Mitigating costs LHR to LGW
Apr 4, 2018, 12:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London UK
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Mitigating costs LHR to LGW
Quick question- our GLA LGW flight has been cancelled and we have been put on the LHR service. Our car is at LGW. There is talk of a coach being arranged, but if that falls through presumably I can get a taxi to Gatwick and get reimbursed by BA? As ever advice appreciated
Apr 4, 2018, 1:09 pm
#2
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In similar instances I have been given National Express vouchers. You mention a coach "being arranged"...is National Express not running?
Apr 4, 2018, 1:43 pm
#4
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National Express is pretty good between LHR and LGW - it goes as fast as a taxi in normal traffic on the M25, and is pretty comfortable. I suspect BA won't pay for a taxi, but you'd be looking at £80-£100 probably.
Apr 4, 2018, 2:08 pm
#5
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£50 will be the most they pay unless you can make a case for why the coach wouldn't work for you. So long as you don't have to wait too long (and you can use the NEx App to see where your coach is in real time) then it's just as far as a taxi, gets nearer to the airport buidings, has plenty of legroom and fairly comfortable in my experience. And you don't have to listen to the driver's opinions on [random contentious but tedious topic goes here].
Apr 4, 2018, 4:24 pm
#9
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If having taken National Express the OP arrived several hours later at LGW than originally planned would he be entitled to compensation? (Depending on the reason for the initial cancellation obviously)
Apr 4, 2018, 8:17 pm
#10
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Apr 4, 2018, 9:18 pm
#11
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If it happened to me again I would reluctantly just get a cab and take my chances with getting compensation.
Apr 5, 2018, 1:45 am
#13
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Probably from BA's point of view they would like to argue this and of course for many passengers where it doesn't make much difference if they were heading to central London (etc). There is an argument to be had on timings where if you are 2 hours late at LHR then you may have issues claiming 3 hours at LGW but generally consumers will win these sorts of arguments since the words "final destination" are fairly clear. Some routing arrangements have a "city" rule for reservation such that in many cases agents can re-route passengers easily between LHR/LGW/LCY/STN (and technically LTN). But EC261 is very clear on the transport point (Article 8.3) that the airline is responsible for paying the cost of transport.
Apr 5, 2018, 2:26 am
#14
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A couple of years back when the ATC computer got stuck in the night mode BA cancelled my LHR to ALC flight. The only CE seat available the next day was from LGW and due to the number of cancellations the team at F check in were swamped and asked if I could arrange my transport and accommodation myself and claim back. Having spent over two hours in LHR I couldn’t face another delay waiting for a coach so I took a black cab £165 which together with the Sofitel bill BA promptly paid
Apr 5, 2018, 10:36 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London UK
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Posts: 201
Just a bit of an update and data point. We got issued National Express vouchers, but being rather late the service frequency was pretty dismal - so we had to wait until 23.40 for the next bus. We therefore arrived at LGW at 00.40- a delay of 4 hours and 5 minutes from the original arrival time of 20.35.
I wouldn't normally get too involved in going down the compensation route, but I have to say I was a bit miffed about the lack of information and perfunctory way in which the vouchers were handed out - a bit "here you are, now b*&8&er off ", with the chap not interested in explaining where to get the bus or when it would arrive. Fortunately by that time all of us refugees had gathered together and wandered off like a large flock of sheep to where the National express bus stops are. Only the internet gave us some clues as to how long we had to wait!
Is this worth pursuing?
I wouldn't normally get too involved in going down the compensation route, but I have to say I was a bit miffed about the lack of information and perfunctory way in which the vouchers were handed out - a bit "here you are, now b*&8&er off ", with the chap not interested in explaining where to get the bus or when it would arrive. Fortunately by that time all of us refugees had gathered together and wandered off like a large flock of sheep to where the National express bus stops are. Only the internet gave us some clues as to how long we had to wait!
Is this worth pursuing?