Where do I start. I guess - HELP.
Cutting a long story short we arrived at the airport to be told that we had a delay of 9 1/2 hours. 470 people were then transported to a hotel close by for lunch and dinner. Just getting on the coaches was a complete nightmare they had us walking up and down and back again - it could have been organised much better. The coaches were due to take us back to the airport at 8pm but we decided that a taxi would be a better idea - we arrived back at the airport for 8.15pm to be met with a further delay - 1am and within 1/2 hour it was 3am. Nobody in authority at the airport would tell us what was happenning - when we asked which desks to que at we were given several, we were then told that one flight would leave 1 hour 30 minutes before the other ( don't even know if this happened or not) they checked us through just before 10pm and they did not allocated seat numbers to everybody - they did to some - we were allocated numbers. Some people received vouchers, others didn't - the whole thing was a complete mess.
We eventually took off at 3.10 am
There was complete chaos on bording the plane - there were people running to the steps - with no thought for children or older people ( what the hell is wrong with people). When we got on board and tried to find the seats we had been allocated they didn't even exist.
I spoke to one of the air crew who explained the the plane had been flown over from the fauklands ( its was a plane used by the airforce) she said it took 19 hours to get the plane over then 5 to make sure it was in a fit state to fly then it flew from manchester to tenerife and picked us up - this is 30 hours so why when we re-confirmed flights 24 hour prior were we not told and also with that information at hand why oh why did they not organise things better - if only for the people with children and older passengers.
Whilst at the airport we asked if there were other fights available - at whatever cost and we were told there was nothing - yet i have read in another post that there was actually seats available. We also asked for complaint information and passenger rights information to be told there was nothing available.
So - how do we go about claiming compensation - are we actually entitled to compensation ?
Hi blondiegirl Yes I was due to fly on that flight we went to a travel agents office in the airport and asked if there were any flights available. we were offered a Thomas Cook flight at 150 euros per person which we decided to buy, along withat least another dozen or so passengers. When we boarded the plane it was in fact a Thomson plane which Thomas Cook had chartered from them. It was a big plane (Boeing 767) and there were loads of spare seats. I am going to try and contact Air Atlanta tomorrow and ask about compensation, because according to the new regulations you are entitled to a refund of the cost of your flight if the delay is more than four hours. By the way if it is any consolation we had to wait 1 1/2 hours for our luggage.
Hi, its crazy isn't it. What time did you fly inthe end ? We had to wait nearly an hour for our luggage as well. My other half is going to ring the solicitor that is recommended on this site so I will keep you updated
We flew at 6.30PM. That flight was delayed by two hours because the original plane broke down in Manchester but at least thomas cook managed to get another plane, unlike air atlanta. if one company can do it why cant they?
Hi Blondie Girl
Me and family were also on the flight from hell, both my son and I attempted to get complaint forms at the airport only to be told they had run out. Iwas given the address of Excel Airways. On the flight back I was disgusted that the captain said do not blame the crew, but failed to mention who was responsible for the debacle and who passengers should complain to .
Again I asked for a complaint form only to be told they did not have any on board. I was then given the address of Air Atlanta ( which coincidentally appears to be very similar to that of Excel !) Having checked out the website of Air Atlanta it appears they are Icelandic registered, therefore not part of the EU.
I have tried ringing this sites help line but is permanently engaged, therefore would be grateful if anyone could advise if have any rights under the EU directive - particularly as air iberia also appears on the ticket .
Me and family were also on the flight from hell, both my son and I attempted to get complaint forms at the airport only to be told they had run out. Iwas given the address of Excel Airways. On the flight back I was disgusted that the captain said do not blame the crew, but failed to mention who was responsible for the debacle and who passengers should complain to .
Again I asked for a complaint form only to be told they did not have any on board. I was then given the address of Air Atlanta ( which coincidentally appears to be very similar to that of Excel !) Having checked out the website of Air Atlanta it appears they are Icelandic registered, therefore not part of the EU.
I have tried ringing this sites help line but is permanently engaged, therefore would be grateful if anyone could advise if have any rights under the EU directive - particularly as air iberia also appears on the ticket .
Horsace,
Air Atlanta/Excel and Travel City Direct are all owned by Avion Group. The fact that they are Icelandic is irrelevant.
You do have rights and they are covered in EC261/2004 - a EEC charter dealing with delays, cancellations etc.
Ring Ros Fernihough on 01922 621114 (I did regarding my delay with Air Atlanta in July).
