Medical emergency turnaround, halfway across Atlantic

[ayearinmx]

So I was on AA195 LHR-PHX on Feb 5, which had a medical emergency just southeast of Greenland. (Booked on BA.com, but ticketed with American airlines)

We had to turnaround and go back to Shannon to deplane the critical passenger. The rest of the passengers stayed on.

Due to staff hours, we were then flown to JFK. We all had to deplane, go through customs and immigration there, collect baggage, then recheck baggage, then get on a new flight JFK-PHX AA9607. We just landed in PHX at 0300 Feb 6, instead of 1600 Feb 5… So 11hrs late.

Because we arrived at 3am I had to book a hotel for this night, because I couldn’t get into my Airbnb…

So 2 questions…
1) can I claim back that on travel insurance/ American airlines? Or any other compensation due for arriving 11hrs late?

2) What avios/TP do I now receive?
LHR-PHX
LHR-SNN-JFK-PHX
LHR-JFK-PHX?

Not complaining about the situation, just figuring out my moves from here…

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

zero compensation as it wasn’t AAs fault. I’d say hotel was more insurance than AA to reimburse

TPs – it seems AA9607 was a specially put on flight to get people to PHX ASAP so I’d say the only TP/avios you would get would be for your original LHR=PHX flight and none of the other combinations you list.

[JDB]

@ayearinmx – you should probably initially ask AA to cover the hotel cost. While it’s a bit unusual as your ‘need’ for the hotel isn’t the standard basis, your insurer will probably require you to try AA first. You won’t be eligible for compensation as this is clearly ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

[ayearinmx]

Thanks for the advice. I figured it would come under extraordinary circumstances, and that’s fine, because they were.
I am curious about the TP/Avios though because I flew on a new ticketed flight, that I checked in for. So I’m surprised they can tell me that it will just come under the umbrella of an old flight, that didn’t get me to my intended destination

[PeteM]

I suspect you will get miles and TPs for LHR-JFK-PHX, but you’ll have to wait and see. You are only entitled to LHR-PHX, though.

[ayearinmx]

you guys were right, accredited with LHR-PHX, no mention of any other flights… it’s all as if nothing went wrong

[zapato1060]

I hope wherever the passenger is he is well and also hope your paid your night in hotel and meal expenses promptly.

[ayearinmx]

update, I got 20TP for the JFK-PHX leg of the trip as well, in addition to the 20TP for the LHR-“PHX” leg… no extra avios

[Mouse]

JDB wrote:

@ayearinmx – you should probably initially ask AA to cover the hotel cost. While it’s a bit unusual as your ‘need’ for the hotel isn’t the standard basis, your insurer will probably require you to try AA first. You won’t be eligible for compensation as this is clearly ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

Why would this be covered by “extraordinary circumstances”? Passenger illness is an ordinary occurrence. Is it because it is outside the control of the airline? If so, why was the regulation not drafted as such? Genuinely interested!

[JDB]

@Mouse – passenger illness that causes an aircraft to divert is not an ordinary occurrence any more than say a bird strike. They both happen but are sufficiently rare to take them outside the test of being an inherent part of the carrier’s activity and operations. There’s a controversial lightning strike decision that wasn’t ‘extraordinary circumstances’ but only in a lower court. Crew illness is a different issue.

The statute, like most civil law is not too prescriptive because the draftsman and/or legislature can’t anticipate every eventuality. Each case has to be decided on its own merits/facts and on the balance of probabilities.

Passenger illness inflight is clearly usually, but not always, outside the airline’s control with no reasonable measures they could take to avoid it which reinforces it being ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

[Mouse]

JDB wrote:

@Mouse – passenger illness that causes an aircraft to divert is not an ordinary occurrence any more than say a bird strike. They both happen but are sufficiently rare to take them outside the test of being an inherent part of the carrier’s activity and operations. There’s a controversial lightning strike decision that wasn’t ‘extraordinary circumstances’ but only in a lower court. Crew illness is a different issue.

The statute, like most civil law is not too prescriptive because the draftsman and/or legislature can’t anticipate every eventuality. Each case has to be decided on its own merits/facts and on the balance of probabilities.

Passenger illness inflight is clearly usually, but not always, outside the airline’s control with no reasonable measures they could take to avoid it which reinforces it being ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

Interesting, thank-you @JDB