Originally Posted by
Lydiaeve
HI so pleased to find this site and hoping someone can help. (Posted as add on to another thread in error so now started my own!)
Was due to fly back BA from TLV to London on 7th May. Received email on 6th saying flight cancelled and could rebook or get refund and wirh a helpline number to call. Called the number (call centre in India) offered their first available flight on 13th - so 6 days later! Woman said we'd get all expenses refunded and listed them..accommodation, food, taxi fares etc. Said she'd never heard of El Al when i asked if she could try them for an earlier flight! We accepted this flight as no other option seemed available. A few hours later on the same day i received another email saying that flight had also been cancelled. Same advice re could rebook or get refund. Same helpline number to call. Called the next morning to be told no flights leaving TLV until further notice.and couldn't advice when flights would resume. Offered flights next day from Larnica but with no help/advice on how to get to Larnica! Refused this option as no El Al flights available next day to Larnica and couldn't risk other carriers also cancelling e.g. Wizz Air etc (they did indeed cancel all flights from TLV so just as well!) Managed to book ourselves with El Al to return to London on 13th May. BA have rejected our claim for flights, accommodation...the lot! The rejection email was one line saying they were rejecting on the grounds of "the ongoing Gaza/Israel situation". (Actually this was incorrect anyway - it was the Houthis terrorist attack on the airport). It says on their T/Cs that you aren't covered for "political instability". But can they just outright refuse to take any responsibility or duty of care? I understood this to mean the compensation part - not the refund of new flights and (modest) accommodation etc. Can anyone advise if we are just being fobbed off and we do indeed have a claim for legitimate expenses.
Okay - a number of things seem to have happened here.
The big question is - did you take a refund from BA for the TLV flights? If you did, then in theory, they're in the right as their obligation to sort you out ends when you accept a refund. However, there may be a case that the advice you were given on your first call was so poor that they should be on the hook for something as you only took the refund due to duff information - BA, as much as they don't like admitting it, has a responsibility to get you where you want to go in these situations.
If you were not refunded, write again and get them to reply saying they won't change their mind, then take the case to the CEDR. If you were refunded, it may be a trickier situation and I'd get BA to pull the tape of your first call and have a listen.