Flight delay, missed connecting flights

mickyasy2k

We had flights booked with KLM, from Newcastle to Bangkok and a connecting flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with another airline. The initial flight was delayed due to technical issues with the plane and we landed in Amsterdam 3hrs late, our KLM connection was missed and they booked us on a flight to Vienna using another airline, then a flight out of Vienna to Bangkok using Austria Air (all supposed  to be with KLM). We landed in Bangkok over 5 1/2hrs late, thus causing us to miss our connecting flight to Chiang Mai. We were told by a KLM operative that we'd need to purchase additional tickets in Bangkok and that these would be reimbursed. KLM are refusing to reimburse us the £400 it cost us for the additional flights stating "the losses are indirect or consequential. They are not considered to be reasonably foreseeable and are therefore too remote to be recoverable from us according to law".
We gave ourselves approx 4hrs from landing in Bangkok to our connecting flight,  which we thought would be sufficient, but the delay of 5 1/2hrs meant we missed our flight, a direct consequence of their delay, surely they should reimburse us ???
M Stokoe

Newbie_John

Why should they? If you had a restaurant booked for £1 million - should they reimburse? No, that's what travel insurance is for. They are only responsible for getting you from Newcastle to Bangkok on time - or within 4h of planned landing - saying that they failed here so you are eligible for compensation of 600e per passenger:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Passengers_Rights_Regulation

Flight type 3.

saajan_12

What you need to ask for is the fixed compensation of £520 for a delay over 4 hrs on your overall flight UK - Bangkok. Unless there was an extraordinary cause and the delay was unavoidable by the airline,  that just pay it under UK261. 

They are correct that reimbursement only applies for costs to transport/house/feed you up to the destination, while consequential costs like yours are covered by the above.

[My guess is that's because it's easier assessing a fixed amount rather than delving into everyone's proof of what their plans were after the flight.. what if it was a 10k ticket or something priceless.]

Westin

Unfortunately if you book separate unconnected tickets there is no onus on Airline A to pay for a missed connection on Airline B.  KLM are correct saying that this is a consequence loss.  Had you booked a NCL BKK CNX thru ticket with KLM then they would need to accommodate you on a later BKK CNX flight.

Travel insurance is your best route.

If the initial delay is covered by EU261/UK261 then you may qualify for delay compensation which you can off set against the loss on the new BKK CNX flights.