Irubi

Had a few IRROPS last weekend in the US and wanted the opinions of the more experienced colleagues here as to what is reasonable to expect in resolution.

I was in LA and had to get to Las Vegas, then back to LA and then onto Boston for meetings followed by meetings in London and then back to Tel Aviv.

Due to the weather I was re-routed - originally going via JFK and was switched to flying via ORD, which was fine and clear as to why.

My flight to Vegas (from LAX) was boarded and then hit technical issues (something with the hydraulic systems), we were deplaned and sent to wait.
I rushed off to the Flagship lounge, where a fantastic lounge agent (I even offered her a golden ticket, but not being BA she didn't accept, so mail went out instead) tried everything to get me back on track routing by almost anywhere in the US, but the bottom line was that they could get me to Vegas, but could not get me to Boston by any route possible. The weather meant that any flights going were completely full (in every class) and couldn't get me there for 3 days (missing my meetings in London).

In the end she routed me to LAS-LAX-LHR-TLV.

Landing in Vegas - suitcase didn't make it and was offered a hotel in a casino hotel (way off strip) which I didn't want, so booked my own hotel (very reasonable one) without a casino and stayed there. Got the suitcase the next morning.

In the morning tried the GGL line to try again to get to Boston, same problem, just no way.

LAX-LHR - suitcase went missing again - it ended up going on to TLV not being able to catch me in London at all.

My issues are:
1) I still need to get to Boston as the meetings are very important - what can I realistically expect?
2) Compensation for hotel expense in LAS (I was also charged for the hotel in LAX that I was meant to have stayed in).
3) Original routing credit - all legs have come up as 0TP and 0 Avios (was in First domestic and F LAX-LHR (on the A380) and CW LHR-TLV).

I also had some expenses in London to sort cosmetics and basic clothes, but am not asking for anything for that as I didn't want to ask for too much.

Spoke to BA CR and their written response was that it is AA's problem and that I should speak to them.

Just to clarify - the ticket was all one PNR - booked via BA and paid to BA with 125 ticket stock.

I'm really not sure how AA is responsible to BA flights not showing TP's or Avios and why I should be sent there on a BA ticket.

So, what should I expect? At the moment, I have written back to CR to ask them to kindly reconsider.

Appreciate the input,

Irubi

corporate-wage-slave

The operating airline for the affected services appears to be AA, so yes, 1) through to 3) - you need to go to AA for consideration. I would be optimistic on 3), you may get something for 2) but not for LAX, 1) I think is unlikely - you could have gone to Boston, but you couldn't in the timeframe and accepted another option. You may have been in with a shout if you had LAX-LAS-BOS as one ticket and BOS-TLV as another. So maybe better to open a dialogue with your insurance company about these issues. AA usual attitude is traditionally "there's bad weather, we got you there as quick as we could, a lot of people slept in the airport".

Ironically, you should have had no problem with the cosmetics and other essentials bought in London, that's BA's fault if the bag was booked to either LHR or TLV and normally they are sympathetic provided it's not Dior's latest.

BAEC process the Avios and TPs, but AA has to agree to them, a liaison process that goes via BAEC. Right now I guess there will be delays in processing this, you won't be the only one in this position.

pauldb

I would think this does fall on the operating carrier.

How long was your stop in BOS? Do you know if it fared as LAS/LAX-BOS, BOS-LHR-TLV, or one fare LAX/LAS-TLV?

If the latter, AA's CoCs are clear that they "may, without notice, substitute alternate carriers or aircraft and, if necessary, may alter or omit stopping places shown on the ticket" so I think you are out of luck getting back to BOS.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/customerServi...sandoperations

lorcancoyle

1 - unless your trip had a specific stopover (not a <24hr transit) then I wouldn't expect too much. Are you expecting them to fly you from TLV to BOS? (wasn't particularly clear from post what the full original route / timings were)

2 - you were offered a hotel and declined, I think BA are more lenient with GGLers, but this was AA, so someone in that forum may be better placed to comment

3 - call again and specifically mention "original routing credit", known issue and some agents not fully aware of how it works. Have seen a few posts on topic, no first hand experience

JAXBA

1) In your 2nd paragraph you said 'back to TLV' - does that mean you started there? If so, and your journey is now back at point of origin, I think BOS is scratched and you'd have to buy a new ticket to the US to make that appointment.
2) Can try claiming cost of LAS hotel from AA, but LAX hotel from travel insurance.
3) Claim original routing with BA Executive Club, sending ticket numbers and boarding passes to support.

Irubi

Thanks all for the replies so far - just to clarify from a few of the questions:

The original ticket was:

TLV-LHR-JFK-LAS-LAX-JFK-BOS-LHR-TLV

It was changed to

TLV-LHR-JFK-LAS-LAX-LAS-LAX-ORD-BOS-LHR-TLV

The stopover in BOS was due to be almost 2 days (Sunday from early morning and then the late BOS-LHR on Monday). Was due to see friends on Sunday and then meetings on Monday. Had no problem missing the day with friends obviously.

