PickyPerkins
13th May 2005, 15:24
Can anyone tell me what, if anything, happened to BA228 (a B777-200 to LHR) on the ground at Baltimore on April 18th, 2005?
All passengers were denied boarding with a promise of taking the same flight the next day. Accommodation was provided in hotels at BA expense, and information sheets were provided concerning claiming compensation under the new EU 261/2004 law which went into effect in the UK in February 2005. Passengers were told that BA was accepting full responsibility. Rumor was that a BA truck had collided with an engine.
The next day the passengers were told that the damage had not been repaired and that they would NOT be flying on BA228. Instead, they would be bused to Dulles and go to LHR on BA292, which is what subsequently happened. However, the incoming BA229 was shown on the arrivals board as landing as normal, and one executive passenger told me that he was expecting to go on BA228 that day.
Three curious things have happened since:
(1) EU 261/2004 REGULATION (EC) No 261/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 February 2004 established common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91.
However, when passengers go to the BA web-site to claim for compensation, the only option is to claim for CANCELLATION of the flight. No opportunity is offered to claim for denial of boarding or flight delay.
(2) When a claim for cancellation of the flight is made, passengers are told that “BA records indicate that the flight was not cancelled”.
(3) One passenger who belongs to the BA Executive Club says that he has been credited with miles for BWI-LHR on both BA228 on the 18th and BA 292 on the 19th.
On the surface this looks like an attempt by BA to avoid their liabilities under EU 261/2004, or at least a delaying tactic while they explore for loopholes in the new law to avoid paying out.
So it seems that the new law is not only resulting in planes flying sectors with passengers and one non-operating engine, but also possibly damaged planes flying sectors with all passengers denied boarding so that the flight can be claimed not to have been cancelled.
So, to return to my question, can anyone tell me what, if anything, happened to BA228 on the ground at Baltimore on April 18th, 2005?
The aircraft involved seems to have been G-VIIK.
Cheers, http://home.infionline.net/~pickyperkins/pi.gif
All passengers were denied boarding with a promise of taking the same flight the next day. Accommodation was provided in hotels at BA expense, and information sheets were provided concerning claiming compensation under the new EU 261/2004 law which went into effect in the UK in February 2005. Passengers were told that BA was accepting full responsibility. Rumor was that a BA truck had collided with an engine.
The next day the passengers were told that the damage had not been repaired and that they would NOT be flying on BA228. Instead, they would be bused to Dulles and go to LHR on BA292, which is what subsequently happened. However, the incoming BA229 was shown on the arrivals board as landing as normal, and one executive passenger told me that he was expecting to go on BA228 that day.
Three curious things have happened since:
(1) EU 261/2004 REGULATION (EC) No 261/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 February 2004 established common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91.
However, when passengers go to the BA web-site to claim for compensation, the only option is to claim for CANCELLATION of the flight. No opportunity is offered to claim for denial of boarding or flight delay.
(2) When a claim for cancellation of the flight is made, passengers are told that “BA records indicate that the flight was not cancelled”.
(3) One passenger who belongs to the BA Executive Club says that he has been credited with miles for BWI-LHR on both BA228 on the 18th and BA 292 on the 19th.
On the surface this looks like an attempt by BA to avoid their liabilities under EU 261/2004, or at least a delaying tactic while they explore for loopholes in the new law to avoid paying out.
So it seems that the new law is not only resulting in planes flying sectors with passengers and one non-operating engine, but also possibly damaged planes flying sectors with all passengers denied boarding so that the flight can be claimed not to have been cancelled.
So, to return to my question, can anyone tell me what, if anything, happened to BA228 on the ground at Baltimore on April 18th, 2005?
The aircraft involved seems to have been G-VIIK.
Cheers, http://home.infionline.net/~pickyperkins/pi.gif