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Original poster

6hr flight delay

17 replies

poppym12 · 18/04/2017 11:54

We returned from a few days away last night/this morning. Our 2.30pm flight eventually took off at 8.30pm which had a knock on effect of extra airport parking charges and a late start at work due to not getting home until 2am and needing to drive a fair distance this morning.

Passengers waiting at the departure airport were told to 'claim' at the destination airport but obviously when we landed after midnight, no ground staff were around to ask about anything. I've no idea what we should 'claim' for or how to go about it Confused.

Looking online throws up many 'no win no fee' type things for flight delays due to EU guidelines but I still don't know what I should be doing. Can anyone advise me on this please?

OP posts:
ExplodedCloud · 18/04/2017 11:59

Do you know why you were delayed?
We had a massive delay due to broken planes and we were able to submit a claim to the airline online after we returned and received some compensation.
It's related to length of delay and flight distance. It might also only apply to scheduled flights and not if the delay was out of the airline's control e.g. weather or strikes by ground crew.

KingPrawnOkay · 18/04/2017 12:12

I keep reading things that Martin Lewis has said that you get compensation if you're delayed over three hours. Unsure of how to do it myself but his advice is always ace and won't lead you to some dodgy websites - there'll be a formal process to do it that doesn't involve you paying out to anyone.

Original poster
poppym12 · 18/04/2017 12:24

There wasn't much info given out at all whilst we were waiting. The pilot/officer said that an earlier plane had had to divert to a different airport for medical reasons but the airport mentioned was kind of en route so I'm not sure why it took 5 hours. They also said that they had to unload more wheelchairs than usual upon arriving to pick us up.

I don't intend to use one if these solicitors (if thats what they are??) but the only information I can find via the airline website is an online form to fill in if we wish to cancel the flight. Obviously not as I did take the flight, albeit a lot later than I'd planned for. There are also links to EU regulations which do show levels of compensation given depending on length of delay and distance of flight but I can't find any further info on how you actually go about setting this type of claim in motion.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 18/04/2017 12:31

You don't need to pay to claim if using the EU thing. We went on the Marin Lewis site an used the recommended resolver website - all free. Ryan Air had already sent us all the necessary information within 12 hours of the delay - have to say they were excellent regarding it all. We entered the details and it was dealt with quickly - within a fortnight we have it all claimed. Infact the money we got for three delayed flights was more than why we had paid for the three return flights.

ExplodedCloud · 18/04/2017 12:32

We found the claim form on the airline's website.

Hulababy · 18/04/2017 12:33

www.resolver.co.uk/complaints/travel-complaints%20

This is the free online site we used recommended by Martin Lewis

Original poster
poppym12 · 18/04/2017 13:19

Thanks all. Just sent it through via the link supplied.

OP posts:
namechangedtoday15 · 19/04/2017 00:05

Also claimed via Ryanair's website. 5 hour flight going to Geneva. It was a fixed amount per passenger (including children) depending on distance of flight and length of delay.

We were given meal tokens (£5 each I recall) and I sent them my receipt saying we'd been to cheapest "restaurant" at the airport and couldn't eat for £5 each, so claimed an extra £20 or so (For a family of 5). I'd send them the car parking charge too.

All the money was in my account by the time we got home a week later. Think off the top of my head it was 240 euros each.

Dothehokeykokey · 19/04/2017 00:16

I fly about three return trips a month.

I have been on some that have been delayed, sometimes to the next day and sometimes causing me disruption and to incur costs.

The airlines don't do it on purpose so why the hell would I "claim". It's life, stuff happens.

On the flip side I know people who hardly ever fly, and yet always have reason for a "claim" and the tossers nearly always get something.

The problem is we all pay for that in increased fares.

Shit happens. Deal with it and lets have a world where people aren't always looking for a payout at everyone else's expense.

namechangedtoday15 · 19/04/2017 08:58

do the actually, if you fly all the time, maybe its not a big deal. However, please don't assume that everyone claiming is doing so just for the sake of it. In some cases, the airlines have made cuts either with staff or maintenance, planes aren't replaced as often as they should be / there's no staff cover and as a result, delays occur.

In our case, it was our first ever (6 day) family ski trip paid for through savings. As a result of the delay, we had to drive up a mountain in the dark (children were frightened), nothing was open in the hotel / resort when we arrived (no food or shops to buy food from) and we lost half a days skiing because we had to collect ski equipment the following day and children were late for ski school.

So please don't lump everyone into the money grabber category. The delay had a real impact on our holiday and its only right that we were compensated for that.

Dothehokeykokey · 19/04/2017 09:51

"The delay had a real impact on our holiday and its only right that we were compensated for that."

Well you see I would disagree and lump it into the "these things happen" category but then everyone is different.

leccybill · 19/04/2017 09:57

I used MSE and Resolver after an 8 hour flight delay to Greece in 2012. Got £500 back.

We had a toddler and I had to be escorted back through security to Boots on the departure side to buy milk for her.
A family on our flight had a very nervous flier in their party. The delay led to them having a panic attack and needing an ambulance and none of them flew in the end.

Don't consider myself a tosser tbh.

Original poster
poppym12 · 19/04/2017 12:00

Well, the airline have said that it was due to exceptional circumstances so they're not at fault. Maybe this information would have been useful whilst waiting for the missing aircraft. We were given several departure times and as each one neared, it was put back again:

Flight disruption information:
Norwegian flight: xxxxxxx 17.04.2017
Disruption type: Delayed
Delay time: 5 hours and 37 minutes
Reason for disruption: This delay was caused by an earlier disruption within our network that had a direct effect on this flight. The original flight was disrupted due to a medical divertion

I'm usually 'its just one of those things' people dothe but we were told to submit a claim whilst at the departure airport by ground/desk staff so I tried to find information on this yesterday but all I got were adverts from solicitors. I asked on here rather than end up giving out any details online and being bombarded with spam forever more.

I've never submitted a claim for anything, hence my confusion over the whole thing. We did however incur costs for food, excess parking as it had flipped over to an extra day and some lost work time.

I also fly quite often. I'm not a money grabber and I wouldnt consider myself a tosser either. Seems there are quite a few about though.

OP posts:
wasonthelist · 19/04/2017 12:11

Op - Travel insurance sometimes pays fixed sums for delays, might be worth checking yours

Original poster
poppym12 · 19/04/2017 12:15

Thanks was.

OP posts:
Lushmetender · 20/04/2017 17:25

I got compensation about 6-7 years after we flew - we had a technical fault on the plane inkefalonia. They had the part but had to speed boat in the technician! Still worst flight I've been on due to having young children etc. I followed the advice as per Martin Lewis website. They offered travel vouchers but we asked to exchange for cash.

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