EC261/2004 requires that he carrier provide you with a summary (at least) of your rights in the event of serious delays and/or cancellation. Flights into or out of EEC airports (so your flight applies) are covered. You must be provided with meals and refreshments in keeping with the length of the delay and if that delay takes you into the day following your original scheduled departure, accommodation and transport between such and the airport must also be provided.
Most importantly, you have the right to demand a refund with the intention of then re-booking yourself on an alternate flight. I understand some passengers on this flight did exactly that and they should seek to recover those costs back from Excel.
I read on an earlier post on this subject that some passengers were informed (incorrectly it appears) that no other flights were available, whilst others clearly did find such flights.
It's my belief that Excel/Air Atlanta would much prefer you did not cancel and book with alternate carrier as they are then legally responsible to refund you the original cost of the flight (the return portion in this instance). By keeping you "captive" they avoid such refunding and are only required to throw the occasional meal and drink your way.
Don't let them get away with airway robbery.
Contacts for AirAtlanta/Excel
Phone 01293 440002
Fax 01293 440006
email: xla@airlinecrm.com
Excel Airways Customer Relations, 5 The Enterprise Centre, Kelvin Lane, CRAWLEY, West Sussex, RH10 9PT
Good Luck.
Air Atlanta/Excel and Travel City Direct are all owned by Avion Group. The fact that they are Icelandic is irrelevant.
You do have rights and they are covered in EC261/2004 - a EEC charter dealing with delays, cancellations etc.
Ring Ros Fernihough on 01922 621114 (I did regarding my delay with Air Atlanta in July).
EC261/2004 requires that he carrier provide you with a summary (at least) of your rights in the event of serious delays and/or cancellation. Flights into or out of EEC airports (so your flight applies) are covered. You must be provided with meals and refreshments in keeping with the length of the delay and if that delay takes you into the day following your original scheduled departure, accommodation and transport between such and the airport must also be provided.
Most importantly, you have the right to demand a refund with the intention of then re-booking yourself on an alternate flight. I understand some passengers on this flight did exactly that and they should seek to recover those costs back from Excel.
I read on an earlier post on this subject that some passengers were informed (incorrectly it appears) that no other flights were available, whilst others clearly did find such flights.
It's my belief that Excel/Air Atlanta would much prefer you did not cancel and book with alternate carrier as they are then legally responsible to refund you the original cost of the flight (the return portion in this instance). By keeping you "captive" they avoid such refunding and are only required to throw the occasional meal and drink your way.
Don't let them get away with airway robbery.
Contacts for AirAtlanta/Excel
Phone 01293 440002
Fax 01293 440006
email: xla@airlinecrm.com
Excel Airways Customer Relations, 5 The Enterprise Centre, Kelvin Lane, CRAWLEY, West Sussex, RH10 9PT
Good Luck.
Hi
Have just spoken to them and they have requested everything in writing. I am going to speak to Ros and ask her advise before I proceed any further. From what your saying Mike it does look like we will not be in a position to claim compensation because they did send us to a hotel and provide food - is that right ??
Have just spoken to them and they have requested everything in writing. I am going to speak to Ros and ask her advise before I proceed any further. From what your saying Mike it does look like we will not be in a position to claim compensation because they did send us to a hotel and provide food - is that right ??
Blondiegirl,
They provided food (and presumably drinks - should be more than one for the length of your delay). You say they also took you to a hotel. However, they didn't provide you with a room for accommodation purposes - I guess the hotel was where you were fed.
They do have an obligation to provide you with a summary of your rights and in failing to do so they are in breach of the EEC agreement. Had you been given these you would have known you could cancel your return flight and arrange an alternate - the cost of the original flight (return portion) then being returned to you by Excel within 7 days.
I was in a similar position on July 10th at Manchester awaiting a flight to Sanford Florida. The summary sheet handed out by Excel was sufficient (just) but their interpretation of the EC261/2004 regulations is suspect and of course biased in their favour.
You could report Excel to the UK Regulatory body; The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) togther with the Civil Aviation Authority are responsible for enforcing these regulations. Telephone 0207 240 6061 or fax 0207 240 7071 or email: admin@auc.caa.co.uk
You can write to them at Air Transport Users Council, Room K202, CAA house, 45-59 Kingsway LONDON, WC2B 6TE
Each breach of these regulations is liable to a 5000euro fine. Get together with other equally mistreated passengers and launch a group complaint to the AUC.
Melissalil and several other passengers paid 150 euro's and booked with Thomas Cook escaping on a Thompson chartered plane. Any advice you were given by Excel at that time about no other flights being available was therefore incorrect.
