My longest east coast flight ever - 13 hours. Is this a record?
#16
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AAdvantage Asia Miles Air China
Posts: 866
I think it's perfectly reasonable to attempt to claim compensation and have the rules allow or deny the claim as appropriate. The morality is irrelevant: the outcome is bound up in the rules and the situation and if the rules are wrong it is up to the legislators to correct them, not the moral compass of those the rules are intended to protect.
In this case BA did nothing wrong, broke no rules, yet the OP wants money. EC261 has zero to do with it.
I guess people now have no understanding of the differences between right and wrong.
#17
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, HH Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,219
If BA are not able to be compensated, or do anything about these situations, then no it doesn't seem right to be trying to claim anything from them.
#18
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,711
Mrs PAL62V was on the BA185 that day, arriving just as the snow began. They got to the gate thankfully, but then she was unable to leave the airport! Was stuck there until she could finally get an Uber at around 4.30am to get her the last 50 miles. No hotel rooms and people sleeping everywhere. Taxi queue was horrendous and people were being stuck on roads all over the place. In the end she felt better for having warmth, food, power and a place to sit and try to sleep.
#19
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver, IHG Gold Amb.
Posts: 159
I was in Newark that day.
There were over 400 road traffic accidents, and at least 2 bridges closed due to accidents.
It took one person in my office 6 hours to drive 7 miles, and on the 5 min walk from my office to my hotel i saw 2 separate car crashes.
While its not great being held on the tarmac for so long. had you been let off, you probably would have been stranded in the terminal as very little was running and traffic was not moving.
There were over 400 road traffic accidents, and at least 2 bridges closed due to accidents.
It took one person in my office 6 hours to drive 7 miles, and on the 5 min walk from my office to my hotel i saw 2 separate car crashes.
While its not great being held on the tarmac for so long. had you been let off, you probably would have been stranded in the terminal as very little was running and traffic was not moving.
#20
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
#21
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 262
What does the aircraft do for power in these situations? I imagine that the engines would have been shut down and even the APU wouldn't last (or shouldn't be used) for 5.5hrs. With either APU or engines, would the plane not run out of fuel? Was it connected to a ground power unit and what happens when it has to go "around the block"?
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Toronto
Programs: BA Exec Club - Demoted to Bronze and re-promoted to Silver alongside AC Elite 50K (gold) in 2022
Posts: 391
I'm not after money or an apology!
It was clear that Newark had screwed up!!
The crew - both cabin and cockpit made the best of a bad job. And clearly a flight to the states is very different to something in Europe.
The thread started with - is this a record??
Maybe I was lucky once I was through security, I only waited 10 mins for an Uber which wasn't that much over the usual price. Scalpers were charging 75 bucks a person to ride into Manhattan. Mine was 86 bucks, came in 10 mins and I was in my hotel in Lower Manhattan 30 mins after pickup.
Other contributors are right - Newark should be hammered for all of the chaos. Simply because the roads are bad, doesn't excuse an airport with it's dedicated snow clearance people and machinery. What was clear however for all the agencies who fell down, is that either the amount of snow, or it's effect was underestimated!!
It was clear that Newark had screwed up!!
The crew - both cabin and cockpit made the best of a bad job. And clearly a flight to the states is very different to something in Europe.
The thread started with - is this a record??
Maybe I was lucky once I was through security, I only waited 10 mins for an Uber which wasn't that much over the usual price. Scalpers were charging 75 bucks a person to ride into Manhattan. Mine was 86 bucks, came in 10 mins and I was in my hotel in Lower Manhattan 30 mins after pickup.
Other contributors are right - Newark should be hammered for all of the chaos. Simply because the roads are bad, doesn't excuse an airport with it's dedicated snow clearance people and machinery. What was clear however for all the agencies who fell down, is that either the amount of snow, or it's effect was underestimated!!
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Toronto
Programs: BA Exec Club - Demoted to Bronze and re-promoted to Silver alongside AC Elite 50K (gold) in 2022
Posts: 391
they shut down and restarted the engines 3/4 times - either when there was a (broken) promise to move, or when we actually went around in circles as they tried to move aircraft blocked by others. It really was a game of chess!
#24
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: AAdvantage Asia Miles Air China
Posts: 866