Originally Posted by
NickB
Just to be clear, the second flight (AMS-ABZ) was actually cancelled, was it not? And getting on the original 11:40 MUC-AMS would not have gotten you to ABZ any earlier than the time at which you eventually arrived?
If so, I can see the logic of what they were doing: they put you on a later flight as there was no point in having you wait in AMS longer. Admittedly, they should have put you on the 2:15pm from MUC to connect to ABZ on the same day but that is what eventually happened anyway, so no harm done on that particular front.
As regards compensation, there is caselaw to the effect that compensation is not due when you are IDB'd on a flight and put on a later one if your arrival at destination is not delayed (IMO, this is a debatable of the Reg but, unless the ECJ overrules itself, it is the 'correct' one for the time being).
Your situation is slightly different but, going by the logic of that case, since you could not have arrived at ABZ any earlier even if they had put you on the 11:40 flight (given the cancellation of the original AMS-ABZ flight), IMO they are probably right, based on current caselaw, to deny compensation in this case if the cancellation of the AMS-ABZ can be justified by reference to extraordinary circumstances.
I thank you for your reply and explanations.
Main reason we are upset is that we were checked in for the flight, had assigned seats for the flight, had the boarding cards for the flight, our flight was not cancelled and it did not leave full. Also to be told just over 2 hours before its due to leave that you are being taken off the flight and put on one that is due to leave over 8 hours later is not ideal for any customer let alone loyal platinum members like us.
If we had just accepted the flights we were offered we would not have arrived home until the next day and it was only after our third call to the Platinum Line that we eventually got put on an earlier flight and got a small apology from the. Platinum Line agent who was sorry for his colleagues who told us on two previous calls that the reason we were put off the 11:40 flight was because it was cancelled (which was not true).
Not sue about anybody else, but I would rather spend 8 hours in Schiphol instead of the rather compact terminal KLM use at Munich.