Aer Lingus - Claiming EC 261 2004 - international litigation, small claims
Jul 24, 2017, 8:07 pm
#31
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This seems to be the most likely scenario to me. There are quite a few confusing elements to OP's story that don't add up. Seems like they are not regular travellers, compounded by unfamiliar airport, perhaps language confusion (lost in translation?), if the lines were taking that long not speaking up is very puzzling to me. OP says arrived at 0630 for 1010 flight, which is way early. Goes to check-in (TK uses area/desk 10 - EI uses 7) and is told to come back two hours before flight. So potential advantage of early arrival morphs into disadvantage.
It was unfortunate that our early arrival did nothing for us. Fyi that day Turkish Air and Aer Lingus were using section 5 for check-ins at Brussels Airport.
We thought that the entity that was making it so that check-ins are only allowed 2 hours prior to check-ins of international flights was the chief cause, since the little things adding up to 2.5 hours wouldn't have mattered. We thought that Aer Lingus was responsible for that, and thus responsible for our delay.
Jul 25, 2017, 1:54 am
#32
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We figured if we arrived early enough, no matter what size the lines were, we would be okay. And that was the case when we departed from LAX, our airline was Jetblue and they checked us in right away when we arrived 3.5 hours prior.
Check ins opening only 2 hours prior is a standard in Brussels? What about international travellers? This is why we were surprised. Airline check-ins opening so late pushes the entire schedule back...
Yes, exactly.
Check ins opening only 2 hours prior is a standard in Brussels? What about international travellers? This is why we were surprised. Airline check-ins opening so late pushes the entire schedule back...
Yes, exactly.
Jul 25, 2017, 2:02 am
#33
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We figured if we arrived early enough, no matter what size the lines were, we would be okay. And that was the case when we departed from LAX, our airline was Jetblue and they checked us in right away when we arrived 3.5 hours prior.
Check ins opening only 2 hours prior is a standard in Brussels? What about international travellers? This is why we were surprised. Airline check-ins opening so late pushes the entire schedule back...
Check ins opening only 2 hours prior is a standard in Brussels? What about international travellers? This is why we were surprised. Airline check-ins opening so late pushes the entire schedule back...
It doesn't matter who the ticket was bought from (though we already know it was Expedia) and it doesn't matter either what the outbound routing was.
Jul 25, 2017, 2:07 am
#34
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Jul 25, 2017, 2:17 am
#35
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We returned to the check-in line at 7:45am and I recall looking at my watch around 8:50-9:00am (unsure) as we finally checked our bags in. Note departure was 10:10am and boarding was 9:40am. We cleared the security line at around 9:25am (unsure). Everyone here has been saying there are no customs, so it must be my mistake in terminology but I am referring to the line where you must show your passport (apparently called passport control). We did not finally clear this final line until 10:15 (past departure). I remember looking at my watch as we neared clearing the line. We arrived at the gate at 10:25ish where I checked my watch again.
Jul 25, 2017, 2:22 am
#36
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I am also flummoxed by the story. I can't imagine there is even enough room between security and the passport check to contain a line of people sufficiently long/voluminous that it took almost an hour to process these pax.
Unless the 3 pax remained at the end of the queue and new arrivals just streamed continually past them...
The OP should have shown their boarding passes - particularly the boarding time! - to the personnel and/or cut the line themselves...I've had panicky people come and cut the line in front of me on numerous occasion at Schiphol this summer and I always let them through.
(I certainly hope that the OP did not have the idea that missing the flight might lead to rebooking on a direct route and/or compensation and that hanging back might be a worthwhile strategy...a little knowledge about EU261/2004 is a dangerous thing!!!)
To the OP: what date did this happen?
Unless the 3 pax remained at the end of the queue and new arrivals just streamed continually past them...
The OP should have shown their boarding passes - particularly the boarding time! - to the personnel and/or cut the line themselves...I've had panicky people come and cut the line in front of me on numerous occasion at Schiphol this summer and I always let them through.
(I certainly hope that the OP did not have the idea that missing the flight might lead to rebooking on a direct route and/or compensation and that hanging back might be a worthwhile strategy...a little knowledge about EU261/2004 is a dangerous thing!!!)
To the OP: what date did this happen?
Last edited by irishguy28; Jul 25, 2017 at 2:30 am
Jul 25, 2017, 9:02 am
#37
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AS per the Brussels Airport website, all check-in desks would be open between 4 and, at the very latest, 2 hours prior to departure. In practice, though, I would expect them to open closer to 3 hours than to 2.
I am also flummoxed by the story. I can't imagine there is even enough room between security and the passport check to contain a line of people sufficiently long/voluminous that it took almost an hour to process these pax. Hmm I really wish I took a picture now. Most of the time the line doesn't fill up all the little zig-zags that they make with the belt barriers. In fact when we returned on the next day, we don't recall very much of a line. But the day before the entire maze they made was in use and in fact they extended the belts toward the security check area.
