Hurricane Matthew Disruption
 

We were due to fly ABZ-LHR, LHR-JFK, JFK-MCO on Friday. AA have cancelled the JFK-MCO leg. BA have rebooked us on BA2039 on Saturday. They say the travel between airports & the hotel stay are at our own expense. Can anyone tell me if that's correct please.

There's a duty of care to look after you until you get to MCO.

Once you're out of the airport at MCO you're on your own. If you've missed a pre-paid transfer then that's what insurance is for.

If you mean that BA are saying you have to pay to get between LHR and LGW, then I believe that's wrong, although the situation is somewhat muddied by the fact it's AA that have cancelled the flight & US carriers have no duty of care responsibility when the weather is bad.

Have you asked about a reroute into Tampa? BA have some space on tomorrow's flight. I believe it's a holiday weekend in the US so flights from the North East to florida are already very busy. Now they've cancelled everything into MCO for tomorrow it's looking even worse...

Thank you Tony. Yes its the travel between LHR and LGW I meant. This was all booked through BA & our booking shows a BA flight number on the AA leg. The BA agent DH spoke to said we had to pay as we're not en route yet. She advised this was the only option there were no other seats available. We're staying at Disney so can you the magical express when we get to MCO.

Welcome to Flyertalk, and welcome to the BA forum ABZquine, it's good to see you here, and I very much hope that we will see more of you.

This is a complicated one, since it's AA that owes you a duty of care, not BA, yet because that sector is wholly within the USA on an American airline, it's usually only for good customer relations that AA would normally provide a hotel in this precise scenario. (AA won't normally give hotels for weather events but you are connecting off another oneworld airline so their usual policy is to provide a hotel). So if you had done nothing and gone to JFK you probably would have been rebooked and got the hotel. However now your booking is fully BA. So I guess you could try to send the hotel bill to AA, but I think AA would be within their rights to decline payment. I think you should contact your travel insurers and get them to settle this.

This also applies for the transport cost, which would be around £50-£60 if there are 2 of you If you don't have a lot of luggage you could go via London and get change of £30. Either way you could try claiming this under EC261 from AA, it may work, otherwise your insurance is your better option.

Your other option is simply to get to LGW and ask the BA staff to provide hotel accommodation. If you had not called up then there is a good chance they would have done so. I suspect there is now a remark on your PNR which will stop this happening.

Thank you CWS I appreciate the info. There are 3 of us. DH is booking the bus now. The cost of that is not a big deal but the £245 for the sofitel is a bit more painful. The Premier Inn at the airport was full when I tried to book. Oh well expensive lesson learned. I just hope we get away on Saturday and we can check if the NO. 1 lounge is as bad as I've read.

At least at £245 it's worth making a claim. My bugbear is when I'm saddled with an expense of £100 or so, but find £80 of that will be chewed up by an excess.

Did you book using a BA amex card by any chance?

No we used our Barclaycard Visa.

Have you not got travel insurance (e.g. with the card?).

I hope you make it there ABZquine.

I am in Cancun at the moment and today was due to fly to MIA with AA then on to LHR with BA. Text/email from BA yesterday morning to say MIA/LHR flight cancelled and then CUN/MIA flight. Was by the pool and no alternatives on MMB so I called BA Holidays and they said I could stay in same hotel at no extra charge until Sat and take the direct flight from CUN on Saturday which wasn't really ideal as I have to get back for work and so within 5 mins has the option of being re-routed via PHL or JFK. Have taken the former so now leaving 2 mins earlier than scheduled and into LHR 20 mins earlier.

Have a great time and stay safe.

Both LGW-MCO flights now cancelled friday.

right now (4pm) local news is that MIA is closed but planning on re-opening Friday. MCO shut until Saturday am.

we are on the west coast and its just starting to get grey and a bit windy. Latest forecast is Matthew will be starting to cause trouble late this evening. its the east coast that's going to suffer by the looks.
Oh and WDW is also shut until Saturday.

there is a state of emergency so anyone planning on travelling to Fla the next few days should be prepared.

I flew JFK-TPA during the last tropical storm and it was a bit hairy,so seems they are doing the sensible thing

I'm in Orlando. Pretty much instructed to stay in the room with the hotel largely shut, and just an emergency team working. I guess JAX on the coast will see a lot worse.

Not pleasant if you're staying in room 1115... :D