Can anyone help me?
I have been tiring to get compensation from British Airways through my tour operator / Thompson who are going through Thompson World Wide.
I hope this is not long winded but please I'm now stuck.
We booked our holiday to Hong Kong with Thomson Travel Agent at 12 Park Road, St Anne's, Lancashire. FY8 1QX tel 01253 782288
On the 21/05/2010 we were flying from Manchester Airport to London Heathrow with a connection flight from London Heathrow to Hong Kong.
We were returning on 05/06/2010 from Hong Kong to London Heathrow with a connection flight from London Heathrow to Manchester airport.
The flight times were
Depart Hong Kong Airport 23.45 arriving London Heathrow 05.25 then
Depart London Heathrow 07.45 arriving Manchester Airport 08.45.
Due to a British Airways strike our connecting flight from Heathrow was cancelled which left us stranded at Heathrow. British airways wanted us to make our own way, from Heathrow to Gatwick by our own means.
Even though British airways did provide an alternative flight from Gatwick we were still stranded at Heathrow.
If we were to catch the connecting flight from Gatwick to Manchester it would have delayed us getting home by around 11 hours and also cost to get transport to Gatwick airport.
We would have also lost our Taxi ride home due to time arriving at Manchester (around 12 to 14 hours later after the long haul flight of 8 hours.)
BA did offer to place us on a flight with BMI from Heathrow to Manchester if we paid an extra £505 for 2 adults. We declined there offer due to the cost we would have to pay.
We did ask BA staff in Hong Kong if we would be able to get a refund to which they said yes if we were not catching the offered flight from Gatwick. The BA staff in Hong Kong Cancelled the Gatwick flight for us.
We then had to find our own way home form London Heathrow.
We booked a coach with National Express for 2 adults for a payment of £104.80.
We also occurred costs from phone calls as well around £70.
My tour operator/ Thompson have now said all I would get is the air fare of £73.80 for 2 adults and a cheque has been forwarded to them.
This amount is not acceptable as looking at costs of flights are around £180 for two adults from Heathrow to Gatwick from BA.
All I want is some common decency to be compensated for my coach fare and telephone calls back. Could you have imagined if I paid out for the BMI flight at over £500 I would be well out of pocket.
What BA are saying is because me and my husband decided not to take the connecting flight from Gatwick it was our choice and that's all they would pay back £73.80. But BA staff in Hong Kong cancelled the flight anyway.
Help me I'm so confused and no one will help me I have even thought about taking this claim to a small claims court for the inconvenience of it all.
My insurance wouldn't help either.
Any help or advise would be gratefully appreciated. I do not want to give BA the satisfaction of trying to rip me off I'm not going to rest but I'm stuck as what to do next.
Thanks Sharon19702765
I am unsure what to say to you. I think the fact that BA booked a flight from Gatwick for you which you declined may leave you in a very precarious position. If it had been me I would have paid the bus transfer cost and not been that worried by the cost. How much is it in any case?
THat said in some ways I think that when you told them that the Gatwick flight was unacceptable I think that you would be entitled to the air fare booked from Heathrow to Manchester. Is this what they are saying and is this the amount they have sent you in a check.
I was caught up in the BA strike flying to Miami on the 25th May. We were put on to an American Airlines flight which was in the morning rather than the afternoon. Because we knew that there was a possibility of strike action and we knew almost certainly that the domestic flights would be cancelled we opted to travel by taxi to Heathrow from Yorkshire.
They offered us a flight on the Friday the day previous and our Cruise Company would have paid for a hotel in Fort Lauderdale for the extra night but this was not from BA.
We were fortunate in that our return BA flight was on and we flew back on a packed flight. I don't know what else you can do if BA have taken this stance. Have you taken the issue to the highest level at BA. Can your TA not get a better resolution for you.
Good luck
Sue
THat said in some ways I think that when you told them that the Gatwick flight was unacceptable I think that you would be entitled to the air fare booked from Heathrow to Manchester. Is this what they are saying and is this the amount they have sent you in a check.
I was caught up in the BA strike flying to Miami on the 25th May. We were put on to an American Airlines flight which was in the morning rather than the afternoon. Because we knew that there was a possibility of strike action and we knew almost certainly that the domestic flights would be cancelled we opted to travel by taxi to Heathrow from Yorkshire.
