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#891995 by lizziesaurus
08 Jan 2015, 13:52
Hello all, it's been forever since I last posted, so this log in/post/question for advice is rather selfish so I apologise for that!

I'll try and keep it as short as possible..

Basically I moved to Germany with my partner a few months back, we were due to fly home boxing day with flybe from MAN. Last flight of the day and it decides to start snowing, de-icing didn't work and 2 hours later captain came on and said it was cancelled.

We waited over an hour for bags to then be given a leaflet and told no flights until Sunday (48 hours later) we were given the option to book on the Sunday flight but we needed to get back asap and the woman from menzies said 'flybe should cover some costs but I don't know how much'

In the time we waited we missed any chance of the last germanwings flight, and then found out no flights to DUS the next day and CGN wasn't available.

Debated going to FRA but didn't want to not get compensation for the extra travelling to DUS and we couldn't get an answer from customer services.

Cue a nightmare, after a night in the radisson at our own expence we then had to hire a car to get to LHR to try and make a BA flight. It was the day trains weren't getting in to kings cross and the euston trains weren't direct so wouldn't get there in time. Anyway it took over 5 hours instead of 3 and we missed another flight again paid for ourselves. We then had another night in a hotel before getting a germanwings on the Sunday morning.

So basically how do we go about getting compensation, if any as we're 1k out of pocket!! With my airport background I was wary from the off, even now I expect nothing back however realistically to get there asap it was the only way we could at the time.
Would you just lay it all out and go for the 'I demand compensation, snow or no snow you had a duty of care' and throw the odd EU regulation in there (my boyfriends approach) or mine which is more reasonable, level with them in that I understand from experience these situations but explain and state the airline weren't very helpful.

Opinions? Or shall I go for an altogether different approach?
I'm not daft though, I know all that will likely come out of this is barclaycard rubbing their hands together xx(

Thank you in advance and sorry for the length of that!!
#892014 by tontybear
08 Jan 2015, 15:31
Randomly throwing in mentions of EU261 won't help. The flight was cancelled due to weather which is a clear exemption.

However under EU261 you are (were) entitled to duty of care from Flybe so they should be your first point of call for reimbursement.

This is where your travel insurance should also help as well so call them and/or your credit card company. But remember they will expect you to get as much out of Flybe as possible.

I'd call them first to ask for their advice and to at least open a claim so they can't say you didn't contact them in good time if Flybe take ages to respond.
#892021 by tontybear
08 Jan 2015, 16:18
lizziesaurus wrote:Thanks for the info

Unfortuntely (stupidly?) we didn't get travel insurance, never even crossed our minds as we were just popping to Endland to see family then going back home.


Ah right.

You may have some cover via Barclaycard though so I'd check with them if it is included - it may not be as good as a stand alone policy but better that nothing.
#892044 by gumshoe
08 Jan 2015, 19:38
As tonty says, Flybe do have a duty of care but that's limited to assistance as follows:

* two free phone calls, faxes or emails
* free meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay
* free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required

They would not, I'm afraid, be liable for any other out of pocket expenses such as alternative flights or car hire you booked off your own back. That's the job of insurance.
#892048 by Vegascrazy
08 Jan 2015, 20:23
I know this doesn't offer a resolution but having decent travel insurance is the name of the game, no matter how short the trip.

I got stuck in Rhodes a few weeks ago due to bad cross winds. The flight was cancelled but Aegean were great and got us to Athens eventually. The issue was that we missed our EasyJet connection from Athens to London. These were split flights, our risk...etc, so no obligation on Aegean to resolve our missed EZY flight.

Everything to get us home (new flights and all incidental expenses totalling nearly €900) was paid promptly by my insurer American Express, even before the credit card bill came in! Further more the whole claim was done online with no talking to anyone, I was super impressed...and no I don't work for Amex ;-)

Insurance is essential, no question.
#892063 by honey lamb
08 Jan 2015, 23:33
I'm with Vegascrazy on this. I frequently fly from Cork to London on what is essentially a shuttle service but I wouldn't dream of travelling without it. I had a flight diverted to LTN because of bad weather and a security alert which closed LHR for a time. Aer Lingus stepped up to the plate with regard to food and transportation to LHR which had me arriving there at 3.30am instead of 9.30pm the previous evening but the insurance covered the transportation to my hotel and also part of the cost of the hotel given that I was only there for two hours instead of a full night.
#892070 by lizziesaurus
09 Jan 2015, 08:15
Thanks for the input guys, I'll see what barclaycard can do and keep my fingers crossed!
Also, will be getting some travel insurance!!!

We never got any of what flybe should have given us, given I was on a working side of it once upon a time I'm annoyed I didn't speak up but I was so tired by that point it just didn't even cross my mind.

The lady at Menzies did state that because there wasn't a flight for 48 hours that flybe *should* reimburse at least what that flight cost so that we could get to DUS. So that adds up to about 150 euros for me and about 220 for OH as work paid for his ticket last minute.

Oh well, if nothing else we made it a fun couple of days!
#893402 by lizziesaurus
23 Jan 2015, 16:04
Well, just to update:

Shock of all shocks, Flybe have (after I send off a copy of the 4U flight booking) to refund everything but the missed BA flight as that wasn't their fault. So that's 2 hotels, a flight and car hire!

I was in utter shock reading the email! Chuffed to bits anyway!

Thank you all for the advice!
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