Oh, clause 9 (2) of EC261/2004 requires the carrier to provide you with two telephone calls, faxes, emails etc. You could have contacted a family friend to check seat availablility and hence found out about this Thomas Cook flight.
They provided food (and presumably drinks - should be more than one for the length of your delay). You say they also took you to a hotel. However, they didn't provide you with a room for accommodation purposes - I guess the hotel was where you were fed.
They do have an obligation to provide you with a summary of your rights and in failing to do so they are in breach of the EEC agreement. Had you been given these you would have known you could cancel your return flight and arrange an alternate - the cost of the original flight (return portion) then being returned to you by Excel within 7 days.
I was in a similar position on July 10th at Manchester awaiting a flight to Sanford Florida. The summary sheet handed out by Excel was sufficient (just) but their interpretation of the EC261/2004 regulations is suspect and of course biased in their favour.
You could report Excel to the UK Regulatory body; The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) togther with the Civil Aviation Authority are responsible for enforcing these regulations. Telephone 0207 240 6061 or fax 0207 240 7071 or email: admin@auc.caa.co.uk
You can write to them at Air Transport Users Council, Room K202, CAA house, 45-59 Kingsway LONDON, WC2B 6TE
Each breach of these regulations is liable to a 5000euro fine. Get together with other equally mistreated passengers and launch a group complaint to the AUC.
Melissalil and several other passengers paid 150 euro's and booked with Thomas Cook escaping on a Thompson chartered plane. Any advice you were given by Excel at that time about no other flights being available was therefore incorrect.
Oh, clause 9 (2) of EC261/2004 requires the carrier to provide you with two telephone calls, faxes, emails etc. You could have contacted a family friend to check seat availablility and hence found out about this Thomas Cook flight.
Thanks Mike for your advice, have you had any joy in persuing a claim.?
Too soon to say yet.
I'm in for the long haul but once I get the bit between my teeth I don't let go.
I'm in for the long haul but once I get the bit between my teeth I don't let go.
If you flew Air Atlanta Europe your better off contacting the Icelandic arm of Air Atlanta as your much more likely to get a reply from them.
info@aviongroup.is
I had a 3 hour delay outbound and inbound with Air Atlanta but i had a reply off them within 3 hours of sending the e-mail.
info@aviongroup.is
I had a 3 hour delay outbound and inbound with Air Atlanta but i had a reply off them within 3 hours of sending the e-mail.
Thanks for that advice Dan, I'll give that a try.
Hi Blondiegirl
Have you spoken to Ros, and have you submitted your compensation claim to Avion. Suggest we keep in contact as to progress.
Have you spoken to Ros, and have you submitted your compensation claim to Avion. Suggest we keep in contact as to progress.
Hi Horace
Yep spoke to ros and she has told me to write which I am in the process of doing - will let you know what happens
Yep spoke to ros and she has told me to write which I am in the process of doing - will let you know what happens
Hi Horace
Just a bit of an update - we email the email as above and got a reply within half a day - they are passing our complaint to the appropriate section - i believe this is air atlanta. We have also sent the same but in letter format to excel airways. As the flight we came home on was a completely different plane ( i can prove this as the seat allocation we were given was not available and the airhostess confirmed that the plane was brought over from the faulklands) it is classes as a cancellation - this is the route we have gone down. Let me know how your doing
Just a bit of an update - we email the email as above and got a reply within half a day - they are passing our complaint to the appropriate section - i believe this is air atlanta. We have also sent the same but in letter format to excel airways. As the flight we came home on was a completely different plane ( i can prove this as the seat allocation we were given was not available and the airhostess confirmed that the plane was brought over from the faulklands) it is classes as a cancellation - this is the route we have gone down. Let me know how your doing
Hi Blondiegirl
Sent e mail last week to e mail addy shown above as of tonight, also posted hard copy letter to air atlanta at their Crawley address. Again nothing, I stipulated in my letter that I required a reply within 7 days or i would flag up to the Air Transport User Council.
if you need further evidence about the flight coming from the Falklands, we "borrowed" one of the head rest covers with the RAF logo on. Incidentally Granada TV are doing a series in the Autumn on holiday / transport nightmares so I e mailed them the full saga. address can be found at home page for Holiday Truths.
When we were waiting in the airport one of the many disgruntled clan said he was going to get an e mail chain going . i gave him my details but not heard anything, have you ?