Unless the 3 pax remained at the end of the queue and new arrivals just streamed continually past them... I'll try and post a sample pic in a following post so I don't risk losing my reply here
The OP should have shown their boarding passes - particularly the boarding time! - to the personnel and/or cut the line themselves...I've had panicky people come and cut the line in front of me on numerous occasion at Schiphol this summer and I always let them through. In hindsight we should have aggressively cut but as mentioned, the security already dismissed us with "everyone else is in a hurry / about to miss their flight as well", we also didn't want to risk causing a commotion / getting pulled over and forced to the back
(I certainly hope that the OP did not have the idea that missing the flight might lead to rebooking on a direct route and/or compensation and that hanging back might be a worthwhile strategy...a little knowledge about EU261/2004 is a dangerous thing!!!) No, we had no such plan. I only found about EU 261 / 2004 after trying to claim reimbursement on the Aer Lingus website as they had been so obstinate to work with us over the phone. There was a drop-down as to reasons for complaint
To the OP: what date did this happen?
Unless the 3 pax remained at the end of the queue and new arrivals just streamed continually past them... I'll try and post a sample pic in a following post so I don't risk losing my reply here
The OP should have shown their boarding passes - particularly the boarding time! - to the personnel and/or cut the line themselves...I've had panicky people come and cut the line in front of me on numerous occasion at Schiphol this summer and I always let them through. In hindsight we should have aggressively cut but as mentioned, the security already dismissed us with "everyone else is in a hurry / about to miss their flight as well", we also didn't want to risk causing a commotion / getting pulled over and forced to the back
(I certainly hope that the OP did not have the idea that missing the flight might lead to rebooking on a direct route and/or compensation and that hanging back might be a worthwhile strategy...a little knowledge about EU261/2004 is a dangerous thing!!!) No, we had no such plan. I only found about EU 261 / 2004 after trying to claim reimbursement on the Aer Lingus website as they had been so obstinate to work with us over the phone. There was a drop-down as to reasons for complaint
To the OP: what date did this happen?
Jul 25, 2017, 9:12 am
#38
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Passport control looked like this on Monday, the day after. See all the belts going further back? That was all filled up on Sunday, but worse. See the distance between the 2 pillars? Well the line was zig-zagged until behind a 3rd pillar, where it became a straight line up until the security area.
Jul 25, 2017, 9:17 am
#39
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Passport control looked like this on Monday, the day after. See all the belts going further back? That was all filled up on Sunday, but worse. See the distance between the 2 pillars? Well the line was zig-zagged until behind a 3rd pillar, where it became a straight line up until the security area.
Jul 25, 2017, 9:18 am
#40
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I have been playing this scenario over in my head (I travel through BRU a fair bit). I cannot see how it takes 2.5 hours (!) from early check-in through to clearing Schengen passport control. Maybe it was a crazy day but even then you could and should have pressed an official to help you. I'm sorry, but I get the impression there is a piece missing to this story.
Jul 25, 2017, 9:19 am
#41
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Jul 25, 2017, 9:39 am
#42
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Well, the fact that this was shortly after the bombing may explain the additional security and slow moving lines. I think the only way to make progress here is with your travel insurance. You won't get anywhere with airlines, EC261, or Brussels airport (at this stage).
Jul 25, 2017, 9:48 am
#43
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Well, the fact that this was shortly after the bombing may explain the additional security and slow moving lines. I think the only way to make progress here is with your travel insurance. You won't get anywhere with airlines, EC261, or Brussels airport (at this stage).
We are just frustrated that all the other parties pointed fingers at each other until we were the ones who ended up having to shoulder the costs just to return home, when our actions as passengers should have been well within the bounds of a vanilla passenger. We thought at the very least, our tickets would have been re-routed for free just to go home but we were forced us to buy those as well.
My thought process was either the airline or the airport should reimburse us, but we aren't sure of the steps to take. Only 2 of us have travel insurance, the time limit may have expired (not sure) for one given that we were considering going the small claims route.
Update: One of the travel insurance agencies mentioned that this type of situation is not covered in the policy.
Last edited by vvaldellon; Jul 25, 2017 at 5:33 pm
Jul 26, 2017, 6:24 am
#44
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I recall looking at my watch around 8:50-9:00am (unsure) as we finally checked our bags in. Note departure was 10:10am and boarding was 9:40am. We cleared the security line at around 9:25am (unsure).
Jul 26, 2017, 7:41 am
#45
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Passport control looked like this on Monday, the day after. See all the belts going further back? That was all filled up on Sunday, but worse. See the distance between the 2 pillars? Well the line was zig-zagged until behind a 3rd pillar, where it became a straight line up until the security area.
When queues take an hour or more, it tends to make the news. Here's the most recent news from Heathrow about hour+ queues to enter. When the queue is that long, you can't even see the taped-off queueing area directly in front of immigration though...
Only once have I ever stood in line for an hour, at SYD, after our flight came in directly after 4 or 5 other planes and the line for immigration was way out past the duty free. That took an hour, but there were probably 1,000 people ahead of me, and they were being processed to enter the country, not leaving as was the case in your experience in Brussels
Last edited by irishguy28; Jul 26, 2017 at 7:49 am