Airline's responsibility

[newswatcher]

I fly to LA with BA on 22/10. Flight due in at 13:05(local). If I was to book something for later in the day, and the BA flight was delayed, would BA be responsible for compensating me for the cost of the "lost" booking, where the delay could be deemed to be something within their control?

Say I book a "sunset" helicopter tour, for about 6PM. Would 5 hours be deemed a "reasonable" gap?

[san diego]

BA accept no liability for onward connections, timetables are not guaranteed at all, so the answer is 'at your own risk be it'

[newswatcher]

:hmm: , I thought that might be the case, but hoped there was a "time limit".

Now got to keep my fingers crossed with regard to CC industrial action! :mad:

[manintheback]

Doesnt mean it cant get sorted out if it does go pear shaped though.

I was on a BA flight to Houston last year, ended up in Dallas due to storm weather - arrived 5 hours late and missed the onward flight with Continental - booked separately and direct with Continental.

Let the BA CC know while sitting on the plane at Dallas and on arrival at Houston was given a ticket gratis by Continental for the first flight out next day. Travel insurance paid for the o/n hotel

[apaddyinuk]

Excuse me newswatcher, with all due respect, what cabin crew industrial action may this be??? Im crew and I am not aware of any planned action at the current moment in time? Are you perhaps a victim of chinese whispers?

[newswatcher]

apaddyinuk, I thought that was a possible outcome mentioned in this (http://http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=2140436#post2140436) thread. "Support industrial action if EG300 imposed", and that this(EG300 imposition) will take place on 15th October. Was I wrong? :confused:

[slim_slag]

newswatcher, where are you getting your helicopter flight from? The helicopter doesn't cost much to run on the ground so their losses will be minimal if you don't make it, call them and tell them the situation that you might not make it, they might be OK with booking it on those terms. Having said that, flown BA to LAX many times and it's very unlikely you will be delayed 5 hours, You will be well tired by 6pm pacific time, why not do it the next day?

[OZcabincrew]

I love it when passengers have their flights booked so close together that they have no way of making the connecting flight, yet somehow it always seems to be the airlines fault!

boys and girls, maybe try speaking to your secretary's or travel agents who do the bookings and get them to give you a reasonable amount of time between flights, otherwise you're going to be faced with groundstaff shaking their head's at you saying, "sorry the flight has closed" or "it's already left".

Oz

[apaddyinuk]

Newswatcher,
We have not balloted to strike. We have simply balloted for BA and BASSA to remain in talks about the implementation of EG300. This does not mean that we are going on strike if it is forced upon us as seems to be the case from the 15th! If/when this occurs I am sure there will be another ballot for strike action in which case it will be all very legal and everyone will have the minimum notice. But I have yet to hear anything regarding a strike ballot so this is only my assumption!

[SkySista]

OZ, don't foget that what is a 'reasonable' amount of time to us (airline staff) is usually 'too long' for pax to wait. I

think sometimes they figure 'why book three hours in between as asked, when schedules allow for 45 min to make a cross-city, 1-train and 1 bus transfer between terminals in peak hour in the middle of winter?"

:}

[newswatcher]

slim_slag, only in LA for 24 hours, so only one "sunset". Hoping to get some :zzz: on the flight out. Haven't booked yet because I wanted to know what risk I faced. Flights are for 4/5 people. Since there will only be two of us, don't suppose tour company will be too lenient at last minute cancellation! Better be safe and try for next morning.

apaddyinuk I guess that the other thread could have been better written. I now see someone has posted that there could be a further ballot on 16th October. Hope I will be OK on the timing, because isn't there a "cooling off" time?. However, supportive action for GG in the Summer, illegal or not, was immediate!

OZcabincrew, can't believe you are referring to me! As SkySista says, it can work the other way. When planning a flight to Dubai from London, one of the "indirect" routes involved a "same airport" transfer time of 45 minutes. Even when I telephoned to question whether this was sufficient, the airline said "yes"!

[slim_slag]

newswatcher, call rainbow aviation at Long Beach airport. They are a helicopter flying school, and might be a lot more understanding/flexible than a strictly charter operation. There is provision for them to carry out helicopter sightseeing flights in the regulations, but they would know more about their own circumstances as to whether they could do it.

[newswatcher]

Thanks for the tip, slim_slag

[slim_slag]

actually not a top tip at all, they only have 2 seater R22s (and I got the name wrong, but I do that all the time)

Pacific Coast Helicopters at Torrance will do an R44 for $450 per hour, very spendy, but that's the way these helicopters are

[Bus429]

...and their wings go 'round; helicopters just don't do it for me:yuk:

[newswatcher]

Should I be worried if I am offered the flight on a Robinson rather than another make? Other threads seem rather disparaging of the Robinson's reputation.

I have also looked at Heliclass, and Ozzy recommended Celebrity Helicopters.

[OZcabincrew]

Newswatcher, i wasn't referring to you at all, infact didn't mention your name once, it was just a general comment.

I have had passengers that find it quite alright to be on a flight arriving at 1400 and their connecting flight leaving at 1410, it happens quite a lot yet they don't seem to understand that the gate their connecting flight is leaving from might be a bit of a walk away! It is a completely different situation if the actual airline says "yes, you will have time between flights", where really you don't. It is just a little bit of common sense to allow yourself time between flights and that doesn't mean 10 minutes.

It's the same as passengers turning up to check-in 15 minutes before flight departure and being told the flight has closed, yet they don't understand why they can't check-in if the plane isn't due to leave for another 15 minutes. If only people stopped to think for just one minute.

Oz

[apaddyinuk]

Yes Newswatcher, What can I say, seems like some of my colleagues are getting a little ahead of themselves!!!! lol!!:yuk:

[SkySista]

OZ, I KNNOW!!!!

It's like the plane can just lift off vertically like a rocket without having to taxi, hold in a taxi queue, get clearance and line up (which all takes time).

The number of pax who turn up at the departure time and watch in dismay as their plane takes off in front of them never ceases to amaze me.

Like, do you turn up for the bus at the exact time on the timetable? Nah, most sane people give themselves a few minutes before hand..... :rolleyes:

[newswatcher]

Well, guess what! Outbound flight 2 hours late, inbound three hours late! Guess it was chancing fate to talk about it beforehand.