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Bad weather disruption - UK/AMS/NW Europe - 10 & 11 December 2017

Old Dec 11, 2017, 3:39 am
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BA current newsflash here / London Cancellation list for Tuesday here
Rebooking policy for operating flights on Monday and Tuesday here / EC261 main thread here
ba.com/helpme one stop shop on BA.com giving lots of advice and pointers to where to claim expenses.
For EC261, delay/cancellation compensation is not payable for this event but BA is still liable for the Regulation's Right to care provisions. Refreshments can be claimed after 2 hours of delay departing (3 hours for flights longer than LHR-Rome, 4 hours for longhaul), 200 guideline for hotels - OK to book your own and charge back. 50 guideline for taxis. Meals, drinks and communication costs are also covered. Keep / photo receipts. If on a Buy on Board aircraft, use Avios to buy items - it will be faster to refund. For missing baggage, it's OK to claim essential items, such as clothing, toiletries. Keep / photo the receipts.
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Bad weather disruption - UK/AMS/NW Europe - 10 & 11 December 2017

Old Dec 11, 2017, 8:58 pm
  #496  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: East Cheam
Programs: QF, BA, VA
Posts: 198
BA were proactive in getting me on the 07:30 LCY-RTM flight this morning and then on to BA441......which was canceled.

Once 441 was cancelled my next option was Y on BA439 today (12th). I'm on BA15 tonight so booked a train to Paris and Eurostar to London.

The train to Paris just disappeared. Staff could not advise what happened to it. In fact Thalys was utterly hopeless on the communication front, no staff on the platforms, little information on the monitors.

AMS was a mess with blizzard like conditions late afternoon on the 11th.

In the end I took a one way Avis rental and drove to Paris. I now need to get my money back from Thalys...or initiate a chargeback.
TonyHancock is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2017, 9:08 pm
  #497  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,338
Originally Posted by LordBuckethead
Do you know nothing about how airlines are run? Terminal and ramp staff are one thing, and yes critical to the customer experience, but what about the legions of flight planners and crew controllers and other 'invisible' ants who keep the ship afloat? At least a score of aircraft were stranded last night, and it's not by accident that they all made it back to LHR today. There's normally no need for an army of flight planners to be working overnight, but there sure was Sunday into Monday, and without the volunteers half of those customers who did make it away on Monday probably wouldn't have.
Incidentally, there were a hundred or so additional terminal staff volunteering for duty on Sunday night, so you weren't even right there.
Thanks for the insight.. maybe going forward some of these flight planners could communicate their tremendous work to the terminal frontline staff to impart upon passengers. Regular updates is I think a key bug bear. Someone somewhere MUST know what’s happening.. appreciate it’s a fluid situation but some information then an update would be good. Example colleague at MAN told no chance of getting to LHR Monday yet not a million miles away at LBA you have half the fleet there... again no expert but a bit of what appears to be common sense should go along way.
KeaneJohn is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2017, 10:19 pm
  #498  
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,891
Originally Posted by PETER01
If this is handy for anyone out of UK opening hours I called the Japan number and was re-routed to India where it was answered after 7 minutes by a very friendly and helpful agent regarding a seating matter I had.

The number is:

0081 33298 5238

You get a quick pre-recorded message then the usual options.
I reached that same call center via the HK number just now. The agents seem to be less empowered than (I would hope) the UK ones are. I'm re-booked for Wednesday. Overnight, availability has opened up on 4 Tuesday flights to my destination, but the agent (and supervisor) claimed that these seats are in business, and they can't re-book a coach ticket in business. Its unbelievable that they'd leave me stranded here (and incur hundreds of pounds in extra costs) rather than letting me sit in front of the curtain for a 2 hour flight. Is this their actual policy?
jpdx is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2017, 10:26 pm
  #499  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,566
I'm actually a little surprised we didn't see them go Y only as they did in 2010 - with seemingly larger CE cabins + domestic CE this is a quick way to get ~6-24 extra seats on each flight and potentially allow flights go out with less crew
sammyg901 is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2017, 11:22 pm
  #500  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 561
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Last edited by markle; May 25, 2023 at 7:01 am
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Old Dec 11, 2017, 11:32 pm
  #501  
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SAV/HHH
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold (current GGL), HH Diamond
Posts: 1,292
Any word on LHR today?

