The new HFP chat thread – Friday 14th August

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• Yawn says:

  14 Aug14 August 17:48

  Anyone else still waiting on TAP to process their status match request? I received an automated acknowledgment on 22 July but nothing since.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    14 Aug14 August 19:38

    Intercontinental Ambassador – is it true that the 10% rebate on redemption points perk is being scrapped soon?
    Also, its been stated on FT tgat if you used 40k points to purchase AMB even in Y2 you didn’t get the rebate, it had to be AMB paid by cash – is that correct also?

• Ian says:

  14 Aug14 August 20:35

  Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this already…
  BA are offering some very cheap car hire deals for Majorca next July – I’ve just booked a Class C car (Seat Leon size) for a week for £93.

  A quick check around puts it at less than half the price of the other major rental companies. It’s also cheaper than the main Avis website.
  Prices for Ibiza look similar, mainland prices are a wee bit higher – but still look like good value.

  TBH the prices look too good to be true (super cheap, 700 bonus avios, and free additional driver) – but I’ve booked it anyway.

  If somebody want to tell me what I am missing – I’m all ears.

  • Venturelog says:

    14 Aug14 August 21:14

    Who’s the car hire company? Avis\Budget?
    In Majorca, it depends whats covered. I only read negative feedback on almost all car hire companies, cheap and no cover.
    My personal experience was with a company called ClickAuto’s. Near the airport and above a Petrol station shop. Not cheap, but peace of mind. When they gave me the keys, they said we don’t need to do an inspection now or when you return it as all damages are covered. Apparently it’s common due to small and tight roads in some places.

• meta says:

  14 Aug14 August 21:50

  Thanks @AJA who posted Newcastle number for BA a few days ago. Straight into queue (immediately after dialling, no menu options, no nothing). At 7pm the wait time was 5 minutes.

  Unfortunately didn’t get nowhere with BA regarding my cancelled flight from Porto on bank holiday Monday. BA has no flights until Friday and I don’t want to cut my trip short and fly on Sunday. I suggested TAP flight on the same day or the day after. The agent only offered flight from Lisbon (times awful since I would be then required to spend all of Monday travelling). He also said that no expenses covered for flight/train to Lisbon. He said that since it’s a redemption booking, they are not obliged to put me on another airline which is not part of Oneworld and Oneworld only if there are redemption seats available. He was quoting from some sort of guidance.

  Clearly BA breaching EU duty of care rules. He also didn’t want to put me through the supervisor. I was really polite, but at one point he said if I continue talking about EU rules that he’ll hang up as conversation is going nowhere. He suggested I put in a complaint. Probably going to take months for them to respond.

  I am thinking cancelling redemption (it was Avios&Money with maximum cash) and rebooking on TAP for the same date. I would only need to pay extra £30 overall. I will then probably put in a complaint and report them to CAA out of principle. Will mull over it until tomorrow. Anyway it is what it is!

  • meta says:

    14 Aug14 August 21:54

    Just thinking aloud could I go down S75 claim route? Paid on BAPP, so Amex would be jointly responsible. And how do I go about it in regards to getting new tickets? I mean BA is offering full refund. So would Amex pay the difference?

    • Lady London says:

      14 Aug14 August 23:13

      Hi Meta

      if bapp is a credit (not charge) card s75 gives you the extra cost to fulfil the travel you bought using another airline. call your credit card say you need to replace the cancelled flight urgently explain your difficulties with BA. Your aim is get their ok as it’s urgent (bank hol so tickets selling out and replacement cost getting higher all the time)to buy a replacement on the card under s75 (that hopefully they balance with a credit on your statement).

      chargecard you can only get what you paid back, not the extra cost you’ve been put to.

      Personally I would not take a refund right now under any circumstances. BA wants you to do that so they get shot of rerouting you and especially to get rid of the potential liability they have to you for chunky duty of care costs. Open and shut if you take the Friday flight they are up for the going rate for 4 nights decent hotel, internet fees, all meals and refreshments 3x per day for 4 days, plus transport to and from the hotel. You are not expected to take the cheapest for any of these. x2 if there are 2 of you.

      They dont think you know about this duty of care and they dont think you’ll really take the Friday offer. The moment you take a refund they lose all liability and recovering extra costs seems to me then becomes impossible or at least very hard.

      So work out your solution with your cardco, or insurance if you have it, get the replacement light flown and then who’s going to sort out any monies due back/avios, sort out later (could be your card does it all).

      TAP, IB via Madrid?, Swiss via ZRH?, Easyjet all do Porto I think.

      I think i would call BA one more time 8.30am or 7.30pm, try again, IB options if they exist probably more acceptable than TAP from BA point of view. Objectively you are entitled to a TAP or other flight provided by BA at no cost if BA cant transport you ‘with reasonable despatch’ close-ish to the time you booked under EU261.

      I wouldnt specify TAP you need to leave that to them you would have to accept any other airline as your right is around a similar departure time being needed. Extra hotel nights and meals they still are responsible for under duty of care.

      I think I would open the call with BA mentioning their proposal of the Friday flight 4 days later as though you were considering it and just wanting to confirm they are fine with the duty of care costs for you (both) for the 4 extra days the flight change means you will now be staying…. then list them. After that ask for your replacement flight alternatives closest to your booked time stating this is your actual preference.

      Unless you get ready agreement to a Monday replacement flight I would leave it open with them, do not take a refund at this point, and sort out s75 sokution with cardco.

      if s75 doesnt apply and BA wont provide replacement flight on someone else then sadly you might have to contemplate buying your own replacement flight and MCOL all your extra costs which I have no doubt you’d win.

      BTW have you checked is your flight still for sale? If they offloaded you so they could sell your seat for more money that would come through to you looking like a cancellation.