C-W-S - it would have taken them 3 days to get me to BOS missing my meetings in London.
Not sure what I'm expecting here to be honest - maybe a discount on the new ticket or something like that. I don't think anyone's going to fly me there on their "dime" - though that would be nice

The cosmetics were Boots's best, so not worried there.

Didn't think of my travel insurance to be honest - will contact them. ^

Finally, I still think it's BA's responsibility for the BA legs original routing credit and not AA.

corporate-wage-slave

BAEC will award the ORC if AA confirms the details, BAEC are more likely to award them quicky if it was book as BA codeshares, so AAnnn sold as BAnnnn. Absent that, then you need to wait for AA's green light, which will probably come, but but it may take a while. I'm reasonably confident that's the easy one here. It has always been the case that the TPs and Avios are ok'd by the airline with whom you actually travel.

You may get a $100 voucher from AA for the BOS link, I have my doubts. Mechanical delays would put you in a better place. You're asking for something you didn't pay for, namely a ticket to Boston. You paid for a route via Boston and AA are at liberty to change that. Well known aspect of travel, you need to book tickets accordingly.

However, the upside is that you got through one of the worst snow events in US history relatively unscathed.

Andriyko

Well, not really. A stopover is a destination even on a through fare. The OP had built a proper stopover in their ticket, so BOS was a destination on the ticket and AA had to get them there. However, the OP forfeited flying to BOS and chose to come back to TLV - not sure that the airline owes a new ticket from TLV to BOS in such a case.

dylanks

In hindsight, I would have suggested requesting the following:

Reroute LAX-LHR-BOS-?-TLV. Since you paid for a stopover, this adds to the cost of the fare, and you were flexible on when you needed to be in BOS. But since you accepted a return to TLV without going to BOS, I think the most you can expect is whatever the cost of the BOS stopover added to your original fare.

If you know your original fare code, you should be able to determine that cost from a service like Expert Flyer and request that difference, since they skipped that segment of your trip. But it's probably not that much money unfortunately ($75-200, depending on the fare code).

orbitmic

1) nothing. They offered you the option to go via BOS on the first available opportunity, that was understandably too late for you, you thus by passed BOS. Moreover this is all weather related to start with so nobody's fault really.

2) nothing. You were offered a hotel, you didn't like what you were offered, the airline can choose the hotel they put you up in and don't have to choose one you like.

3) that is worth pursuing but indeed you should ask BAEC which will depend on AA's decision. Lots of current threads on why this doesn't always work.

IRROPS issue = operating carrier issue. Who you buy from, what flight code it is which ticket plate it is are all irrelevant considerations. If it was AA indeed, it is lucky you got a hotel at all as they normally refuse to provide it for weather IRROPS.

Irubi

Absolutely right C-W-S and for that I am thankful as none of it was a particular hardship

Irubi

I never even thought of this at all - what a great idea - well, as they say - hindsight is 20/20.

orbitmic

I really do not think that they would have allowed it. It was a weather delay and I think that they would have considered that if Irubi felt that he really needed to go to BOS then he should just have waited the three days. Plus it is not obvious there would have been seats left on LHR-BOS in any case, plenty of flights cancelled = plenty of people to reroute when BOS reopened.

Irubi

Just wanted to add a quick update and ask another question too (of course).

I contacted my travel insurance and received a quick response of - "if it was mechanical issues then it is the airline's responsibility" - "if it had been weather issues, then we would be right there" - or words to that effect

ORC is being dealt with by GGL line and they have been great and all the missing BA legs have been added and we are just waiting for AA's response now for the legs that weren't flown.

I never received a response to my reply to BA CR - so I called them (via GGL line) a few days ago - spoke to a lovely lady who told me that someone would get back to me via mail or phone within a day.
No reply for 3 days, so I called again, spoke to a less nice person, who basically said that they wouldn't normally be talking to me at all and it was only because I came through on the GGL line. He told me that the last lady I spoke to was away and to wait.

To be honest, I had expected better from CR especially on the out-of-pocket expenses in the UK due to BA losing my luggage as, from my understanding, they are the responsible carrier.

I still also feel that my ticket was with BA and I paid them for it, so they should be handling it in some way rather than emailing me with "speak to AA, not our problem (politely though)" and then not replying.

Is there anywhere to escalate to above CR?

As mentioned, not a huge issue and was very lucky to get out of the storm relatively unscathed, but am a little disappointed.

Hands Mensing

BOS was never closed though was it? I was rerouted via BOS when IAD was shut the same weekend, OP was probably victim to this - they just ended at the back end of the line when they asked for the reroute. So if the original IRROPS was due to tech issues then weather opt outs shouldn't apply. (open to being corrected)

Incidentally, I got reinstated on my original routing (albeit a day late) due to the BOS flight becoming IRROPS and I'd miss my internal onward connection.