ITA Scheduled a Missed Connection Compensation

James889

ITA scheduled changed 2 months ago my flight to Vietnam from Barcelona via Rome and Paris with only 20 minutes for the connection in Paris. This was due to a schedule change on the Rome to Paris leg.

Paris to Vietnam leg was with Vietnam Airlines codeshare. Ticket is entirely ITA.

I discussed it with them at the time and they did not cancel my flights and suggested there were multiple passengers on the flight so the flight to Vietnam would wait and we would be chaparoned through security and immigration.

I spoke with them Wednesday and no issues on the flight but I was unable to select seats on the Paris to Vietnam leg.

I called again yesterday to double check and I was told I had a missed connection and they could not re-route me with any other airline due to no availability. They also (not consistently as I spoke to several different people) said that the Paris to Vietnam flight was cancelled as well. (Vietnam airlines website still has the flight flying even as of today VN10)

I had not received any email or notifcation of issues since the original schedule change.

I phoned up and asked for a refund which has been provided but I still have not received an email confirming cancellation and they pivot to "missing connection" rather than it being outright cancelled which is the effect and why they refunded.

How should I go about claiming EU 261 given this?

Thanks

eskbanker

I suspect it'll be challenging if the only written notification was that issued two months ago, in that compensation isn't due for such circumstances, but exactly what did that notification say, i.e. was it 'sorry, your itinerary is no longer viable' or 'here are your adjusted flight times'?  A 20 minute connection was never going to work, and that won't have changed over those two months, regardless of verbal assurances to the contrary....

Edit: on reflection, I'm not sure that any EU261 compensation would be applicable anyway, unless a flight was actually cancelled - the only other route would be a denied boarding claim, but that would only apply if you'd turned up at the airport.

Wonka_2

An odd routing - was this actually booked/ticketed via ITA ? I can't see any way they'd show a 20min connection - there's no way you're getting from T2F into T2E in 20mins even being chaperoned/escorted

What were the flight numbers and were you originally booked on the earlier FCO-CDG leg giving 2h50 to make the connection ?

James889

After the change:

08/12/2023 BCN FCO

AZ Barcellona Roma

75 06:25 08:10

   

08/12/2023 FCO CDG

AZ Roma Parigi

318 11:00 13:15

   

08/12/2023 CDG SGN

AZ Parigi Ho Chi Minh

3004 13:35 07:55

   

16/12/2023 SGN CDG

AZ Ho Chi Minh Parigi

3005 23:10 06:55

   

17/12/2023 CDG FCO

AZ Parigi Roma

333 14:05 16:10

   

17/12/2023 CDG FCO

AZ Parigi Roma

333 14:05 16:10

   

17/12/2023 FCO BCN

AZ Roma Barcellona

78 21:25 23:15

Wonka_2

So before the change the FCO-CDG leg was earlier i.e. shorter connection in FCO but longer in CDG ?

James889

Before the change:

From To Flight Departure Arrival Last check-in

BARCELONA AIRPORT

Terminal: 1

ROME FIUMICINO

Terminal: 1

AZ75 06:25

08Dec2023

08:10

08Dec2023

Class: YC, N Operated by: ITA AIRWAYS

Marketed by: ITA AIRWAYS NVB (2): 08Dec2023

Baggage (4): 1PC Booking status (1): OK NVA (3): 08Dec2023

_

ROME FIUMICINO

Terminal: 1

PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE

Terminal: 2F

AZ318 10:15

08Dec2023

12:30

08Dec2023

Class: YC, N Operated by: ITA AIRWAYS

Marketed by: ITA AIRWAYS NVB (2): 08Dec2023

Baggage (4): 1PC Booking status (1): OK NVA (3): 08Dec2023

_

PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE

Terminal: 2E

HO CHI MINH CITY TAN SON

NHAT INTL

Terminal: 2

AZ3004 13:35

08Dec2023

07:55

09Dec2023

Class: YC, N Operated by: VIETNAM AIRLINES

Marketed by: ITA AIRWAYS NVB (2): 08Dec2023

Baggage (4): 1PC Booking status (1): OK NVA (3): 08Dec2023

James889

Wonka_2 said:

An odd routing - was this actually booked/ticketed via ITA ? I can't see any way they'd show a 20min connection - there's no way you're getting from T2F into T2E in 20mins even being chaperoned/escorted

What were the flight numbers and were you originally booked on the earlier FCO-CDG leg giving 2h50 to make the connection ?

Fully ticketed by ITA.

They said the plane would likely wait. 

CDG transit before was 1hr5m

Wonka_2

James889 said:

Wonka_2 said:

An odd routing - was this actually booked/ticketed via ITA ? I can't see any way they'd show a 20min connection - there's no way you're getting from T2F into T2E in 20mins even being chaperoned/escorted

What were the flight numbers and were you originally booked on the earlier FCO-CDG leg giving 2h50 to make the connection ?

Fully ticketed by ITA.

They said the plane would likely wait. 

CDG transit before was 1hr5m

Even 1h05 is tight (but achievable) for a T2F to T2E transfer - as thought it's the FCO-CDG timing change that causes the issue and it's shocking that ITA would suggest this was still a doable transfer (and even more so to suggest that the plane would wait)

That doesn't help you on where to go from here but not sure how they can claim cancellation if it's clear that the flight actually went - what have they said when you showed them the evidence of it going ?

eskbanker

Wonka_2 said:

That doesn't help you on where to go from here but not sure how they can claim cancellation if it's clear that the flight actually went - what have they said when you showed them the evidence of it going ?

It's in OP's interests not to contradict any assertion from ITA that the flight was cancelled, as IMHO that's the only prospect of getting any compensation!