My flight cancelled and no refunds or compensation

[user1471523870]

...so depressing. I am torn between letting my rage out and be zen about it.
Basically, after a 2 hours delay (so, after more than 4 hours in the airport, from late afternoon...) my flight got cancelled. They called us to the gate for boarding, made us wait another half hour and then cancelled it. Reason being they crew had exceeded the maximum time allowed to fly.
Well, surely they knew that well in advance right? It's beyond me how they let the plane land, disembark the crew ready for another flight and only then realized that, ooops, they worked too many hours!

Anyway, at 9pm after now several hours around trains and airports, we have all been escorted out and given a flyer with instructions on rebooking the flight and claim expenses/compensation.

A week later they are emailing me saying that:

1. it wasn't their fault (ATC restrictions) so no compensation for the disruption
2. they are only a carrier, so if have incurred in any expenses I booked and paid for before my flight...well what a pity, there's nothing they can do!

Result is:

• I have lost a full afternoon and evening waiting to board a plane
• I went back home at around 11pm incredibly tired and frustrated (my husband had to come and pick me up as no Ubers and queue for taxi was 45 minutes...)
• I had to reschedule all my appointments at destination (I was supposed to have a surgery!)
• I have lost the money I pre-paid for my hotel (the irony is that I could cancel up to 6pm, but at that time the flight was only delayed. Cancellation was announced only three hours later)...

Sooo frustrating!!! Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

it wasn't their fault (ATC restrictions) so no compensation for the disruption

But they know the rules, they must have known how long the crew had worked. How are ATC rules meant to absolve them from an inability to plan?

I have no useful advice, but I just don't see the logic of what they say.

Yes, it is their fault, they are supposed to have the crew available to meet their scheduled service. It isn't their fault if they crew go on strike, and perhaps they had had multiple sickness, so had planned but problems had gone beyond the norm, but otherwise it is their fault.

Doesn't help with missing your surgery, but I would look on Moneysavingexpert for template letters to claim compensation. They've almost certainly fobbed you off in the hope you'll believe their lies.

If it's a European carrier to a European country you should be entitled so check Martin Lewis' website. If it was AA flying in the states then you're screwed re compensation but should get a refund although ime that takes 6 months and they may fine you for cancelling then eventually accept they cancelled (no AA I didn't randomly decide not to fly and instead drive 17 hours from New York to Wisconsin with 3 young dc, I did that because you messed up and couldn't get 5 people on any other flights for 2 weeks). This may be a sensitive subject for me as I continue to pay off the £1300 car hire bill on my credit card from April

100% go through money saving expert website and use the flight compensation tool there.

Similar thing happened to DH and DC on a short haul (Paris - London) flight. I filled out the online form, so easy, and a few weeks later we received €350 back per flight.

I can't recommend it enough!

Thanks so much to all of you. I am glad it was not just me thinking this was absurd. Going now to check on the Martin Lewis' website. Will report back!

I had a similar problem with a Norwegian air flight a couple of months ago and took my complaint via a website called 'resolver' (I think) which was linked via the Martin lewis website. Sadly mine came to nothing as the airline said that several hours before, one of their flights had needed to divert due to an illness on board and this had had a knock on effect for the rest of the day.

We had similar 2 years ago, 5 hours delay though we flew eventually and they said oh no compensation due, it was outside our control. I went through MSE and Redolver and got £750 back (£250 each) which was more than the cost of our flights initially within days.