Originally Posted by
gaia14
I was scheduled to fly from Madrid to Newark on Feb 18, 2017. However on reaching the airport and just before checking in we were informed by the passenger behind us that our flight was cancelled. No reason was given whatsoever by the airline. No sign was put up, we got no email! On talking to a person behind me, I was told that there was snow in New Jersey and as a result the flight from Newark has not come into Madrid. Does this qualify as a weather related emergency even if the weather in Madrid was sunny and perfect to fly? Am I entitled to 600 euros?
YES you are entiteled to EU261 as the weather in Madrid was fine and the reason for not having an aircraft in Madrid was operational and not due to weather as they knew hours ahead that they would be short of an aircraft in Madrid they could have hired one - but they choses not to for finacial reasons!
The weathr exeption is ALWAYS only for the airport you derpart from not for any other airprt in their system around the world...
Also weather exeptions are VERY rare as the weathr condition has to be very rare - in German courts any weathjr situation that occurs more than 3 times a year will not qualify as rare....
Originally Posted by
LondonElite
Welcome to FT! Cancellations due to the type of weather in Newark at the time does not qualify for EC261 compensation. The airline's duty of care still applies, however; you should have been provided with hotel and food and put on another service to EWR.
Wrong information!
Originally Posted by
exerda
Though my long-haul flights were UA, in my circumstance, it was my LH connection that caused the delay. Half the delay was WX... Other half was on the airline & ramp staff, as once we'd boarded, sat an hour due to refiling the flight plan, we sat another 45 minutes due to LH and the ground staff not coordinating and not having a cart to push us back.
Missed the last UA flight out in FRA by 10 minutes. LH did put us up at the Sheraton and provide semi-adequate food vouchers... But I'm still tempted to pursue an EU261 claim due to the pushback delay (which wasn't WX). Any chance, or will the airline simply insist it was weather?
Weather does NOT exempt them! Only in very rare cases!
Again any weather condition that occurs quite often will not be considered rare by the courts....
German courts in general will NOT exept wetaher as an excuse - as long as the aiport was not closed!