BA's reimbursement offer leaving me short
Aug 2, 2017, 1:04 pm
#136
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Aug 2, 2017, 1:06 pm
#137
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,791
The internal cost of handling a £9 MCOL claim is about £300. At some point someone will notice.
Aug 2, 2017, 1:13 pm
#138
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Whilst BA may be in the wrong here, I just don't think £9 is a battle worth fighting in this way. Not just the disproportionate court costs but all the paperwork, time and hassle too - how much do we value our leisure time?
So, are BA wrong here? It looks like they may be. Is it worth going to court for £9? I still say no, and let it go!
I wonder what the costs are to the court system? (let alone to the claimant)
Last edited by Flexible preferences; Aug 2, 2017 at 1:25 pm
Aug 2, 2017, 2:35 pm
#139
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 948
I am not sure that a small claims court judge would look favorably upon such a small claim (although others will be better informed than me on this).
Whilst BA may be in the wrong here, I just don't think £9 is a battle worth fighting in this way. Not just the disproportionate court costs but all the paperwork, time and hassle too - how much do we value our leisure time?
So, are BA wrong here? It looks like they may be. Is it worth going to court for £9? I still say no, and let it go!
I wonder what the costs are to the court system? (let alone to the claimant)
Whilst BA may be in the wrong here, I just don't think £9 is a battle worth fighting in this way. Not just the disproportionate court costs but all the paperwork, time and hassle too - how much do we value our leisure time?
So, are BA wrong here? It looks like they may be. Is it worth going to court for £9? I still say no, and let it go!
I wonder what the costs are to the court system? (let alone to the claimant)
How you feel about that is irrelevant.
Aug 3, 2017, 6:46 am
#140
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: QF, BA
Posts: 102
Thanks for all the replies. After seeing the encouraging posts here yesterday afternoon, I filed a claim for the £9. Will report back how I get on.
I appreciate the suggestion on writing to legal but I saw that post too late. Either way, I think I've been reasonable to trying to resolve this through Customer Relations but their responses leave a lot to be desired.
In order of receipt:
This latest one that tells me to stop emailing them (in more polite terms) really irked me.
I appreciate the suggestion on writing to legal but I saw that post too late. Either way, I think I've been reasonable to trying to resolve this through Customer Relations but their responses leave a lot to be desired.
In order of receipt:
Thanks for providing us with the receipts for your expenses. I'm only able to contribute £200.00 towards your hotel due to company guidelines we have in place.
I understand your frustration as you feel you should be refunded for all of your hotel costs. Unfortunately, we're unable to pay these costs as we have to follow company policies. These policies are put into place, so we're fair to all our passengers.
I appreciate you chose the hotel because of the reasonable cost and I'm sorry no help was given to you by our staff. You may be able to make a claim through your travel insurance. If you need documentation to support your claim, please reply to this email, by using the blue link below.
I appreciate you chose the hotel because of the reasonable cost and I'm sorry no help was given to you by our staff. You may be able to make a claim through your travel insurance. If you need documentation to support your claim, please reply to this email, by using the blue link below.
I understand your disappointment with not being able to fully refund you the £9.00. Please be assured we know we have a duty of care over you. However, we also have to follow strict company policies to be fair to all our passengers. I hope you understand that on this occasion we can't make an exception.
I appreciate you suggesting alternative methods of providing you with a refund of £9.00. Unfortunately, I'm unable to process these suggestions. As previously mentioned, we have to follow policy guidelines to be fair to all our passengers. I'm sorry for the disappointment caused.
As we’ve discussed previously, I understand your frustration as you feel you should be refunded for all of your hotel costs. Unfortunately, we're unable to pay these costs as we have to follow company policies. These policies are put into place, so we're fair to all our passengers. We've paid for all your expenses in line with our company polices. I'm glad you've received your refund and bank transfers. I'm sorry I can't offer any more compensation. I’m sure you’ll understand we must apply a consistent approach to situations like this, so we’re fair to all our customers. This means we won’t make an exception. I know this will be disappointing to hear since it’s clear you expected more from us.
I understand from your email, how strongly you feel about not being refunded £9.00 for your hotel expense. I want to assure you we’ve taken the matter seriously and done all we can to make changes within the company, so we can try to avoid this happening again.
