When my flight is cancelled due to adverse weather that didnt actually happen??

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)

  • WearyWeagie
    Participant

    So BA have a habit now of cancelling flights between Glasgow and Heathrow and stick to their guns that it was bad weather and therefore not their fault. However, they are cancelling a flight because bad weather has affected earlier flights that aircraft had or they have had to reshuffle aircraft and have chosen to cancel a later flight to Glasgow to accommodate their scheduling problems.

    Now my question is when does it stop becoming bad weather related and start becoming the airline’s failure to have sufficient aircraft or have made plans against the forecast? If they are picking and choosing which flights to cancel then surely its no longer a weather issue?

    BA still claim that my particular flights were cancelled due to adverse weather but its simply not true. My 6:45 am Glasgow to London flight tomorrow is cancelled due to bad weather at Heathrow. Fair enough but why is the 6:50 am flight from Edinburgh to heathrow flying as scheduled???
    Surely the weather in Heathrow is the same for both planes??


    capetonianm
    Participant

    Aircraft out of position is likely to be the reason, or flow control.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Or they expect the bad weather to clear up 5 minutes later 😉

    Seriously, I think they are just trying to get out of their EU261 obligations.


    Defcon5
    Participant

    When I was at Heathrow today they said all short haul flights after 1600 up until 1800 would be cancelled and probably most for the rest of the day.

    BA – can and must do better.

    The UK – needs a proper airport that can manage the strains like weather we have seen in the last 24 hours.

    Neither of the above will happen.


    WearyWeagie
    Participant

    Surely if the reason is the weather then the duration of the flight is irrelevant?
    The plane can either land/take off or it can’t.
    If the airport is restricting the number of flights then BA are making their own preferences on cancellations which would mean it is not out of their control to cancel or operate my flight.
    There should be some clearer definition around this in the EU regs.


    StephenLondon
    Participant

    What seems rather disingenuous of BA is that they sent their short-haul cabin crew home mid-afternoon, so they knew internally that short-haul flights for the rest of the day were going to be cancelled. But they didn’t manage to tell their customers, who sat waiting, waiting and waiting still, rather than giving customers the chance to bail and make alternative options. So by the time later flights were cancelled, all other options (i.e. Eurostar to BRU/PAR) were no longer an option.
    BA then seem to have unplugged the phones, with many people saying they were on hold for up to 60 mins and then phones went dead.
    A crew member reported in an online forum that they had seen four de-icing machines sitting idle at LHR, as both BA and LHR were not advised that snow could fall in the LHR area. Duh! Even a basic app told us all well in advance that this might happen…how could ‘professionals’ miss it? It almost smacks of ‘am I bovvered’ syndrome on the part of the airport and BA, a sad comment for those who worked diligently to help where they could.
    Seems Mr. Cruz, rather than chasing after £59 fares to Rome, should be investing in a robust operation that doesn’t fall over when someone sneezes!


    capetonianm
    Participant

    It would seem that it’s time for Alex A*hole to dust off his high-viz jacket and spout more meaningless drivel and lies. Or resign.


    Ah,Mr.Bond
    Participant

    What I find hugely worrying about yesterdays carry on is that LHR hardly got any snow. Yes there was some, I woke up with about 2mm of slush which soon disapeared, that’s is! North of London, Essex etc got the most of it. BHX, STN were badly affected, neither of which BA fly to. I would expect maybe some Manchester flights to be stuck at LHR, little else.
    I had friends travelling back from New Orleans yesterday who where stuck on the tarmac on arrival for 2 hours. Can somone explain why? And what will happen should LHR actually be under a few [still not much really] inches of snow? The whole scenario yesterday reeks of unprepared incompetence.


    TominScotland
    Participant

    Just connected onto the early flight out of T5 to Glasgow. I was told this was the only flight to Glasgow before 15.00. Many shorthaul flights cancelled but I was lucky. Very long queues of transfer passengers airside for re-booking. Weather in Heathrow was relatively benign so not sure what the issue was – aircraft out of position? Arrived on time (08.05) to minus 8 in Glasgow and many of the aircraft for early flights still there.


    SwissExPat
    Participant

    I would have expected that the matter of bad weather is relatively easy to judge.

    If other planes are operating normally (to/from) the affected destinations, then weather is not a cause of the cancellation.

    ?


    capetonianm
    Participant

    I have been kept informed by various friends who were due to travel yesterday and today of how abysmally BA have, once again, dealt with this. It would seem that as usual staff have gone out of their way to assist and console, but they get no support or information from ‘higher up’.

    Time for Cruz to disappear into a black hole of ignominy or up his own fundament.


    WearyWeagie
    Participant

    So if a plane is “out of position” because of bad weather somewhere else not related to the contracted route of travel, can the airline still claim weather as the reason for cancellation?
    When I buy a ticket for LHR to GLA does it state anywhere in the terms of condition that if it snows in Geneva they may cancel my flight?

    Is there a governing body who actually tracks and rules on adverse weather related cancellations or can the airline simply make this claim and wait to see if I want to take them to court over it? It really does seem that the rules still favour the airline and not the passenger.


    WearyWeagie
    Participant

    Interesting article Tom.
    Can the airline claim adverse weather when its been well forecasted for days? Sounds like they failed to make adequate preparations for the weather which would be their fault and additionally they have schedule more flights that they can manage in such conditions.

    I also note that while the article states BA are allowing passengers to change FOC until Dec 18th, I was not offered this and it was explicit that additional charges may be incurred if I change. Im now flying with Emirates this evening instead.

    As a BA gold card holder I am always amazed at how unprepared BA are in these situations and how inadequately they empower their staff. I do feel for the staff on the ground in Heathrow as they always seem lost and uninformed.


    nevereconomy
    Participant

    The Vegas flight was most likely stuck as there were so many delayed departures there was nowhere to put/service it.
    I would not expect an airport like Heathrow that so rarely gets appreciable snow to have monster de-icing capabilities – does not make financial sense.
    2mm of slush may well be enough on a plane to need de-icing, therefore delayed.
    There has been snow all over, so planes/crews all out of whack, therefore the likes of EDI/MAN/GLA bear the brunt.

    Not making any apologies here for LHR or BA, but it is what it is. I seem to remember FRA being a total fiasco last winter too with snow.
    If I even smell a snowflake when travelling by air, no matter where, I stay at home.

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