Re-routing compensation

Marina24

Due to an unscheduled landing caused by a medical emergency, our plane arrived late in Paris, meaning we missed our onward connecting flight to Dublin. As there was no availability on other direct flights that day, we were re-routed via Amsterdam, changing from Air France to KLM. This entailed a 6hr wait in Paris followed by a wait of over 5hrs in Amsterdam. Instead of arriving in Dublin at 8.30am, we arrived at 10.30pm. We were each given a voucher for €15 in Paris, but on enquiring about vouchers in Amsterdam, we were told we weren't entitled to anything as our planes arrived and were departing as scheduled. In addition, my friend had to pay for an extra days for her two dogs to be kept in kennels.

Online forms for compensation don't seem to accommodate this kind of situation. Can anyone tell me if a) we are entitled to compensation for extra expenses and if so, b) how do we go about it.

Thanks

Marina24

eskbanker

There isn't any entitlement to compensation as such (as opposed to reimbursing out of pocket expenses), as the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control, and likewise the airline has no liability for additional costs such as dog kennels, although travel insurance may cover that.

Assuming the originally booked flight was with an EU airline, the EC 261 regulations do oblige them to pay for refreshments while delayed waiting for a flight to depart, but I don't believe that this extends to funding food while changing between flights later in the journey, although no harm in asking…

bagand96

Agree with the above.

It's definitely worth submitting receipts you have for food/refreshments whilst in Amsterdam to the original airline (Air France) as it was their reroute from their delay.

Your friend could try travel insurance for the cost of the dog kennels but it will be very dependent on the policy.

eskbanker

There was a broadly similar thread last month, in which a poster asserted that "courts ruled that expenses could be claimed up to the point of departure on the flight going to your original destination" but without substantiating this, so if anyone knows of any such judgments then perhaps worth sharing details?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6659497/flight-cancellation-claims-adverse-weather-easyjet