As a thought from NoFM2R's post on another thread, how many have ever had compensation for a delayed flight? From my experience of a claiming a couple of times they were both put under 'extraordinary circumstances' and therefore avoided paying out. The circumstances had been paid out but via a court case, so i was reasonably hopefully. Although if I'm honest it was more out of hope i thought they'd dodge it. I know about a dozen people at work have claimed and equally got nothing, mixture of airlines low cost and scheduled although I don't know the circumstances of the delay for all of them.
I'm not looking for a rehash of the eu debate, more have you been successful in ever claiming ?
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Once on Virgin. No arguments or difficulties once I claimed though they didn't volunteer the possibility.
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I can only recall one delay of around 3 hours when returning from N Africa with a couple of colleagues following a work related stay. We arrived in the UK at around midnight, and although no compensation was offered, we did at least have the opportunity to spend the night in a plush hotel.
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Oh that's right, I didn't think of those occasions where I've been given a hotel because I've missed a connection. I was just thinking of actually claiming compensation.
So that I can think of easily, two times in Madrid, once in Paris and once Frankfurt. And God knows how many times within the US.
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Slightly OT but I once volunteered to be bounced from an overbooked Heathrow to Dublin flight for a £200 cash consideration (or £300 in vouchers). That was in the early 90s and was quite a decent sum, as the next flight was only an hour away...
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In the US I found that the most beneficial was to accept air miles. At the time I lived in San Fran, and pretty much every time I was returning to SF I was under no time pressure. Different when I was heading out on a job.
I often used to take the offer, particularly from DFW or LAX and easy enough since, as you say, the next flight was rarely more than an hour different.
I once took the offer on a flight from DFW, I think the flights were something like noon and 13.00. Subsequently the noon airplane developed a fault and the 13.00 was going to take off earlier.
I took a second offer to get bumped back to the noon flight which eventually took off around 14:00. I spent the intervening couple of hours in the Admirals Club drinking free G&Ts.
All in all it was a very profitable and relaxing Saturday lunch.
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Years ago I accepted the compo offer on a United Chicago>Sacramento flight. Unfortunately at the very last minute they found a seat for me.
Another time flying out of LBA to AMS the flight was late arriving due to fog. As were several others. The outbound SingaporeAirlines flight was held as so many passengers were delayed, and as a consequence missed the connecting flight to Christchurch. They put me up in a very swish Singapore hotel and I flew the next day.
As an aside, on the return first leg, the Captain came from my part of the world, and I spent several hours in the cockpit chatting. Even had my meals served there! Unfortunately I had to vacate the jumpseat for landing into Changi. That will never happen again.
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We have never had compensation and did once have a long delay when an alternative aircraft had to be flown out of the UK. Too long ago to get compensation now.
We had a bad delay with Virgin Trains on the West Coast mainline fairly recently. They refunded the ticket automatically. Even texted me that would be the case whilst still on the train. Probably cheaper to do it all automatically than to process claims.
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I was flying Flybe from Luton to the IOM a couple of years ago. The flight was cancelled as we reached the check-in desk. We were bussed from Luton to Birmingham (they supplied a too small bus and the lucky beggars who didn't bag a seat on the coach got their own taxi). The Birmingham flight was further delayed and the crew were surprised as they expected to be flying to Paris!
Ever flown from Birmingham to Ronaldsway in a jet? Shortest hop I've ever experienced, the original flight was to be turbo-prop.
Landed many hours late and I submitted a claim. When I didn't get a response after the requisite time I escalated it through the CAA.
Flybe then offered compensation at their Euro to Sterling rate. I replied with the current Bank of England rate and they upped it to something sensible. Quite lucrative I seem to recall, over £200 each.
It was all very easy, following the guidance in Money Saving Expert: www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays
The big downside was we were flying on a Sunday and arrived evening. Ever been in the IOM on a Sunday? It's like the Mary Celeste. We were hoping to eat out when we got there!
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>>Ever been in the IOM on a Sunday? It's like the Mary Celeste. We were hoping to eat out when we got there!
To drift the thread somewhat drastically.
When I very first started travelling for work, and I was very unsophisticated and quite broke, I had a job somewhat above my station so in the early days it entailed a lifestyle that I simply could not afford.
I used to fly in an out of Geneva and drive across to Annecy. The art was to avoid any need for spending at all and only get involved in those things which would be charged direct to my employer - flights, hotels, rental cars and avoid additional expense - survive within one tank of fuel, charge all food to my room, etc. etc.
Hotels in Annecy in the early 80s did not do food on a Sunday evening. And Annecy was about as deserted as the IoM.
Character building. And weight losing.
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When I first started my business, I was so skint for the first couple of years. Often used to sleep in the car to save on overnight accommodation costs and would buy a couple of bread rolls and a small portion of cheese to eat. Cleaned up in the morning by going to a public swimming pool. Some nights it was so cold but I couldn't afford to run the engine for very long to warm up. Things got better eventually of course, but these things do indeed serve to make you grateful to able to afford things when you can, but not to take it for granted that you always will.
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I used to do the same. I had this gorgeous 5 Series BMW and a fuel card but no money. So driving around the country for my job was no issue. Eating or staying somewhere on the other hand a bit more so.
I used to sleep in the car a lot. Always found the police very supportive.
I chose sliced bread and a cold tin of beans for sustenance. I still eat cold beans sandwiches these days.
I mostly freshened up at places I'd used previously when in a truck.
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Useful link it appears that I can appeal against to ADR process but I have to pay £25 if I lose. Hmmm.
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Shortest hop Ive experienced when we were stacked above Manchester due to a runway incident and running low on fuel. Liverpool for a bit of a top off and back to Manchester.
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>>Ever flown from Birmingham to Ronaldsway in a jet?
>> Shortest hop I've ever experienced, the original flight was to be turbo-prop.
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I have been on a very short scheduled jet flight in a 747.
It was from Montego Bay across the Blue Mountains to Kingston Jamaica.
Get on, belt up, stay belted up, including cabin crew, shut up, no food, no entertainment except the view out of the window.
Very strange on a full 747
IIRC it is about 80 miles and scheduled just about 30/40 mins.
A Google search finds
Ethiopian Airlines claims the world’s shortest jet flight, flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the 17-mile trip between Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Brazzaville, Congo. Including takeoff and landing, the entire trip maxes out at 20 minutes, roughly the length of a simple coffee break.
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D-i-L & 2 gradkids booked on KLM Amsterdam to USA - flight cancelled 3 days in advance of deperture - rebooked on BA the following day.
Email to KLM - £1800 compensation within 1 week.
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Short flights.
I was very young (12 I think) and flying alone to Paris. First time on an jet and it was a Trident.
Got to Heathrow and landed at Le Tourqet because of some incident at Paris.
Annoyingly I lived 50 miles from Le Tourqet (as the crow flies) and it would have been quicker to get the ferry and train in France.
No compensation in those days.
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Talking of short ( jet) flights. Donks ago I bought a Saab 9000 unseen from a liquidated car company in London. I arranged to collect it from LHR and paid the liquidators by bank draft. Flew out of Yeadon on a BA 1-11 I think and the Capt said he was hoping for a record... 30 mins wheels up to wheels down. It was an early evening flight and I made it back to friends in Rawdon in time for last orders.
Impressed or what....
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Flight compensation - No FM2R
