#258210 by northernhenry
27 Feb 2009, 13:44
Although this has posted separately about the route cancellations:

My folks have booked their interconnects and their SQ flights to NZ through trailfinders.
The interconnects were from/to LBA. The outward trip on Sunday is unaffected. However their rtn on 1st April falls after the cease in the LHR-LBA route.
Trailfinders today have been given the info from BMI on what recompense/ alternative arrangements they (BMI) are willing to offer.
Trailfinders are saying they'll get them back to MAN.. thats it..

Would you expect better alternative arrangements, given they'd originally booked to arrive back in LBA?
Having to do this through trailfinders, could it dilute the compromise, i.e. the need for a transfer back to sunny Leeds?

We live a amenity kit throw away from LBA, and looking at having to extract them from MAN (probably at some inconvenient time), to me doesn't sound like a reasonable result?

Any thoughts/ experience in these matters gratefully received.

NH
#708906 by mdvipond
27 Feb 2009, 13:59
As I mentioned in your other thread, NH old boy, I'd by trying pretty hard for complimentary transfers from MAN back to Leeds, but that would all depend on what BMI have hidden aways in their T&Cs with regard to cancelled flights/routes.
#708907 by Sealink
27 Feb 2009, 14:00
Booking through an agent wouldn't affect the offer, I would have expected the agent to do this work for you!

The Air Users Council has various snippets of advice about cancellations and schedule changes, the key being:

Sometimes airlines are unable, for any number of reasons, to fly to the destination printed on the ticket. If your flight is diverted, the airline must get you to the destination airport on your reservation* - at no extra cost to you. Sometimes the airline may arrange buses or taxis. Or it may ask you to make your own transport arrangements and send in the receipt to be reimbursed. The AUC would prefer that passengers were not asked to make the initial outlay in this way, but accepts that it may sometimes be unavoidable. The important point is that it should, in the end, not cost you any extra to get to your destination. However, if the airline arranges a bus and you choose to go by other means you will struggle to get the airline to reimburse you.
*The main exception to this would be if a flight was disrupted to avoid war or civil strife.
#708909 by northernhenry
27 Feb 2009, 14:13
Thanks, Yes Trailfinders are currently working on this, but their initial feedback was BMI had offered this, i.e. purely dumped back at MAN.
They've initially fed back that this is unacceptable. So Sealink thats for that snippet as a useful quote - have you the link for that info?
#708919 by northernhenry
27 Feb 2009, 16:03
Trailfinders have told them that SQ has asked them to rebook them onto the MAN flight.

Now given this, they are saying that are only willing to offer this and no transfer to leeds.

As their itinary now shows a rtn to Man and not Leeds, does this remove BMI/SQ from their duty to return to LBA??

TFers are saying thats all SQ are offering. I see this going legal!!

This is the advise given to Tfers from SQ:

A new ticket should be issued for the new route from LHR or MAN at the applicable fare quoting today. Contact SQ sales support for authority to put the original ticket in for a refund. They will also be able to assist with waitlists if applicable.
For part used tickets book an alternative BD sector in the same booking class and then call SQ ticketing who will reissue the ticket in exchange themselves
#708926 by Sealink
27 Feb 2009, 19:03
I think SQ are going for the easy route, looking at a map and seeing that MAN and LBA are 'close'.

However, you have entered into a contract with them to get from LBA to and from your destination. They may cry that there are no alternatives from London to LBA now, but that's BD's problem.

The link regarding diverted flights (and this may just be a diversion after you've checked in, not a route cancellation) is here: http://www.auc.org.uk/default.aspx?cati ... ageid=4432

but AUC is well worth contacting.

They also say this about cancellations:
When a flight is cancelled, an airline is contractually obliged to provide alternative transportation (not necessarily by air) or a refund. But most airlines' conditions of carriage specifically exclude liability for any consequential losses. In theory, it should be possible to argue that a cancellation is the same as a delay for the purposes of making a claim under the Montreal Convention (because of the Convention simply refers to 'delay in the transportation by air' and a passenger can be delayed as a result of cancellation). But in practice, the two are generally taken to be different.

http://www.auc.org.uk
#708929 by tontybear
27 Feb 2009, 19:28
Talk to your local council's Trading Standards Deparment of have a look on/ contact the Consumer Direct website

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Despite the look it is '... is the government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues. Consumer Direct is funded by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services.' (from the about us section).

They will be able to give you chapter and verse

From what you have said they have broken the contract and they are responsible for putting it right.
#708934 by northernhenry
27 Feb 2009, 20:23
Well they've been held to ransom, they fly on sat, and they are told today, that they strongly advise booking them through to MAN to secure the seats for a rtn.
'because SQ have offered a full refund, & booked them on the next/ nearest flight they've waived their rights to supply alternative transport'?
At this stage my folks are worried they'll not get home once land at LHR so have secured this Man flight. Gets them in at post 11pm!

I'm still of the opinion they've been fobbed off, and BMI/SQ have a duty to rtn them to their original destination. But TFers are adamant that they're bang to rights... not impressed
'We'll consider refund of a train ticket should that be any use'- late 60's couple with very large bags, getting the train from Man-Leeds after midnight!! i think not.

I'll send them off on their hols & follow up some of your leads.. thanks
#708941 by tontybear
28 Feb 2009, 01:03
hmmm not good but I hope your folks have a good holiday and can put this out of their minds and that in the interim you can sort something out for them.

I'm sure that the offer of the alternative flight to Manchester DOES NOT mean the end of the contract alresdy entered into to get them to LBA.

As well as trading standards maybe a call to the local paper might help. !
#708950 by Jacki
28 Feb 2009, 09:57
I would be feeling just as angry if my parents were treated this way. Up until now I have always booked via Trailfinders but if they cave in so quickly and offer so little support I will definately not be ringing them next month for my Oz trip. I agree with tontybear - you can't rewrite the rules once the game has started.
#709184 by northernhenry
03 Mar 2009, 17:46
Well after much discussion and paper waving at said sales manager @ TFers, I appear to of secured airport hotel for the night. Blood & stone come to mind..
Things seemed to change when started waving ABTA codes of conduct details at them & future booking plans. [:?]
Still not a fully acceptable outcome but better than the blanket refusal we'd been hitting, as didn't fancy them bunging my folks in a clapped out mini van from budget taxis-R-us doing a tonne over the M62 at midnight [:0] least I can pick up them up the following day.

We do however await VS's response to our own trip and BMI's route cancellation.
#709193 by Sealink
03 Mar 2009, 19:12
This is a bit of a tabloid response - but can you imagine what TFers / bmi / SQ would have said if you'd suggested flying into Manchester after you'd booked LBA?
#709194 by northernhenry
03 Mar 2009, 19:23
quote:Originally posted by Sealink
This is a bit of a tabloid response - but can you imagine what TFers / bmi / SQ would have said if you'd suggested flying into Manchester after you'd booked LBA?


I should ask them for change fee's as they weren't flexible tickets in the first place, oh yes charge them per named adult as on the original booking, also an admin fee for having to do the hotel booking myself via third party, plus 3% credit card fee, as refund back to original booking via an amex.

Bankers the lot of them. [V]

nuff said.
Virgin Atlantic

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