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I recently was caught up in one of BA’s seemingly frequent IT Failures. I had my flight from Manchester to Nice (via Heathrow) cancelled, with the only option for the next day. Then the next day flight was also cancelled, with the next offer being now 2 days late.
This no longer worked for me, and it was totally impossible to get through to anyone on the phone (couldn’t even get in the queue). So I did the only thing I could do online, which was to cancel my booking, and rebook with someone else. And anyway, I had no confidence that the same wouldn’t happen again the next day.
I have put in claims for delay, and compensation for the (much more expensive) replacement flights I had to book.
I have heard nothing since.
I’d welcome any ideas on next steps, and what my rights are. There were plenty of other options available with other carriers, even the same day, but all I was offered were these long delays (the whole trip was only a week!).
BA hasn’t got a leg to stand on. It’s been impossible to get through to them for months.
Even if everyone knows this, cover your a$$ be being able to believably say you made some attempt to reach BA or other airline that cancelled your flight or severely delayed you.
3 attempts should be enough. Either 3 calls you tried to get through on to show on your phone log or bill, or an effort to find and be assisted by airline presence at the airport. If a major meltdown staff may be impossible to find or queues ridiculously eg at midnight and you need a hotel room. Provided you tried to give the airline the opportunity to provide what they are supposed to but not possible or they refused you are fully reasonable to make your own arrangeents and pursue them for the costs.
Factors such as in a total meltdown or very few alternative flights available such as if a weekly-only flight has been cancelled, especially at short notice, mean you would be entitled after not too much trying – but some – to arrange an alternative yourself before all choices are gone as hanging around too long might mean alternatives are gone which could also massively increase the airline’s costs.
@NickinFrance I suggest you read up o the Daily Thread for past 2-7 days plus the Flight Changes and Cancellations thread. Every possible answer you could want is covered there including at least 3 examples of your situation in very recent days. This is covered practically every day here so your options will be clear without much effort.
PS in these situations don’t ever cancel or refund your booking as if you do this means you lose the opportunity to exercise your rights.
You could, and still at least morally should be still able to pursue some claims but basically you are giving airlines a getout by cancelling or accepting a refund and it will be virtually impossible to get what you would be entitled to if you hadn’t done that.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
LL is right on these aspects
1 – And this is the most important in that if you cancel then you can no longer rely on EU/261 protections / compensation / reimbursement.
2 – you must show some efforts to contact BA. Your phone records will easily show this. And I don’t mean a single phone call. This needs to be several and the calls need to have lasted long enough to get through the voice menu and the ‘go away’ message and their likely disconnection of the call. Yes it’s soul destroying at times but it’s necessary.
I’ve just had a quick look at my call history for one BA call last October and that day shows this (and yes this was me sat at home and not at an airport with am imminent flight but it’s an example)
11.18 outgoing call – 2 minutes
12.24 ditto
13.03 ditto
15.19 ditto
18.20 dittoThats 5 alls in about 7 hours all lasting 2 mins – so long enough to get through the phone tree etc – so if it came down to claiming compensation it shows I tried to contact BA but they didn’t answer so I’d be in good stead an onalyones ‘reasonable’ measure.
So, a goodish news story regarding BA customer services. We were caught up in the BA IT failure on 26th February and had to spend 2 nights at Heathrow waiting for our next flight. BA confirmed last week they would pay me the cost of the 2 nights hotel (Hilton T4 with Diamond so B&B included), taxis to and from T5 and one meal. The other meal was never going to be approved, but was very enjoyable. The money has now arrived in my account although there are 2 anomalies
1. My compensation was paid as €400 so £335 where I thought it would be £350.
2. Still waiting for refund of seat reservation cost £25 eachThey owe you *all* meals at the normal mealtimes for the entire extra time you were delayed, at reasonable local rates.
Duty of care EU261 UK261.
So for 2 nights that’s at least 3 meals (breakfast lunch and dinner for at least 1 intervening day on the ground waiting and, depending on the timing of the flight you had cancelled on you, and the replacement flight they gave you up to 6 meals.
If I were you I would submit the remaining receipts. There is no get-out for them, they have to pay. Obvs you won’t have any alcohol or cigars or caviar on there.
PS though Opawoody well done so far. Not so bad on the compo as it could also have been less – that rate looks fair enough.
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