Was scheduled for BRU-LHR-EWR yesterday...now CDG-LHR-JFK. Comedy of errors so far this morning (45 minutes attempting to thru check bags, beep at gate no meal for you), but door closed at CDG so hopefully were on our way.
skippythelizard is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2017, 11:39 pm
  #502  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 561
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Last edited by markle; May 25, 2023 at 7:01 am
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:04 am
  #503  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
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Bit of chatter from what sounded like ground ops staff saying 14% (or a misheard 40% ) of BA flights cancelled today.
EsherFlyer is offline  
Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:23 am
  #504  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,963
Originally Posted by EsherFlyer
Bit of chatter from what sounded like ground ops staff saying 14% (or a misheard 40% ) of BA flights cancelled today.
At which point can these cancellations no longer be attributed to weather but to operational difficulties, and therefore within the scope of EC261?

I see there are two BA cancellations from TXL (Berlin Tegel) to LHR today, but no cancellations on Eurowings (who are, presumably, subject to the same weather conditions as BA).
Misco60 is offline  
Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:25 am
  #505  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 870
Originally Posted by PETER01
If this is handy for anyone out of UK opening hours I called the Japan number and was re-routed to India where it was answered after 7 minutes by a very friendly and helpful agent regarding a seating matter I had.

The number is:

0081 33298 5238

You get a quick pre-recorded message then the usual options.
Is anyone having issues getting hold of anyone on the Gold line - I cant even get on hold - I just get the pre recorded message then it disconnects. It has been like this for a 24 hours now. I cant change my booking online either as it says there is a temporary when I select my new flight time. I am prepared to wait on hold - this is ridiculous.
BHDATC is offline  
Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:27 am
  #506  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK/France
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hertz Gold, Avis Preferred, Honours Silver, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG
Posts: 272
Originally Posted by EsherFlyer
Bit of chatter from what sounded like ground ops staff saying 14% (or a misheard 40% ) of BA flights cancelled today.
14 shorthaul flights cancelled today (plus DOH which is no doubt down to 787 RR engine issues)
Porky Speedpig is offline  
Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:27 am
  #507  
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Join Date: Oct 2010
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Originally Posted by Misco60
At which point can these cancellations no longer be attributed to weather but to operational difficulties, and therefore within the scope of EC261?

I see there are two BA cancellations from TXL (Berlin Tegel) to LHR today, but no cancellations on Eurowings (who are, presumably, subject to the same weather conditions as BA).
They'll probably argue that it is still a result of the weather and thus beyond control?
florens is offline  
Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:28 am
  #508  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK/France
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hertz Gold, Avis Preferred, Honours Silver, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG
Posts: 272
Originally Posted by BHDATC
Is anyone having issues getting hold of anyone on the Gold line - I cant even get on hold - I just get the pre recorded message then it disconnects. It has been like this for a 24 hours now. I cant change my booking online either as it says there is a temporary when I select my new flight time. I am prepared to wait on hold - this is ridiculous.
Had the same issue yesterday but eventually got through to a very helpful lady - only waited 2-3 mins after all the PRA intro the second time I tried (1500z?)
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:29 am
  #509  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
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Originally Posted by florens
They'll probably argue that it is still a result of the weather and thus beyond control?
I have no doubt that BA will argue that, but there comes a point (and I think we are approaching that point) where short-haul cancellations can no longer be reasonably blamed on a centimetre of slush last weekend.
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Misco60 is offline  
Old Dec 12, 2017, 1:48 am
  #510  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 466
I cannot OLCI for my new flight [BA441 AMS-LHR] - is this standard in cases where they have lots of cancellations (let's them control who is actually going to turn up for flights to give a better standby process) or do I need to get to the airport nice and early just in case?
mrvincent is offline  

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