[FormerlyDoS]

Papilion

Just out of interest, do you pay more tax than HMRC ask you to?

[Papillion53]

FDoS @16:13

???????

[LuganoPirate]

In that case Nathinfor, I’d say nothing ventured, nothing gained! I see Papillions point, and if we all claim compensation it will push fares up, but if you don’t then you’ll be the only one so not only paying higher fares but getting nothing back either!

I expect BA will wriggle and they may find a reason not to pay anyway so it could be time lost. Personally I can’t be bothered and only accept what is offered, if anything, at the time!

On a recent internal flight with SAA my flight was delayed by 4 hours. I asked if they offered anything and the girl at the desk said yes, but only after 3 hours, so I should come back then. I went off, had some lunch, came back to be told I’d have to wait another 5 minutes as it was not quite three hours. She would not tell me what I would get though.

On the dot of 3 hours she made a phone call but I could not understand what was being said, and she told me a supervisor would come along to deal with me. 15 minutes later said supervisor turned up with a big book, filled in forms and asked me to sign a delayed flight compensation voucher receipt.

And what did I get???? A cup of tea 😉

[FormerlyDoS]

“FDoS @16:13

???????”

Why would you wish to claim your personal allowances, when the country needs the extra tax?

Your entitled to claim them, but given that it is only a small inconvenience, why not just give a little more and do the right thing?

[Papillion53]

FDoS – not everyone! And, well I would imagine that a lot of people on this forum, don’t claim their personal allowance because they don’t get one in the first place! 🙁

Now if we talk about the age-related heating allowance – lots of people we know, don’t want this money, they don’t need it, are still working on a decent salary and feel it could be put to much better use for people who genuinely need it. But no luck, HMRC refuse to take it back!

[Vertrek]

Nathinfo,

I would not expect cash compensation for this, especially after they rebooked you on a direct flight to Rio. However, you might be able to ask for more miles of instead just 15000.

KLM cancelled my flights and delayed it for 8 hours due to snow last december. I sent an online complaint form on a sunday and received a call on either monday or tuesday (can’t quiet recall it precisely), they apologised for the inconveniences and gave me miles enough for booking a one way flight from AMS-LHR as a gesture of “refunding” my flight, it was 7500 miles. Originally I paid for a discounted flight in Y. It was nice for them to take the initiative to call and apologised even if it was not their fault.

So, as you were flying CW, perhaps you can ask for business class miles required to book a one-way award flight from LHR to GIG. But I don’t think cash is an option. =)

[FormerlyDoS]

“I would imagine that a lot of people on this forum, don’t claim their personal allowance because they don’t get one in the first place! 🙁 “

That’s equivalent to not meeting the EU261/2004 parameters, you are not entitled.

But the OP is entitled under law to compensation, so why shouldn’t he claim it?

Your argument does not make sense.

[FormerlyDoS]

Vertrek

The circumstances relating to the KLM episode sound as if they may qualify as extra-ordinary, but the OPs do not.

I don’t see why he is not entitled to compensation under EU261 – can you point out the exclusion in the regs

Here is the document, FYI

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:046:0001:0007:en:PDF

[FormerlyDoS]

“I see Papillions point, and if we all claim compensation it will push fares up, but if you don’t then you’ll be the only one so not only paying higher fares but getting nothing back either!”

It’s my understanding that the EC expect this legislation to put up the cost of air tickets to some extent (e.g. FR now charge a levy.)

However, the main purpose of the legislation is to reduce inconvenience to the consumer by driving change in airline behaviour, thus the relatively high awards.

By using the legislation, consumers are helping to make the airlines think and plan better to avoid disruption.

And genuine extra-ordinary events are excluded to protect the airlines.

[Papillion53]

FDoS – I give up! (Throws up hands in exasperation!) my arguments make sense to me! 😉 and I am right about the heating allowance, we are all entitled, never claim, are given it and cannot give it back if we don’t want, or need it! Just because you are entitled doesn’t mean you HAVE to have it, as you also said in your quote to me about HMRC personal allowance!

I never did say the OP wasn’t entitled to compensation, I merely questioned why he wanted more, as IMHO, BA did not treat him badly and got him to his final destination!

