BA Cancellations v Long delays

WiseInvestor_2

Sorry Gregg if you view my comments as patronising as that's honestly not my intention. I had hoped that some explanation of the practicalities surrounding rescue flights would help everyone understand why it's not always as straightforward as first thought.

I do, however, maintain my view that so many posts on this board focus on compensation, even when considerable recompense is already forthcoming (eg. 10,000 Air Miles). We all enjoy foreign holidays and the airlines are busy fighting eachother for your custom so ticket prices are plummeting. Air travel is cheaper now than ever before and the EU were right to introduce regulations to protect all of us. But continued pressure from the selfish few will only result in the industry taking steps to protect itself, which will ultimately affect us all in the prices we pay to keep flying!

I read somewhere recently that 75% of US companies had law suits filed against them during 2004 - what a shame to watch the same mentality develop here

ceebee_2

I thought the following notes might be of interest. the notes were taken from a BBC2 Working Lunch programme in January 2005.

W.e.f. 17 February2005, overbooking or cancellation by the airline would entitle compensation of:-

Less than 1500Km 250 Euros
3500 Km 400 Euros
Over 3500 Km 600 Euros

irrespective of the fact that you may have payed, say, 50 Euros for a cheap flight.

Also, delayed flight assistance:-

<!500Km/ After 2 hours ) Free meal
3500Km/ After 3 hours ) Refreshments
>3500Km/after 4 hours ) 2 Free Phone calls
Free Accomodation if delayed overnight.

Note :- If delay is more than 5 hours, you can decide not to travel and receive compensation.
Even if you are half-way through a multi-stage flight, you can request to be returned to starting point

I would repeat that the above are notes from the programme, and whilst I do not want to get into a 'compensation' argument, I have been affected by delays and my grouse, generally, is that airline personnel treat you like mushrooms. You are kept in the dark and fed b

---

t.

gregg1

sorry wiseinvestor - did not mean to offend either. I just think there is an important point which is being missed here which basically is that its not just about what is fair for the airline. I think this Act is basically aiming to get airlines to "clean up their act". People who are the victims of cancellations and delays (and I suspect we have all been there at some time) are, in the main, treated shabbily and appalling by the airlines concerned. Left hanging around in airports for hours and hours without explanation, being given incorrect information etc. My flight to the States this year was cancelled for 28 hours. The airline knew about the cancellation since the previous afternoon yet still allowed us to turn up at the airport the next morning with two small kids knowing full well the flight was not leaving until the next day at least. If the only way to get airlines to get off their backsides and start treating paying customers in a more civilised way is to hit them in their pockets then I for one hope more people take advantage of this law. Sorry but have to reiterate that a lot of people don't want airmiles (I did'nt). I don't see why I should give these airlines my hard earned cash (and time) to waste it hanging around an airport for 28 hours being treated like s--t. Its not greed - its compensating me for my valuable time which has been wasted.