Delayed on tarmac and missed flight

Ballard · 7 October 2019 at 5:39PM

I have never had need to claim compensation but have done so via the BA website today and I’d like to put the details out for experts to see whether people with more knowledge think about it. As it stands BA could give me some waffle and I wouldn’t know whether or not to believe them.

I was flying on an Avios flight from Malaga to Heathrow via Madrid in business. This was the only option available to get me back using Avios.

The AGP-MAD (Iberia) flight left the gate on time but was stuck on the tarmac for 50 minutes. Upon arrival in Madrid I (and several others) ran to the departure gate for the London flight (Iberia) and managed to arrive whilst boarding was in progress but I had been bumped as my luggage didn’t make it on time. I do completely understand and accept this.

This was 15:55 and I was rebooked on a 19:45 flight (BA) despite other options to London being available in the meantime.

On the plus side I did have lounge access so I was adequately fed and watered.

A separate issue for which I’m not asking for delayed compensation is that upon arrival at Heathrow the baggage handlers unloaded our bags onto a carousel in the domestic terminal so I had a further 80 minutes wait at the airport. I was fuming!

I don’t know what caused the Malaga delay but my guess is that it wasn’t the airlines fault so I’m not overly hopeful. I’m also unsure whether the airline is liable to pay cash being as I paid for the flights with Avios.

I’d be interested for the opinions of anyone with similar experience.

Thanks.

TELLIT01 · 7 October 2019 at 6:25PM

I'm not clear what you are hoping to claim compensation for. Your original flight was only 50 minutes late so nothing there. You didn't arrive at the gate for the second flight on time, so you were put onto the next available. Airlines won't generally hold one flight because another has been delayed unless it's long haul and a large number of passengers are transferring.

Ballard · 7 October 2019 at 6:35PM

Sorry if it wasn’t clear but the delay in Malaga caused me to miss my connecting flight which in turn caused me to get to Heathrow around 4 hours later than my booking. My understanding of the legislation is limited but that the airline has to get you to your final destination within four hours.

There were other (BA/Iberia) flights leaving Madrid for London before the one that I was put on so I could have arrived earlier. I didn’t expect them to hold the flight for me.

Alan_Bowen · 7 October 2019 at 7:32PM

Your claim is against the operating airline, which is Iberia (good luck ) not BA so I would expect an immediate rejection from BA, even if you booked the flights through them

Ballard · 7 October 2019 at 7:54PM

Alan_Bowen wrote: »

Your claim is against the operating airline, which is Iberia (good luck ) not BA so I would expect an immediate rejection from BA, even if you booked the flights through them

Thanks. I’ll wait to see what BA come back with and will post on here for further guidance.

Ballard · 31 October 2019 at 7:07PM

BA haven’t yet replied to my claim for the late arrival but they have awarded me 5,000 Avios for the baggage delay. I’m happy with that aspect of my complaint.

Delayed on tarmac and missed flight

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