FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - The 2023 BA compensation thread: Your guide to Regulation EC261 / UK261
Old Jan 19, 2023 | 10:34 am
  #106  
Teefaf
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BA Blue
Posts: 512
Looking for some advice please on whether to accept a CEDR settlement proposed by BA.

In summary:

Itinerary: GLA-LHR-CDG return, in July 2022, for 5 pax. Reward flight paid using cash & Avios.
BA screw-up: Last leg (LHR-CDG) cancelled with 2 hours' notice. No duty of care provided on arrival at LHR - 'fend for yourselves'.
Expenses incurred to get ourselves home:
  • £121.18 - Taxi to hotel
  • £1,663.00 - Hotel (Hilton Stratford price-gouging as the only place in London with any rooms left)
  • £65.00 - Taxi to Euston the next morning
  • £399.10 - Train fare EUS-GLC
  • £35.00 - Taxi from GLC to airport to collect car
  • £18.82 - Toiletries/essentials as our bags weren't returned to us in LHR
  • £78.90 - Food dinner on arrival in LHR & lunch the next day en-route to Glasgow via train
  • £35.50 - Parking surcharge as my car was left in the airport for an extra day
Claimed submitted to BA day after arrival. 10 weeks later they finally responded, agreeing to pay £1100 EC/UK 261 compensation and only £1000 towards my expenses (£200/pax). I protested but they didn't budge - they also said they wouldn't pay for toiletries and I'd need to submit a separate baggage claim for those... sigh. I therefore submitted a CEDR claim thanks to the wonderful advice available on this board. BA has now responded saying it has issued payment for all remaining expenses except the extra parking charge as that's a consequential loss. I don't like that position but it's not the end of the world so I'll lump it.

I also requested a refund of 1/4 of the total cash and miles used to make the booking, which they've refused:

"As we are now refunding your alternative travel in full, you cannot also claim a refund of your cancelled flight as this would mean you have travelled for free. We would usually refund your cancelled flight, then pay the difference in cost for your alternative travel. However, on this occasion, as the flight was paid for in cash and Avios, it is difficult to do this, so the easiest way is to not refund your flight, and refund your alternative travel in full.

Please note if this offer is rejected, British Airways will issue a full defence to your claim.
"

Should I count my blessings and accept the settlement? Or should I push for some sort of goodwill for having first of all been left to fend for ourselves, and then the delay to returning our baggage, and then the delays to responding to our claims? I've been £2.5k out of pocket for 6 months - is there a monetary value to that? What is the 'full defence' likely to amount to, given they've already paid the statutory compensation and expenses due?

If the consensus here is to accept the settlement offered, I'd be fine with that - but I'm curious if there's ever scope for a customer service/goodwill angle to CEDR settlements. (I'm just a stinkin' Blue, FYI).

Last edited by Teefaf; Jan 23, 2023 at 9:50 am
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