-
I was travelling back from Paris to Glasgow yesterday with my daughter (13) and her friend (14).
We were using reward flights, so with the limited choice we were flying CDG-LHR @ 20:35 (landing 20:50) & LHR-GLA @ 21:50
For whatever reason, the CDG-LHR was started showing as delayed by ~40 minutes whilst we were in the lounge.
As this would be an issue with connection, I called the BA Gold line and they agreed. So they rebooked the connecting flight to the next morning, with the promise to reimburse hotel and expenses.
All good, or so I thought…
When boarding was called for the 20:35 CDG-LHR flight, we went to the gate. When we got to the scanning of the boarding passes, the red lights went off with a “Seating Issue” alert.
It turns out that the person who rebooked the connecting flight from LHR-GLA had not also reissued the CDG-LHR tickets so we were no longer on that flight!
My call to BA did not resolve it fast enough to board that flight, so it left without us and my daughter was in tears.
There was another flight after this, but the agent on the phone said that they could not get us on that flight and we would have to stay in Paris and fly back the next day.
This was not good enough, as I was due in work the next day for big meetings.
Long story short, the manager at the gate managed to work some magic (that seemed beyond the phone agent on the hour long call), and managed to get us onto the next flight, though not sat together.
So we were very late back to Heathrow, managed to get <5 hours sleep and check in for the final flight to Glasgow.So my question is, should I be making several claims out of this (Flight Delay, Expenses Claim, Re-booking Error) to BA, or put it all in the one?
Thanks in advance for any, and all, help
At some point it feels it is easier to just fly Easyjet/Ryanair or whatever and avoid LHR altogether.
I’d say it’s one claim – the flight delay and associated expenses. The rebooking error just distracts from the straightforward delay. You got to Glasgow the same time as if the rebooking had been done correctly, so I’d just stick with the delay and incurred expenses.
The Paris flight landed at 21:23, your Glasgow flight left at 22:22 and landed 2 minutes late at 23:17.
If you’d done nothing, you’d have been home on time. The last flight to Scotland is often held to allow late incoming flights to connect (they can throw people in a Taxi to EDI/GLA if necessary).
Thanks for all the responses so far!
At some point it feels it is easier to just fly Easyjet/Ryanair or whatever and avoid LHR altogether.
Agreed, I am seriously reconsidering my BA loyalty
I’d say it’s one claim – the flight delay and associated expenses. The rebooking error just distracts from the straightforward delay. You got to Glasgow the same time as if the rebooking had been done correctly, so I’d just stick with the delay and incurred expenses.
I agree that we got to Glasgow at the same time, but with significantly less sleep with which to tackle the big meetings of the day. That does not feel like a small thing to me at the moment.
The Paris flight landed at 21:23, your Glasgow flight left at 22:22 and landed 2 minutes late at 23:17.
If you’d done nothing, you’d have been home on time. The last flight to Scotland is often held to allow late incoming flights to connect (they can throw people in a Taxi to EDI/GLA if necessary).
That’s good to know, I think in future I will just roll the dice and deal with any issues after landing in LHR (if I continue with BA)
As far as I can tell, BA would consider this a voluntary change – also compo would depend on the reason for any delay/cancellation, which doesn’t seem to be clear.
But as @yonasl says, fly direct or always be prepared for potential disruption with domestic connections!
As far as I can tell, BA would consider this a voluntary change – also compo would depend on the reason for any delay/cancellation, which doesn’t seem to be clear.
But as @yonasl says, fly direct or always be prepared for potential disruption with domestic connections!
Yes, there’s a very material risk this will be considered a voluntary change such that no compensation or right to care costs would be owed.
When I called the BA Gold line after being alerted to the ~40 minute delay of the CDG-LHR flight, I asked what my options were as a result. The agent told me that the window was too small (the LHR-GLA was still showing as on-time) and that she would need to book me onto a flight the next day and that hotel expenses would be covered.
From the re-booking error, and what has been said here, it seems like she quite possibly did not know what she was doing. I do not want to be out of pocket for her error. As it was stated on the call that I would be able to claim for these expenses (and I assume the calls are recorded), would the claim be honoured regardless of official process?@ClubSmed – I don’t think BA or indeed any airline operates on the basis of dictum meum pactum in 2024 but what you were told sounds like fairly compelling evidence, particularly if the agent advised making the change.
I wouldn’t get heavy with them too early, eg asking for the recording. That might be rather counterproductive.
I would suggest making a claim for the hotel and any other expenses (meals, non-alcoholic drinks and anything else) and then waiting until that is paid. A simple claim “we were delayed overnight, re-booked, these were our necessary expenses”. Don’t bother with any explanations or complaints beyond that. BA tend to pay those fairly quickly and without too much hassle, unless you’ve booked the Ritz.
Once that has been paid, I would then put in a claim for the delay compensation. Do you know why the plane was expected to be delayed?
You will probably end up having to point out that they re-booked you wrongly when they didn’t need to, given that your original booking would have worked and wasn’t actually delayed in the end. Depending on how strongly you care about it you may end up needing to go to CEDR, and I’m not 100% sure you’re going to get compensation.That way you get your expenses paid before what will inevitably be a prolonged argument to get compensation.
I would concur that you made a voluntary change, but you should be able to claim expenses easily. I don’t hold much hope for compensation for a delay that “might have been” (and in the end wasn’t). Even if you had made it to LHR on time, you were no longer booked on the GLA flight.
As with all travel – hope for the best, plan for the worst! (“Mann tracht un Gott lacht”)
I would concur that you made a voluntary change, but you should be able to claim expenses easily. I don’t hold much hope for compensation for a delay that “might have been” (and in the end wasn’t). Even if you had made it to LHR on time, you were no longer booked on the GLA flight.
As with all travel – hope for the best, plan for the worst! (“Mann tracht un Gott lacht”)
Without knowing the precise facts and exactly what was said I’m not sure anyone is in a position to give a view re the expenses which would usually, on the basis of what little we know, be tied to the compensation in the general situation described.
At the risk of re-opening old wounds from another thread I would say this is a another case of IDB for the CDG-LHR flight.
OP was plainly airside with a boarding pass for the CDG-LHR flight but due to BA call centre cockup in amending LHR-GLA flight they removed the ticket from the PNR for the first sector when there should not have been any need to do so.
Therefore IDB compensation is due and accomodation and other expenses also become due via the Right to Care article of EC261.
At the risk of re-opening old wounds from another thread I would say this is a another case of IDB for the CDG-LHR flight.
OP was plainly airside with a boarding pass for the CDG-LHR flight but due to BA call centre cockup in amending LHR-GLA flight they removed the ticket from the PNR for the first sector when there should not have been any need to do so.
Therefore IDB compensation is due and accomodation and other expenses also become due via the Right to Care article of EC261.
@AJA nobody other than the OP has sufficient information to give an opinion of any value. These things are always very fact specific and there are some unusual factors here including the circumstances of the initial call to BA, precisely what was requested, what information was provided and the basis upon which the BA agent acted as she did.All calls will be recorded so the OP can get a transcript. But it’s a ticketing error, IDB isn’t relevant IMHO.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