They offered us a flight on the Friday the day previous and our Cruise Company would have paid for a hotel in Fort Lauderdale for the extra night but this was not from BA.
We were fortunate in that our return BA flight was on and we flew back on a packed flight. I don't know what else you can do if BA have taken this stance. Have you taken the issue to the highest level at BA. Can your TA not get a better resolution for you.
Good luck
Sue
Sharon I have read your post again and see that it has actually been Thomson who have been dealing with BA. Have you not been in contact with them yourself?
On the issue of the cost of flights when they book a through fare like Manchester to Hong Kong it is not the same cost as it would be for booking the individual flight and I fear that what they have refunded is correct.
Whether they would be prepared to do something else as a good will gesture but that is the road I would take. Appeal to their better side. I would always deal with any holiday company myself as you are the one who takes the loss not the Thomson. I would suggest that you get the name of the Manager of Customer Services and they may be reluctant to give you a name then you should be able to find this out. Even if it is just the switchboard you ask. I would just say I wish to put a name on the letter. Don't let them fob you off and ask to speak to a manager.
You may already have done all this and this may not be helpful but I fear that BA are essentially right but hopefully they may respond to you as a good will gesture
Sue
On the issue of the cost of flights when they book a through fare like Manchester to Hong Kong it is not the same cost as it would be for booking the individual flight and I fear that what they have refunded is correct.
Whether they would be prepared to do something else as a good will gesture but that is the road I would take. Appeal to their better side. I would always deal with any holiday company myself as you are the one who takes the loss not the Thomson. I would suggest that you get the name of the Manager of Customer Services and they may be reluctant to give you a name then you should be able to find this out. Even if it is just the switchboard you ask. I would just say I wish to put a name on the letter. Don't let them fob you off and ask to speak to a manager.
You may already have done all this and this may not be helpful but I fear that BA are essentially right but hopefully they may respond to you as a good will gesture
Sue
I'm not an expert by any means but it seems BA offered and booked an alternative flight for you, albeit from Gatwick, yet you opted to cancel it stranding yourself at Heathrow. In your position I would have taken the offered flight and then worried about the transfer cost afterwards. I think you have done well to get £74.80 refunded.
Agreed. I am now wondering why the OP has not come back with any other information other than what they first posted. Like you I think that they have left themselves in this position and I don't think they can expect BA to do a great deal for them.
Sue
Sue
The business of BA rebooking a connecting flight from a different London airport and not including the transfer has happened on this board before. Heathrow to Gatwick price-per-mile works out as one of the most expensive land transfers in the UK if you use the direct coach (assuming it's not fully booked) and the alternative route by public transport is not an easy journey.
The original contract was for the whole Hong Kong to Manchester journey at an inclusive price - that was not the alterative offer so turning it down shouldn't undermine the claim. However, if this holiday was classed as a package under the terms of the various regulations then the claim is against the Tour Operator not BA.
The original contract was for the whole Hong Kong to Manchester journey at an inclusive price - that was not the alterative offer so turning it down shouldn't undermine the claim. However, if this holiday was classed as a package under the terms of the various regulations then the claim is against the Tour Operator not BA.
Thank you for all you advise
I have now taken this up again with BA as my tour operator will not help anymore. It has given me food for thought and I might just as well give up if I dont get anywhere with BA. Thank you this fourm is great.
Love Sharon19702765
I have now taken this up again with BA as my tour operator will not help anymore. It has given me food for thought and I might just as well give up if I dont get anywhere with BA. Thank you this fourm is great.
Love Sharon19702765
Sharon sorry I could not be more positive. Like someone else said I think I would have paid for the transfer to Gatwick and then sent BA the bill. A lot of people have found BA QUITE helpful over the volcanic ash situation but maybe not so with the industrial action issue.
Good luck
Sue
Good luck
Sue
Thanks Sue for your time spent on this. I didn't choose getting from Heathrow to Gatwick as my Husband is a bad flyer and to get on another flight after waiting another 11 hours at Gatwick would have killed him fretting over it. lol
Thanks to all Sharon.xxx
Thanks to all Sharon.xxx
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