Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
Firstly you need to be 3 hours late arriving before compensation becomes in contention (but 2 hours late departure for refreshments / right to care on short services). If it turns out to be HAL's fault - which is what I'm reading here - then that's outside BA's control. BA still need to take all reasonable measures to minimise your delay.
If you wanted to make a stand: a senior court might, might, take the view that HAL is BA's supplier here and BA can ping the cost on to HAL. By no means a certain outcome! The other option, perhaps more interesting, is if you demand directly from HAL that they refund (e.g.) half or all their £17.41 Passenger Service Charge under the Consumer Rights Act, on the basis of poor quality workmanship. I'd really like someone to try that!
Gatwick refunded me the whole APD 20 years ago as the door to board our flight to Jersey from the North Terminal Door 55 area was set for arrivals and not departures and opening it would have set off alarms. It was the first flight on a Sunday morning and I’d been up all night out in London and was tired and grumpy and wanted my bed. We were delayed boarding by 45 mins and missed our slot so took off 90 mins late.