[SimonS1]

Ok, let’s just congratulate BA on getting the OP to their destination only 12 hours late. And let’s congratulate BA for handing over a batch of Avios which will no doubt come in very handy to the OP (what can you buy with 15,000 Avios anyway?).

So Nathinfor I think the best way forward is to write to BA just thanking them and saying how grateful you are that you got to your destination alive and in one piece. cc to Willie Walsh and probably to Her Majesty The Queen for consideration in the next honours list.

[HongKongLady]

What exactly would you like them to give you in regard to compensation? Would you have preferred them not to have flown you to your final destination, and flown you to you original BA booked destination so you could rebook another cheap flight to Rio? Why did you not book direct to Rio in the first place? Just curious.

[IanFromHKG]

My word, aren’t tempers getting frayed???

I started out thinking that nathinfor didn’t have much of a leg to stand on, since s/he accepted a hotel room, an alternative routing (which the airline could reasonably have assumed under the circumstances was more convenient for the OP, even though s/he now seems to be saying that it made little difference), and compensation in the form of Avios (I might also mention that I don’t have much sympathy for the argument that airlines should be able to run an entirely 100% fault-free operation and include enough time in their schedules for alternatives to be made under any circumstances – that is ridiculously unrealistic).

However, I was intrigued by the statement s/he made at 16:13 on 22 January that “The BAEC person … did confirm the miles would not preclude me from claiming for compensation if i decided to do so”. Given this fact, I see no reason why the OP shouldn’t at least claim.

To add a personal element to this story, I was recently delayed by just over three hours on a BA flight from ORD to LHR, and I have made a claim for compensation. I have yet to hear the result. Interestingly, when I asked in the lounge for a statement of my rights under the EU regs (and it is worth noting that the regs do require airlines to provide such copies) this caused some consternation – the BA staff were clearly unaware of the requirement and of the rights statement. To their credit, they did actually find one. Anyone facing this sort of delay should expect to receive a copy and, if they don’t, should ask for one.

nathinfor, if you do make a claim and it succeeds, do please tell us. If it works, I will be making a claim for a 5-hour delay to my daughter’s flight from LHR to HKG last year. She was travelling on her own (aged 15) and was simply left to her own devices, not informed of her rights, not provided with food or refreshments, not provided with a phone call – all things which the airline was required to provide under the regs (fortunately we always ensure she has sufficient credit on her mobile, and that she has enough cash on her to purchase a meal). Needless to say, she wasn’t offered compensation either (this was before the Sturgeon ruling confirming that the “cancellation” rules also apply to delays). I wrote to BA, pointing out that I was particularly disappointed with their lack of support given that she was a minor (albeit not travelling UM), and was fobbed off with a fairly standard reply (it was clearly standard since they offered her BAEC miles, despite the fact that minors can’t join so it was obvious she was not a member!). Ultimately, we took GBP50 of vouchers to use for in-flight shopping. They had the nerve to suggest it was all alright because they upgraded her from WTP+ to CW, although it seems pretty unlikely that that was intended as compensation for the delay!

Finally, for those of you with iDevices, do a search in the app store for “Your passenger rights” for a helpful little app which explains all your rights in plain English. Well worth having in your carry-on!

[FormerlyDoS]

“Ok, let’s just congratulate BA on getting the OP to their destination only 12 hours late. And let’s congratulate BA for handing over a batch of Avios which will no doubt come in very handy to the OP (what can you buy with 15,000 Avios anyway?).

So Nathinfor I think the best way forward is to write to BA just thanking them and saying how grateful you are that you got to your destination alive and in one piece. cc to Willie Walsh and probably to Her Majesty The Queen for consideration in the next honours list.”

And the Prime Minister to make a statement to the house, commending BA for being spiffing chaps 😉

[TerryMcManus24]

Ref :and I am right about the heating allowance, we are all entitled, never claim, are given it and cannot give it back if we don’t want, or need it!……also the likes of the Freedom Pass in London….

……….You have to APPLY for them….fill in the forms

Sick and tired of hearing about all the “celeb millionaires” moaning about not needing “benefits”but cant give them back…..why did they apply for them in the first place?

Unfortunately there are so many people who for some reason or other are unaware/don’t apply and do deserve them.

Every year the Gov goes on about so many Billions unclaimed…and quietly what …pockets them…Shush…….Mr Osbourne might be listening

[Author]

Posts