Missed Connection Compensation/Upgrades

[greywolf20k]

So there I am using up a couple of legs on my one world alliance round the world ticket that I paid a premium price for. We were sitting on the Dublin tarmac and heading to Hong Kong via a brief transit stop in Heathrow. Two hours later we leave Dublin (delay caused by “technical difficulties” pilots words not mine) and I am left stranded in Heathrow with my girlfriend and getting bounced between Aer Lingus (Terminal 1) and BA (Terminal 5) as to who’s responsibility I am as I have missed the connection to Hong Kong with BA. Based on the information from the “Commission for Aviation Regulation” “Under IATA (International Air Transport Association) rules in cases where a delay causes a passenger to miss a flight care should be provided by the forwarding carrier if you are travelling with two different carriers on the same ticket and both carriers are members of IATA.”

Finally Aer Lingus took ownership and begrudgingly put us up in a hotel, after BA told us that they are not obligated to offer us any assistance/care. I am now out of pocket for a night at a very posh hotel in Hong Kong as well as stuck in Heathrow for over 24 hours before I can get another flight :{ As well as that, I am also now stuck in the tail of the plane, may as well be sitting on the elevators (as my original seats are no longer available)

Does anybody have any idea what I can do regarding this, I am guessing the majority of people may say “suck it up”, but there has to be something that can be done for the poor cattle that load themselves, especially now that I am out of pocket. Both airlines are to blame, as the Aer Lingus flight was actually a BA code share (if they didn’t want responsibility for the passengers then the suits should not agree to have a business relationship), and Aer Lingus... Well they are just Aer Lingus. I would be happy if BA just upgraded me (even only one class, to get away from the tail), even if Aer Lingus paid for this.

Please, any help would be fantastic

[parabellum]

You have been very badly mishandled, I believe, and it looks, from what you quote, as though BA have shirked their responsibility. Where are you now? I would suggest you seek an appointment with the BA area manager and put your case to him, make it known that you have paid a lot of money and are not at all happy, don't say that you will go to the papers just yet!;), usually they are much more reasonable 'down-route' than in London.

[TSR2]

What exactly do you mean when you say that you 'paid a premium price for'

[greywolf20k]

Yeah, I would have to say that I have flown a fair few airlines in my life and have never seen or ben in a situation where I have felt like a burden than a customer.

I am currently stuck in London as the next available seats were on a flight that was 25 hours later.

Is it worth having a quite chat to the BA manager in Heathrow?

[greywolf20k]

my reference to premium price was that it was not a special deal or mates rates. It is the highest category of round the world ticket for economy (39000 mile round the world fare).

I would expect to get treated a bit rough if I had of picked up a super special last minute round the world fare. I figure that even if I had a business class round the world I would probably be receiving similar treatment (i may be wrong in that though).

[Kelly Hopper]

Welcome to B'stard Airways!
'Got bumped off a BA flight last year 5 mins after paying for the ticket at LHR! Could I get a refund? Could I hell! Heathrow duty manager refused to meet me and I had to make alternative plans at considerable cost to me and my company.
When I enquired as to what compensation would be offered all comunication was ignored. After threats to go public I at least got them talking to me. No compensation offered at all!!!!!
Eventually after a fight I was given a £150 voucher valid for 12 months to spend on.......another BA flight!! WTF?
And guess what? Who takes it? No-one! No travel agents, no internet sites. All I could do was redeem it against flight changes at their sales desk at LHR.
Totally shirking their legal responsibilties.
Am now in the same battle with Thai. Flight got cancelled and they offer nothing. When I enquire they ask "what has it cost you? What have you lost?" I am entitled by EU law 261/2004 to €600 compensation. You try and get it!!!
All a bunch of crooks!

[Michael SWS]

It seems to me that the responsibility for caring for you falls on Aer Lingus, as they are the ones who caused you to miss your onward flight.

A ticket does not guarantee you a specific seat, so there is no compensation to be had for having to sit at the back. But, with a 25-hour delay, surely there is time to check in online as soon as it opens and select some decent seats?

No airline will ever compensate you for an unused hotel room. That's what travel insurance is for.

[lexxity]

Speaking as a ticket desk trained ground staff member I can tell you that EI are at fault and should have re-routed you.

[Katamarino]

The few times that I have had things go wrong on BA flights (primarily due to abject incompetence by some of their staff), I have experienced what can only be described as execrable service. Their ground staff and management could not care less what they've screwed up for you, I've never known a worse company.

That said, their aircrew have always been fine. Its a shame that their ground team so badly let them down.

[blaggerman]

If it is a oneworld ticket, would I be right in guessing that you had a BA flight number on your ticket? Would that make BA responsible for a missed connection?

[parabellum]

Lexxity - Greywolf did say it was a code share with BA and the onward flight was BA, would that still make it an EI responsibility?:confused:

[TopBunk]

As I read it, in this case, EI delayed ex-DUB so you missed your transfer onto an BA flight to HKG in World Traveller. BA arranged for you to travel on the next available flight in World Traveller. In the meantime (or beforehand) someone else had perfectly correctly reserved your choice of seat on-line for your re-booked flight, so you ended up in a less desirable seat but in the correct cabin.

In what way can BA be held responsible for any inconvenience and why should they
upgrade you?

Any issues you have with any loss or costs must be with EI.

[lexxity]

Para - yes it is still upto EI as their flight went tech and it is a through ticket.

[parabellum]

Thanks for that Lexxity, continuing typing to achieve minimum number of words!

[greywolf20k]

It was a code shared flight operated by Aer Lingus, though I kept getting told that it was the metal that I came in on that are responsible for me. Saying that the following day the ground staff from BA were very professional though they could not book me onto an earlier flight so we took a gamble and went on standby for a flight that was 4 hours early, it paided off.

EI have still not taken any responsibility for it and have told me to take it to customer relations (great)!

The in flight BA cabin crew were simply amazing, they managed to scrounge up a meal from first class as I am GFML and putting myself on standby meant sacrificing the meal (a price I was willing to pay :)) Then to my suprise they upgraded me to world traveller plus which I didn't even ask for (I think it was because my TV was broken, though I hadn't mentioned it)

I have to say to the cabin crew on that fligh, two thumbs up from me. Though to British Airways as a company, shame on you for code sharing Aer Lingus :=

[redfred]

BA have rebooked you and EI must give you a hotel, in no way are BA responsible for you in this matter...the only other way round this was for BA to endorse the ticket and then EI are able to re route you onto another carrier if the LHRHKG sector was on BA stock ie 125 ticket number but its not in BA's interest to do this as they lose money and Id imagine you had a non endorsable ticket

[greywolf20k]

I just wanted to post a follow up for anybody that may be interested.

Finally EI have responded to my letter (only took 3 months) and have given me a €100 paper voucher. It is nice of them but I think the icing on the cake is that to be able to use the voucher, I have to pay for a fare on my credit card, then send the receipt, boarding pass and the voucher into EI head office for them to reimburse me.... Call me crazy but there is nothing like building a space shuttle to go to the shops in. A process that should be so simple is so complicated.

Hope this helps anybody else that has had grief with EI and getting some compensation from them. I hope that they improve their service to customers in the future else Ryan Air is going to take over as the national carrier.

If you need to complain to EI, you have to send any complaints to the following address:Aer Lingus Customer Care Unit
Aer Lingus Head Office
Dublin Airport
Dublin
Ireland