    • Lady London says:

      14 Aug14 August 23:14

      PS dont even think of spending your time travelling to Lisbon or Faro or whatever.

      • Lady London says:

        14 Aug14 August 23:19

        PPS the fact it was a redemption booking completely irrelevant except that could be why they offloaded you. the fact agent reading from some manual should indicate a)inexperienced sgent and b)indicates systematic denial of passenger rights built into BA procedures (one for the CAA)

        • meta says:

          15 Aug15 August 00:10

          No flights at all until Friday. BA reduced Porto flights only to Fri and Sunday. I mentioned all of the above to the agent. He was having none of it. He was pretty clear nothing apart from changing flights to Sunday (day before) or Friday (4 days after) and he was reading from the manual nothing covered! It was UK call centre, so no excuse! I will speak to Amex tomorrow and see about claim. I am also not sure now that I think about whether I can do S75 claim as taxes were below £100 per person (although it was paid in one transaction over £100).

        • meta says:

          15 Aug15 August 00:29

          Btw I did initially leave it to them, but he said they only have agreements with Iberia and oneworld. He said there are no seats available on Iberia that would get me the same day and approximately same time. Basically connections in Madrid don’t work.

        • Lady London says:

          15 Aug15 August 09:25

          you can value the miles you put in at the rate BA sells them at to (b)reach the £100 to threshold for a purchase. only £1 of the purchase has to be paid on a credit card for that card to be liable for the whole purchase.

          BA is definitely abusing you. Please give them one more call. Otherwise do what you have to do on the date that suits you as they will end up paying for all of it. If BA is still being stupid after another call then your card may be surprisingly helpful.

          I personally think they deserve to pay the £1,000+ it will reasonably cost you if you stay the extra 4 days till their Friday flight if they’re bullying you and denying your rights like this.

          Please let us know the final outcome.

        • Lady London says:

          15 Aug15 August 09:38

          looked at the schedules and the TAP is by far the most appropriate from an EU261 point of view as you say “with reasonable despatch”. LCC’s are too early and the following day is worse.

          BA is wrong on so many counts here give them one more try, keep all the evidence they wouldnt even pay for transport to Lisbon which AJA has proved they should have, then get the TAP by any means you need to (showing at £84 on Skyscanner today) and claim everything off BA later.

  • AJA says:

    15 Aug15 August 00:31

    Hi Meta, Glad I was partially able to help you. I think the Newcastle number is the best line to call, as you say just straight into the queue. Sorry you didn’t get resolution on the call. Is it the return flight that has been cancelled? I suggest calling again.

    In terms if your rights Article 5, 8 and Article 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c) of EU261 apply

    Article 5 states:
    Cancellation
    1. In case of cancellation of a flight, the passengers concerned shall:
    (a) be offered assistance by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 8; and
    (b) be offered assistance by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 9(1)(a) and 9(2), as well as, in event of re-routing when the reasonably expected time of departure of the new flight is at least the day after the departure as it was planned for the cancelled flight, the assistance specified in Article 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c)

    Article 8
    Right to reimbursement or re-routing
    1. Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered the choice between:
    (a) – reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger’s original travel plan, together with, when relevant,
    – a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity;
    (b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or
    (c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to availability of seats.
    2. Paragraph 1(a) shall also apply to passengers whose flights form part of a package, except for the right to reimbursement where such right arises under Directive 90/314/EEC.
    3. When, in the case where a town, city or region is served by several airports, an operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.
    Article 9
    Right to care
    1. Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered free of charge:
    (a) meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time;
    (b) hotel accommodation in cases
    – where a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary, or
    – where a stay additional to that intended by the passenger becomes necessary;
    (c) transport between the airport and place of accommodation (hotel or other).

    I would suggest you accept BA’s offer of a re-route on BA via Lisbon but on Tues 1 September (ie reroute on a date at your convenience under Art8) BA would have to pay food & drink, hotel for Monday night and transport from Porto to Lisbon under Art9 1a, 1b and 1c.

    If BA is being difficult I would just get BA to agree to the reroute via Lisbon on 1 Sep then pay the train cost, hotel and food submit a claim afterwards. Good luck!

• Elaine J. says:

  14 Aug14 August 22:25

  Very disappointed with B.A. I’m flying to Barbados tomorrow with my 16 year old granddaughter. I booked Premium Economy on the way, and Club on the way back. B.A. offered (online) , an upgrade to Club for £285. I thought this was a good offer, so decided to go for it. Booked mine, then tried to do my granddaughter‘a, straight after mine, only to be told there were no more seats available. We are now stuck with one of us flying Club, and one of us in Premium Economy. I really think they should tell us how many seats are available! Very, very annoying and disappointing.

  • dezbez says:

    14 Aug14 August 22:55

    I may be wrong but I’d be surprised if the plane is full tomorrow and there may be some more available for upgrade when you get to the airport. If you explain the situation, BA might be amenable

  • AJA says:

    15 Aug15 August 00:41

    Ouch that is tough. I would ask at check in what they can do. I just looked on BA and there are 4 seats available in Club to book (over £6k one way!) or 1 seat in WTP. I think you should ask to upgrade your grand daughter or failing that ask to be downgraded back to WTP.

• Nori says:

  15 Aug15 August 17:16

  BA flight voucher flight cancelled.
  Flight booked with a BA voucher + cash. Flight cancelled. Offered rerouting or a refund. If I take a refund, is it another voucher + cash part refund or all refunded as cash?

  • AJA says:

    15 Aug15 August 23:30

    I would ask for a full refund in cash. Phone up and ask. Don’t do it online as that will result in another voucher.

    • Nori says:

      16 Aug16 August 13:05

      Thanks AJA

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