Flight cancellation Saturday GVA-LHR – rebooking on different airline?

[benjamin2022]

Apologies for another thread on this topic as I have looked at the others – I’ve never had to claim for flight disruption / cancellation before however BA impacted my kids’ half term ski trip two Saturdays in a row. For info these were Avios bookings made as two single bookings.

On Saturday 19th February experienced a 6 hour delay on way out on our 11AM flight (seemed to be due to an earlier flight cancellation which was then merged with our plane and we were all put onto a jumbo jet, and then subsequent technical issues with crew, buses, the loading of the plane) which led to our 11am flight not arriving until 5h50 mins late and arrived up the mountain with exhausted kids at nearly midnight. Of note the 11:05am left in good time. I’ve claimed compensation for this through the website – although haven’t heard anything back yet, and from what I’ve heard am not very optimistic about receiving any money!

We also experienced our flight being cancelled on Saturday 26th February. On Friday, I couldn’t check in when the IT was down. I woke up early on Saturday morning to see what was going on and I saw that on GVA website all BA flights were cancelled. I therefore booked tickets with Easyjet from Geneva to London Gatwick (at total cost of CHF610.78) on a flight leaving a couple hours after our one because I couldn’t face the prospect of at least another day of sitting around in airports with the kids especially after the experience of the week before. This was fortunate because when I got the notification of cancellation from BA a few minutes later I looked to rebook and there were no flights available that day and the only option was to book into the following day. I also had to pay for an uber (£77) from Gatwick to retrieve my car from LHR short stay carpark.

I just tried to complete the expenses / compensation form but I noted that ‘transport’ didn’t offer flights as an option (it has taxi, ferry, car hire etc etc but no flights) I guess I can put Other and write <<replacement flights>>?

I just wondered whether I can claim for those Easyjet flights from GVA–>LGW and the taxi to Heathrow, as I wasn’t offered any option to travel that day? Or should I just aim to claim compensation which should cover it? Should I now request the refund of the cancelled flight or does this prejudice the claim (although this was not much money as it was an Avios ticket?)

To be honest whilst of compensation would be nice, my main motivation/aim is to try not to end up out of pocket from these £550 – 600 expenses owing to cancellation from the need to get home on the day we booked so we’re back for return to school and work – as such I would be grateful for advice of best way to proceed.

Many thanks for your help all.

Ben

[Lady London]

Re Saturday 26th this appears to be BA’s fault.

You are entitled to
1. Cost of the replacement tickets on Easyjet
2. Cost of transport back to original airporr you were booked to land at. So taxi LGW to LHR. BA may try to claim you should have taken public transport instead of taxi. If they do it’s rubbish as there are many of you so not much cheaper, also all your luggage would have been impossible with kids etc. You will get the taxi money and I’d even charge the tip (10%).
3. Compensation at EU261 scale rate 250 euros per seat for cancellation journey under 1500km, for 0 notice cancellation not exceptional circumstances it was their own IT so BA is liable.

Re Saturday 19th BA can escape compensation part due to weather. As @SamG and @ChrisC have pointed out weather problems mean airlines are allowed to cancel some flights even if another of their own flights is still running. This may be due to an air traffic control instruction requiring reduction of flights in the day due to bad weather.

BA will be able to claim exceptional circumstances they could have done nothing about on this occasion so not havevto pay you compensation part of your entitlement. Even if we know BA’s shambolic operations and lack of resilience currently may be at least part of the cause.

However there is no exceptional circumstances getout for duty of care required by EU261 statute and its UK equivalent. So if you were still on the ground at lunchtime when your flight should have departed at 11am then you can produce receipts to BA for lunch. Heathrow reasonable cost around £25 per head (no alcohol).

You’d also have a right to claim internet for emails or the cost of a couple of phone calls during the wait. But sorry that’s it unless your own travel insurance provides more.

[RyanB]

I had the exact same situation coming back from Geneva with BA also yesterday. I had seats booked with avios in business and ended up booking on to a TUI flight to Gatwick instead. I have submitted a claim and used the ‘other’ section and wrote replacement flights. I have put in a claim for the replacement flight costs, a refund of avios and money of the business class ticket, the required compensation and have also submitted a claim for the shambles it was in Geneva with not 1 BA employee stationed there. I wasn’t even offered any alternative flights, was just told there was no flights and I could get a refund or make my own way back to London. Not sure how much they will give me but I don’t think it is unreasonable given how bad the service was and how late I was notified about the cancellation.

[Lady London]

@RyanB you can choose either a refund or the cost of alternative flight if you had to pay yourself. You can’t ask for both.

Re compo as yesterday does appear to be BA’s fault I calculate.scale charge of 250 euros each seat. You claim that as well as either your refund or the cost of alternative travel you were forced to pay out as compo is a separate heading.

[benjamin2022]

Thank you very much for your helpful advice everyone. Best wishes.

[SamG]

Key point to reiterate is you can’t have a refund AND the replacement flights/transport back to LHR. One or the other. Likely you’ve ended up out of pocket so you want your replacement flights, so don’t mention a refund. Then you get your €250 as well as compensation

The previous Saturday I think BA will say it was weather related operational difficulties, which the root cause probably was, but it’s worth a go