TREBRYS

Good afternoon,

Last month I headed from Manchester to Newark, USA via Toronto (with Air Canada/United Airlines) but as soon as I arrived in Canada I saw that the flight had been grounded because of storms. We were initially delayed just a few hours but after another two delays we were told to vacate the airport immediately and await an email that would come overnight...this was around 9pm. I had booked a room in Manhattan but lost that one as well as an early morning train to upstate NY as a result. No hotels were offered so I had to get Canadian currency to pay for a taxi and find a motel.

An email arrived around 3 in the morning saying that a flight had been found for 7 that evening. I had a day to spend in Toronto as a result. I eventually got to Manhattan that evening around midnight after another delayed flight due to further storms.

I had to pay for another night in NY as well as buy another train ticket. A car I'd hired from Albany NY also had to be cancelled.

My Post Office Insurance does not cover any of this because I'd taken out an Economy Cover Policy which didn't cover delayed flights...am I now stuck for getting back any money to cover for the extra payments incurred??

eskbanker

Who did you book with, and were the two flights booked separately or as one through booking?

Actually, on thinking about it, it doesn't matter - if the delays were caused by severe storms then chances are that you wouldn't be due any compensation even if your booking(s) were within the remit of the UK261 regulations, and these regulations wouldn't include reimbursement of the consequential costs you refer to, so if you had insufficient insurance cover then that's an expensive lesson learned....

Further edit: if it was a through booking then the airline should have arranged (or at least paid for) your overnight accommodation in Toronto, plus taxis and food.

TREBRYS

Thanks...and you are right...an expensive lesson learnt!

I booked everything through Opodo and the flight was a through booking...but it was chaotic at the airport with many very unhappy people, especially when we were told to vacate the airport! The scramble for Canadian currency and hotels was crazy. But the airline was adamant that it had no onus to pay for anything as it had no control over the weather and thus it was not its fault.

I did get to spend a few hours in Toronto though...and saw the little the forest fires' smoke allowed! A good trip, overall!

I'll put it down to experience!