Sent e mail last week to e mail addy shown above as of tonight, also posted hard copy letter to air atlanta at their Crawley address. Again nothing, I stipulated in my letter that I required a reply within 7 days or i would flag up to the Air Transport User Council.
if you need further evidence about the flight coming from the Falklands, we "borrowed" one of the head rest covers with the RAF logo on. Incidentally Granada TV are doing a series in the Autumn on holiday / transport nightmares so I e mailed them the full saga. address can be found at home page for Holiday Truths.
When we were waiting in the airport one of the many disgruntled clan said he was going to get an e mail chain going . i gave him my details but not heard anything, have you ?
Hi Blondiegirl
Sent e mail last week to e mail addy shown above as of tonight, also posted hard copy letter to air atlanta at their Crawley address. Again nothing, I stipulated in my letter that I required a reply within 7 days or i would flag up to the Air Transport User Council.
if you need further evidence about the flight coming from the Falklands, we "borrowed" one of the head rest covers with the RAF logo on. Incidentally Granada TV are doing a series in the Autumn on holiday / transport nightmares so I e mailed them the full saga. address can be found at home page for Holiday Truths.
When we were waiting in the airport one of the many disgruntled clan said he was going to get an e mail chain going . i gave him my details but not heard anything, have you ?
Sent e mail last week to e mail addy shown above as of tonight, also posted hard copy letter to air atlanta at their Crawley address. Again nothing, I stipulated in my letter that I required a reply within 7 days or i would flag up to the Air Transport User Council.
if you need further evidence about the flight coming from the Falklands, we "borrowed" one of the head rest covers with the RAF logo on. Incidentally Granada TV are doing a series in the Autumn on holiday / transport nightmares so I e mailed them the full saga. address can be found at home page for Holiday Truths.
When we were waiting in the airport one of the many disgruntled clan said he was going to get an e mail chain going . i gave him my details but not heard anything, have you ?
I think that I was meant to be on that airplane flight, too - EXcel I believe. The split aircraft happened as we arrived just over 24 hours after we were supposed to. And, I'll reiterate; I was SIX YEARS OLD. Myself, my parents and my younger sister (just THREE) were handed food vouchers and were sent to an hotel at nearly 9pm, given keys to two rooms. One of these rooms had an unmade single bed, the one myself and sister were supposed to share, with bedding all over the place, no pillows, with food stains and what appeared to be blood in the room. It was concluded that no-one could possibly spend the night there and we complained to the reception staff who simply told us that we'd all have to stay in the one room. It didn't matter that there was not enough room to sleep as it was nigh impossible to do so based on the fact that through the night there were many airport take-offs, noisy ones, due to the earlier delays.
The previous day three aircrafts were selected, and then disgarded, to take us back to the island. [b]To this day I do not know whether we were refunded, I vaguely remember, AGE SIX, complaining that we should be and my mother informing me we were out side of a shop in the departure lounge.[/b]
One of the three because there was a crack in the cockpit windshield, another because the crew had gone over their allowed work-time (like with lorry drivers, you can only work so many hours in a row before you are forced to rest on land) and don't know the reason the original plane was discarded.
To MikeCunliffe, In Nov. 2005 when I was 8 years old we were to fly a not dissimilar route and had been told of this story. Terrible!
The previous day three aircrafts were selected, and then disgarded, to take us back to the island. [b]To this day I do not know whether we were refunded, I vaguely remember, AGE SIX, complaining that we should be and my mother informing me we were out side of a shop in the departure lounge.[/b]
One of the three because there was a crack in the cockpit windshield, another because the crew had gone over their allowed work-time (like with lorry drivers, you can only work so many hours in a row before you are forced to rest on land) and don't know the reason the original plane was discarded.
To MikeCunliffe, In Nov. 2005 when I was 8 years old we were to fly a not dissimilar route and had been told of this story. Terrible!
Not quite sure what you're saying here, because at the beginning of your post you were 6 years old in 2005, and at the end you were 8 in 2005. Either way, I think you are a little to young to be a member of this forum.
Attention Moderators.
The T&Cs state.
Poster analuisa states in their post
Seven years on that makes them 15 now.
fwh
The T&Cs state.
1. Members of HolidayTruths.co.uk must be aged 18 years or over
This is regrettable, but necessary to protect the privacy and security of children, who have been known to post messages in the past which are not in their best interests. This is inline with UK contractual laws.
Poster analuisa states in their post
In Nov. 2005 when I was 8 years old we were to fly a not dissimilar route and had been told of this story. Terrible!
Seven years on that makes them 15 now.
fwh
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