If you have travel insurance, you may be able to make a claim through your policy and we will be happy to provide documentation to support this where possible. Please use the blue link below to let me know if this is something you need.
I understand from your email, how strongly you feel about not being refunded £9.00 for your hotel expense. I want to assure you we’ve taken the matter seriously and done all we can to make changes within the company, so we can try to avoid this happening again.
If you have travel insurance, you may be able to make a claim through your policy and we will be happy to provide documentation to support this where possible. Please use the blue link below to let me know if this is something you need.
This latest one that tells me to stop emailing them (in more polite terms) really irked me.
Thanks for your most recent email. I’m sorry to hear you remain unhappy with our resolution to your complaint. I’ve reviewed all of the information you’ve given us with my manager, however our response will not change and we’re unable to respond to any further requests for a further refund about the issues you have raised.
I'm sorry this isn't the response you were hoping for but we would not share statistics, and information about other passengers under any circumstances. I can appreciate your disappointment as your flight was cancelled. However, we've met our obligations in full.
I'm sorry this isn't the response you were hoping for but we would not share statistics, and information about other passengers under any circumstances. I can appreciate your disappointment as your flight was cancelled. However, we've met our obligations in full.
Aug 3, 2017, 7:14 am
#141
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 995
Thanks for posting the emails you have received from BA customer disservices.
Pretty shoddy way to treat paying customers.
Glad you claimed for the £9 - it will cost them a lot more than £9 to deal with this. If more people took BA to task about their dubious ways of avoiding/shortchanging and downright lying to customers about their rights to duty of care and EU261 compensation then things might improve.
My prediction is that as soon as BA receive the notification of claim they will settle and send you what you are rightly owed. If they try to get you to backout by saying they will defend the claim then just hold firm as they will undoubtedly settle before this gets into court.
Pretty shoddy way to treat paying customers.
Glad you claimed for the £9 - it will cost them a lot more than £9 to deal with this. If more people took BA to task about their dubious ways of avoiding/shortchanging and downright lying to customers about their rights to duty of care and EU261 compensation then things might improve.
My prediction is that as soon as BA receive the notification of claim they will settle and send you what you are rightly owed. If they try to get you to backout by saying they will defend the claim then just hold firm as they will undoubtedly settle before this gets into court.
Aug 3, 2017, 9:38 am
#143
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Thanks for all the replies. After seeing the encouraging posts here yesterday afternoon, I filed a claim for the £9. Will report back how I get on.
I appreciate the suggestion on writing to legal but I saw that post too late. Either way, I think I've been reasonable to trying to resolve this through Customer Relations but their responses leave a lot to be desired.
In order of receipt:
....
This latest one that tells me to stop emailing them (in more polite terms) really irked me.
I appreciate the suggestion on writing to legal but I saw that post too late. Either way, I think I've been reasonable to trying to resolve this through Customer Relations but their responses leave a lot to be desired.
In order of receipt:
....
This latest one that tells me to stop emailing them (in more polite terms) really irked me.
As stated above, knocking a few quid off every claim could save a bit of cash. What next - company policy is to pay only £1.50 for a drink and £5 for a meal?
Aug 3, 2017, 9:47 am
#144
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Sad that BA chooses to lie and cheat like this. Presumably expecting the passenger not to follow it up because of the amount involved.
As stated above, knocking a few quid off every claim could save a bit of cash. What next - company policy is to pay only £1.50 for a drink and £5 for a meal?
As stated above, knocking a few quid off every claim could save a bit of cash. What next - company policy is to pay only £1.50 for a drink and £5 for a meal?
Mrs rapidex was delayed out of BKK on a recent BKK-HEL-LHR flight.Finnair arranged her hotel in HEL,provided transport each was,dinner and soft drinks and then a choice of 600 Euro cash or an 800 Euro voucher.Other airlines can manage delays simply,but not BA.
I wish the OP well with his court case.
Aug 3, 2017, 10:31 am
#146
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
Was it right for BA to set a cap and if so, was it right not to inform OP (and others) in advance? The former does not get answered here, but the latter seems clear. OP interacted with staff which told him to find his own acommodations. Either an oral caution or better yet, a simple piece of paper would have helped. Items such as the HEX could have been covered by BA vouchers (for which BA pays a fraction of the individual passenger cost) and BA could provide a list of outlying areas where hotels in range are likely to be found (and the means of transport found).
