Not Air Malta`s fault...just sub contracting for the dreaded XL

Yep the dreaded XL/Freedom flights. It will be them that have "consolidated" you, not Air Malta's fault.

oh xl strikes yet again
why do people keep using them

I take it that Air Malta are transporting your from Birmingham to East Midlands ?

When you book a flight from point A to point B you should be transported accordingly - not necessarily the whole way by air I should add.

If they've cancelled the flight from B'ham and booked you on a different flight (carrier, time and even departure airport) they should have provided compensation for the first cancellation.

I guess you consequential losses relate to the car-parking. Collecting a hire car in resort a few hours later is not the end of the world. Try claiming the car park costs you will have to bear against Air Malta in the first instance and see what they say.

Let us know the outcome - and enjoy your holiday tomorrow anyway.

Mike,

As they have been told in advance the airline/tour operator does not need to provide transport from Birmingham to East Midlands.

As previous poster has mentioned Air Malta are just the charter carrier in this instance the tour operaotr has changed the details I guess combining a 2 poorly sold flights on to one.

Kind Regards
Stewart

Stewart,
From Greecelover's initial (and only) post on Feb 2nd I conclude they booked a flight-only deal. If that is the case I do not see how the airline can change the departure point without offering either:

the option to cancel with full refund
or
the option to continue with agreed compensation
or
the carrier arranges transport from initial to new departure airport at their cost.

Consider the position were the passengers booked from, say, Aberdeen to Fuerteventura to be told 6 weeks prior to departure that flights were now from Exeter.

If you are correct in so far as a "package" has been booked and the flights, being a part of that package are provided by Air Malta then Greecelover should be complaining to the tour operator as the package is not as booked. Departing from East Midlands instead of Birmingham is as inconvenient as, say, having the resort changed from Fuerteventura to Lanzarote. Not a big distance but significant.

With respect to flight only deals - these are best covered by the EC261/2004 articles. Article 8 covers Right to reimbursement or re-routing. Point 3 refers to the operating cir-carrier's responsibility to bear the cost of getting the passenger from an alternative airport to that for which the booking was made. No reference is made to "resort" airport and hence, as these articles apply to all EEC countries I would argue that flights in either direction are equally subject to these rules. Returing the passengers to East Midlands is NOT Birmingham (originally booked) therefore cost of transfer to be borne by operating air carrier.

IF Greecelover booked a full Package then this is best covered by The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. Point 12 is titled Significant alterations to essential terms and requires the tour operator to inform the passenger and permits the passenger to arrange (with the Tour Op.) a suitable alternative package (from Birmingham presumably) or to seek a full refund. Compensation may also apply depending upon the T.Op's. T&C's and the length of time before dep. the notification is provided.

No matter which condition applies I believe these passengers have been treated in a cavalier manner.

Although this is not quite the same situation but rather an example. I was booked on a RCI cruise to fly out to Lisbon on a Sunday am at I think if I recall correctly with BA but booked by RCI. Heathrow to Lisbon.
BA then changed the flight to 09.30 and so they changed my shuttle flight to the Saturday night and paid for me to stay at the Marriott Hotel overnight.
There was no problem as they had sorted all this out when they got my TA to inform me.
It meant that I had no extra expense nor did I have to pay any admin fee for change to the shuttle. All flights were booked by RCI.

Sue

Mike,

My guess is Greecelover could have had a cancellation and monies returned or accept the new airport change.

The problem with cancelling is then finding a flight from BHX and at what cost the old slightly over a barrel.

I am not agreeing with XL here just stating the situation. The regulations you are talking about really cover a change on the day ( aircraft diverts to another airport for weather/technical etc ). Scheduled carriers cancel flights ( just look at Flybe/BA connect ) and just offer a refund or a switch to another airport no compensation is due here if this is done in advance, the client is notified and accepts the change as the refund is of no use because there is not another viable alternative.

A pain when this happens I know.

Kind Regards
Stewart