Diesel

Binned my seats with these muppets a week ago after turning up 2hrs before the flight [departure at 6am] but there still being no sign of any flight till 15:30 [some 24hours after we got up!].

Thankfully due to the new EU laws they have to keep you fed and watered as they keep you dawldling and you can ultimately demand a refund after 5hours delay. Easy Jet financially capitalised on their performance and our woes, but were bloody brilliant and got us away at midday.

Obviously I will now be claiming my refund, but just wondered if anyone had any similar experiences as I'm sure they will put up a fight or try to say they wont be liable as it was 'beyond thier control'. Bar an act of God of course this wont ultimately work, but any tips welcomely received.

D

Freak

Yes....fly BA. Airlines like that are cheap for a reason!

My 2 euros worth...


Anyway, legally you will probably find they have fulfilled their obligations to passengers in the event of delays. It will all be in their small print somewhere.
No harm in giving it a go though is there? Stick at it.

Andy McCord

you werent going to kefalonia were you diesel?

Cupramax

Luck of the draw really, I've flown with Excel down to Malaga for both work and pleasure more times than I can remember, never had an issue with them.

Imagine what its like when your car brakes down, now imagine the problem it causes when a plane conks out or has a technical fault that cant be remedied quickly. I'm no fan of sitting around airports but its not like they can just pop to Avis and hire one.

ChefDude

i'm flying with them on thursday to marsa alam

hope all goes ok </gulp>

JohnS

iTrader: (1)

I had a similar experience flying home from Trinidad on BWIA.

Turned up 3 hours before the flight, checked in, sitting in departures and asked at the desk a couple of times about boarding.

5 minutes before the flight was due to depart, they informed us that the flight was cancelled and to return in 24 hours.

They waited until another flight had left for London until anouncing the cancellation, so they didn't have the option of putting passengers on that one. There were no other flights leaving that night, unless we wanted to go via Miami (internal change), to New York, London, then Aberdeen at a cost of about £6k each. Even then, that flight only got in two hours before our next flight out of Trinidad 24 hours later.

They did put us up in a hotel (pretty poor one), and allowed us a buffet meal (completely inedible), and some soft drinks.

Tried claiming compensation from them, and highlighted their shocking customer service (they didn't want to know and basically washed their hands of us once out of the airport), but as the flight was starting outwith the EU, they met their minimum standards, and offered us nothing more. Apparently this is a very regular occurrence with BWIA, as I heard from another passenger they often don't have enough tickets sold to justify the flight, and merge two days flights together. It's apparently cheaper for them to put the passengers up in a hotel and feed them overnight than to fly a half empty plane across the Atlantic.

John

Diesel

Was going to Alicante mate not Kefalonia.

These things happen but I did decide to throw in the towel when I realised the chap queuing behind me was still waiting from the previous day's non flight!!!

Airport staff told me more in confidence along the way - esp as I went to offload my luggage. I also saw Excel featured on Nick Knowles' Holiday prog whilst out there and all these delays being ranted about! I do expect a fight!!!

D

PS I am not aware it was a technical fault on the plane Cupramax - it was cited as 'operational reasons'. This was clearly worded to mean anything but with intel about the past few days there I came to interpret it as 'a **** up resulting in a lack of plane', not 'the carb's iced up'

richardg

thats' where we flew with them a few weeks ago. didn't experience any problems so i guess we may just have been lucky

lordretsudo

We've just returned from Cyprus - flew with Excel from Manchester and were delayed both ways (3hrs out/1hr in). First time we've been delayed in ages, so much for 'European airline of the year'...