...
In this situation, what is inherently unfair, although it did not occur for OP, is that many people transiting LHR have no familiarity with London. It is simply a place where they change planes. Whether GBP 200 is a little or a lot for a hotel room and whether the location of OP's room was the right or the wrong place to look is an interesting question for someone familiar with London. But, even a seasoned traveler who simply connects at LHR has know reason to know London and its hotel scene.
...
In this situation, what is inherently unfair, although it did not occur for OP, is that many people transiting LHR have no familiarity with London. It is simply a place where they change planes. Whether GBP 200 is a little or a lot for a hotel room and whether the location of OP's room was the right or the wrong place to look is an interesting question for someone familiar with London. But, even a seasoned traveler who simply connects at LHR has know reason to know London and its hotel scene.
If they don't do any of those then IMO they should pay up in full as they have left it then to the customer to decide without any advise/guidance on what is acceptable/expected. It is no good not paying up after the event IMO if they don't pro-actively say what the limits are beforehand.
Aug 3, 2017, 10:42 am
#147
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,163
I agree with this... BA should either a) make the booking themselves, b) provide vouchers or c) provide info up front on any spend limit and advise on where to look for suitable hotels.
If they don't do any of those then IMO they should pay up in full as they have left it then to the customer to decide without any advise/guidance on what is acceptable/expected. It is no good not paying up after the event IMO if they don't pro-actively say what the limits are beforehand.
If they don't do any of those then IMO they should pay up in full as they have left it then to the customer to decide without any advise/guidance on what is acceptable/expected. It is no good not paying up after the event IMO if they don't pro-actively say what the limits are beforehand.
Aug 3, 2017, 11:39 am
#148
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Blue
Posts: 1,360
Thanks for posting the emails you have received from BA customer disservices.
Pretty shoddy way to treat paying customers.
Glad you claimed for the £9 - it will cost them a lot more than £9 to deal with this. If more people took BA to task about their dubious ways of avoiding/shortchanging and downright lying to customers about their rights to duty of care and EU261 compensation then things might improve.
My prediction is that as soon as BA receive the notification of claim they will settle and send you what you are rightly owed. If they try to get you to backout by saying they will defend the claim then just hold firm as they will undoubtedly settle before this gets into court.
Pretty shoddy way to treat paying customers.
Glad you claimed for the £9 - it will cost them a lot more than £9 to deal with this. If more people took BA to task about their dubious ways of avoiding/shortchanging and downright lying to customers about their rights to duty of care and EU261 compensation then things might improve.
My prediction is that as soon as BA receive the notification of claim they will settle and send you what you are rightly owed. If they try to get you to backout by saying they will defend the claim then just hold firm as they will undoubtedly settle before this gets into court.
Aug 3, 2017, 12:34 pm
#149
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
BA set a limit (and a reasonable limit to my mind) so that both parties can be comfortable with what is acceptable.
The law expects compensation that is commensurate with the loss sustained. It is not there to provide betterment to the inconvenienced party.
BA's approach is helpful in interpreting this; your comment is not.
Aug 3, 2017, 12:40 pm
#150
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ±38,000 feet
Programs: LH HON, BA GGL, AF Plat, EK Plat
Posts: 6,428
I personally do not find this helpful. The implication is that the law allows a total free for all. On that basis, next time I have a BA Paris flight cancelled, I shall book into the Ritz and expect BA to pick up the cost of the room (say 1,300 Euros plus food).
BA set a limit (and a reasonable limit to my mind) so that both parties can be comfortable with what is acceptable.
The law expects compensation that is commensurate with the loss sustained. It is not there to provide betterment to the inconvenienced party.
BA's approach is helpful in interpreting this; your comment is not.
BA set a limit (and a reasonable limit to my mind) so that both parties can be comfortable with what is acceptable.
The law expects compensation that is commensurate with the loss sustained. It is not there to provide betterment to the inconvenienced party.
BA's approach is helpful in interpreting this; your comment is not.