Cancelled BA flights, moved airport and carrier

BurbleFruit

Hello,

I have tried to answer this myself - but there seem to be too many moving parts for my brain to keep up with!

I was scheduled on a BA flight from LGW to JFK recently.  It should have left at 15:00, arriving 18:15 (local time).
It was cancelled at 02:35 that same morning, and I was rebooked on an American Airlines flight, but now from LHR, not LGW, departing 15:35, arriving 18:30.
That was then delayed/cancelled - AA didn't give me the option to take it, they just changed my flight again, and rebooked me onto another AA flight, also from LHR, at 19:50, arriving 23:00.

So - in effect, my flight was cancelled, moved departure airport, and delayed, from 18:15 arrival to 23:00 (4hrs 45mins).  I think it actually arrived a little later than that still.

I am hoping to claim some compensation for that, I believe I should be entitled to the full £520?
Am I also able to do anything about the move from LGW to LHR?  I had to buy a different train ticket, and lost a bit on cancelling the one I booked in advance - not a lot, but I figure I may as well ask!


Regarding my flight home, again, BA cancelled my flight on the morning of travel, and rebooked me on an American Airlines flight - it was only 15 minutes later, but to LHR, rather than the booked LGW.
I assume I'm not entitled to anything for that one, as it was such a short delay (although technically the flight was cancelled?).
Again, can I do anything with the change of arrival airport?

Thanks lots - hopefully that's all the information that is needed?
Can someone offer some advice?  I've never done this before!

Mark_d

How much you can claim depends on the reasons for flight cancellations but if you can make a valid claim for the delay, then I would also look to claim compensation for extra travel costs due to the change of airport (assuming you can prove these extra costs)

BurbleFruit

Thank you.
How can I find the reasons for cancellation - BA's e-mail just cites "operational constraints" ?

eskbanker

BurbleFruit said:

It was cancelled at 02:35 that same morning, and I was rebooked on an American Airlines flight, but now from LHR, not LGW, departing 15:35, arriving 18:30.
That was then delayed/cancelled - AA didn't give me the option to take it, they just changed my flight again, and rebooked me onto another AA flight, also from LHR, at 19:50, arriving 23:00.

[...]

Regarding my flight home, again, BA cancelled my flight on the morning of travel, and rebooked me on an American Airlines flight - it was only 15 minutes later, but to LHR, rather than the booked LGW.
I assume I'm not entitled to anything for that one, as it was such a short delay (although technically the flight was cancelled?).

As above, your rights will depend on whether or not the cancellations were due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the airlines' control, but there is a provision that late-notice cancellation compensation isn't due where passengers "are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than one hour before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than two hours after the scheduled time of arrival".

This may scupper the first cancellation, or at least combine it with the second, but for the third, on the inbound flight, your final destination was LGW so the time to get there from LHR (especially after passport control, baggage claim, etc) would probably have meant that your arrival would have been delayed by more than two hours versus originally scheduled?

In terms of reasons, there are one or two posters on here with inside knowledge of air traffic constraints being imposed at UK airports, and you might find it worth asking over on FlyerTalk, where there are more BA insiders:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2146197-faq-reason-flight-delay-cancellation-2024-edition.html

Regarding transportation costs between LGW and LHR in each direction, the airlines are on the hook for this, as emphasised in the CAA's guidance:

Re-routing via alternative airports

6.8 Where airlines offer to re-route passengers to / from a different airport than the original flight, the airline should organise the transport to / from that airport. The CAA does not expect airlines to fail in this obligation. However, where such a failure occurs, the airline should provide prompt re-imbursement of any expenses incurred by affected passengers in travelling to / from the alternative airport and should inform the affected passenger directly, for example by email, about how to make a claim. 

https://www.caa.co.uk/publication/download/18744

BurbleFruit

That's really great, thank you @eskbanker !