Flight delay compensation, all other EU airlines

A question about : Flight delay compensation, all other EU airlines

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This discussion thread is linked to from our Flight Delays Compensation guide. Please read that for full help.

Best answers:

• Hi! Newbie on the forum here, so please be gentle
  On 28/09/2007 we were on a flight with XL Airways (booked via a package holiday with Thomas Cook) from Hurghada to Gatwick. The flight was delayed by 466 minutes (7hrs 46 mins). I know XL Airways have gone bust now, but didn't know if there's any other avenue I could venture for some kind of compensation. Any advice/ideas anyone? It was such an awful delay - they put us up in a bit of a shoddy hotel lounge area for about 5 hours, with no food or drinks provided! Flight no was JN5985. We were originally supposed to arrive at Gatwick at 11:50 on Fri 28/09/2007 but ended up landing at 07:36 the next day (29/09/2007). Flight was made worse as it was a different plane we had in the end which appeared to be more geared for much shorter flights as was so tiny. AND on top of that, no-one, except one, slept on the plane because one man snored so loud the whole way!!
• Well I do have some sympathy for your plight Jen, but really the answer to this question has been put in such large red letters in the FAQ's as it is asked about 10 times a day.
  Airline bust = No-one to claim against!!
• Has anyone received a response from First Choice? I had 2 delayed flights, one with Thomson and one with First Choice. I sent a letter to each of them first class to which I received no response. I then re-sent the letters recorded delivery. I have received claim forms from Thomson but still have heard nothing from First Choice 6 weeks later. I have checked and the letter has been signed for. What is the best way to proceed?
  Thanks.
• First Choice as an airline no longer exist, the merged with Thomsonfly to become Thomson on the 1st November 2008 who you have already contacted.
• Possibly the latter, I'm sure one of the experts may be along to advise better!
  You might be better asking on the dedicated Thomson thread
• Hi, have used your excellent info to put in a claim to Meridiana for our hideous 12 hour delay Jun 2007 coming back from Olbia Sardinia. I have emailed customer services at both their UK London office and their Head Office in Italy attaching my bank statements showing 5 return tickets purchased and the flightstats info confirming the delay. Been 2 weeks and heard nothing. Is it ok in your opinion to just email or should I be sending stuff to London and Italy?
  If I get no response via email what should I do, send the email again or just wait 28 days and then send the Notice Before Action, again post or is email ok?
  Am just mindful that I need to get it registered at court before the 6 years is up in June!!
  Anybody else had any luck with Meridiana???
• You appear to be the first one to mention this airline.
  Some further detail about what occurred would be useful
• Well, if memory serves me correctly, we were at the airport ready to come home and kept being told of delays for hours and hours, should have left at 10.35am and finally left on another non Meridiana plane, Titan I think, around 11pm, got into LGW midnight..
  Can't remember what the delay was due to.
  I claimed on my travel ins for the delay and a hotel stop in london as we missed the train home so have no receipts etc.
  Have had no acknowledgement, no nothing. Been 2 weeks and getting jittery!
  Do let me know what other info you need to advise, thank you!
• So it looks as though the original aircraft became unavailable and they spot hired from Titan (the only UK company that does this sort of operation)
  It could possibly indicate that spot hiring an aircraft takes rather longer that expected though!!
  All you can keep doing is knocking on the door, contact the Italian regulator etc.
• Thanks guys, will do that and let you know how I get on!
• EMIRATES - extraordinary circumstances??
  Hi all,
  Reply from Emirates- sat on plane expected to leave Manchester to Dubai, fault discovered so transferred from Manchester to Birmingham via coach for flight to Dubai.
  Can anyone shed any light on where to go now, or do I give up.
  They say,
  A review of your case shows that delay to flight EK 018 from Manchester to Dubai on 11th March2011 was due to a number three engine fault. This was discovered just prior to departure and was not detected in any previous routine maintenance check or on the inbound flight from Dubai. To comply with health and Safety requirement, it was necessary to rectify the fault which unfortunately delayed departure of this flight.
  These circumstances were completely unforeseen and this situation occurred even though all reasonable measures had been taken. These circumstances were not routine and are considered to be extraordinary. Therefore, I am unable to meet your request for EU compensation which does not apply on this occasion.
  For further clarification, flight EK 018 did depart, albeit late, and was not cancelled as you have suggested in your letter. As it was not anticipated how long the repair would take, to minimise the inconvenience to our customers, some were transferred to flight EK038 which operated fromBirmingham to Dubai.
  Thanks for looking
• I'll kick of another airline in this case Aer Lingus. Had a delay of over 3 hrs whilst they sorted out an alternative plane(Birmingham to Dublin).
  They naturally declined my first request for compensation, so I then approched the CAA. They were awful, had to get my MP to contact them before I even had the decency of a response to my numerous letters and emails.
  Anyway they finally answered by saying they did not think Aer Lingus were at fault so washed their hands of it. What they did say was the delay was caused by a fault to the landing gear.
  Well in my opinion that is the fault of Aer Lingus, if not who then?
  So am now considering the small claims court. Looking to send of Form A nad see where it gets me.
• So Aer Lingus will know what the CAA decided and that their version is accepted as an EC. That will form part of their defence in court.
  How much of a chance do you sensibly think you have of winning?
• What is an EC? Who is to say the CAA know what they are talking about, they want to keep in league with the airlines and
  not rock the boat.
• Flight delay compensation . I need some advice I am new to the forum, and need some help..hoping i am posting this in the right place?
  In 2010..i was delayed 3hr 40 mins due to our plane being non functional before boarding, and had to wait for the next Plane to return from UK..for us to boardf it!!.
  The fight was from Timisoara Romania to Luton UK.
  My question is :...In order to put a claim through..,.Is it sufficient evidence to provide a credit card statement from the Bank together with the flight number and date that we travelled, in our own written words.??ie; we had to look up on the internet the date we travelled, not having any flight tickets/ booking records in our possession anymore!!.
  Thnx
• I have look everywhere , but unfortunately i have no records of the old emails with the booking reference nr. This information is all i can find that wile connect me to the flight . My Wizz Air account keeps data only for 12 months before automatically deleting old transactions . And my computer is clean ( old emails keep no more then 6 months)
  Have u got any sugestion how i may be able to get extra information?
  thnx
  regards Luca
• I just got bumped from a flight between Manchester and Stuttgart because an 'attendant was taken ill' and only 94 passengers were allowed to board because of security concerns. About 30 passengers were given vouchers for food and hotel and booked on to a flight tomorrow evening going via Frankfurt.
  I am due to be working on a customer site and have to cancel that at my cost. I decided to spend the night with my family here in Manchester rather than spend 28 hours in a hotel.
  What can I claim for here? Germanwings have provided emergency care but can I claim for my taxi to the airport tomorrow and for some compensation for lost earnings tomorrow?
  The details:
  Planned flight Sun 12 May at 14.25 arriving c 17.00.
  Rebooked flight Mon 13 May at 18.00 arriving c 22.30
  Any comments and suggestions appreciated!