Compensation for flight misconnection
 

My itinerary is PEK--HKG(KA)--DPS(CX) with 90 min connection in HKG. I arrived at Beijing airport very very early in the morning to catch the flight that departs at 7:40am. I did not know the thunderstorm yeterday affacted the flights today severely. The flight from PEK to HKG was delayed for 4 hours since the aircraft was still in HKG when I arrived at PEK airport. They changed the plane so My first class was downgraded to business class and the airport agent is willing to compensate for the class difference. I do not know how they calculate the difference but my ticket is award ticket. Anyway I got the RMB1230 for each ticket. I am not sure if this is enough for the downgrade alone.

In the lounge of PEK, I was told that when I arrived at HKG, they will make the arrangment for me. The agent in PEK looked up other way for me to arrive at DPS the same day. They found there is another flight with Hong kong Express that departs at 19:10. They are confident that the agent in HKG will arrange that flight for me. However, when I arrived at HKG, I was told that they arrnaged the flight the next day and I need to stay at the hotel in Hong Kong today. Oh my god, "why can you arrange me to fly HX flight at 19:10". "oh, they do not have available seat". I called HX immediately and learned that they have bunch of business seat available. I told KA agent this and was told that they have no agreement with HX. I need to pay the ticket myself and then they can reimburse the ticket for me. Oh, that is not safe for me. What if they decommit and eat their words. I finally chose to fly the second day. I think I deserve to ask for the compensation. Anyone having such experience with KA/CX?

Another thing, I issued the PEK--HKG and HKG--DPS seperately and I paid the Hong Kong government departure tax for te second leg. I can ask for the refund of this tax if I fly in and out the same day. But with this arrangement, I can not get this tax. Who should be responsible for this? KA or else?

In my opinion you don't really have a case. It's weather related. If anything I believe CX already went above and beyond to fix your situation. Any other airlines other than CX will probably just give you an indifference "sorry, weather, bye." Plus they give you compensation for an Award ticket.

But of course, you can try to get compensated, but I really think you are already well-taken-care of.

You issued the tickets separately? In that case CX/KA aren't responsible for anything really (apart from the d/g compensation) As you did stay more than 24 hours (I guess) in HK, you can't get refund. If you stayed less than 24 hours, you can

To be exempted from HKG departure tax, you need to depart on the same calendar day as you arrive, unless you do not pass through immigration.

BTW, OP may want to know that on 24 Jun the HX flight to DPS delayed for 5+ hours due to the knock-on from PEK flight disruption, so OP didn't lose that much time anyway.

not quite right. if you're ticketed as a transit then you dont pay tax.
but if you ticketed seperately (so there's no way you could be in a transit) you MUST leave on the same calendar day to get tax refunded.

As Cathay Boy had already written, I do not think you do.
You ticketed separately and therefore your connection was at your own risk.
Besides, the delay was caused by a factor beyond the airline's control, i.e. weather. The airline is not even obliged to look after you for the connecting flight, let alone give you compensation.
Besides, they could have told you to wait until there was another award seat availability for your connecting flight, but they put you on the next available flight.

I believe the airline has done more than enough to compensate you.
If you do not like incurring a delay (outside the airline's control) without a compensation, then I suggest get yourself a travel insurance that covers you for something like this in the future.

The downgrade is calculated as the fare difference from F to J (those specific fare classes, not necessarily what your ticket is issued in). So easy to find out the amount as those are published fares, also viewable on the internet.

Presumably KA/CX paid for your hotel and meals and transportation in HKG, and this would be the extent of compensation. As pointed out, technically with 2 separate tickets the liability ends in HKG as that was your "destination". But CX is usually generous (some other airlines are not; hence the risk with separate tickets).

You think you had it bad, there's a new post on the same topic that took two years to land from the winds to even ask.

I stayed less than 24 hours, to get refund,you need to fly in and out the same day.

I did issue the ticket separately. But kA/cX put them together. Both ticket was issued with LAN so the tax goes to LAN and to hong kong government. I can get this refund at hong kong airport if I fly in and out the same day. I can not make them the same day due to ka's problem.

On the other hand,if I issued the ticket together and was not charged this tax. Do I need to pay it if my flight was delayed to the next day?

I do deserve to leave the same day with other airline,HX flight? They mentioned that they do not have agreement with HX. If other airline like Singapore air has that flight the same day, they can arrange. They even asked me to pay HX flight myself and they will reimburse it. But I do not have such experience and do not want to take chances.

I'm sure that is the case. CX will refund to you as they know that that was the only flight to DPS that night and as long as you can show them the expense, then you are entitled to. ;) Next time you should trust them.

Btw as mentioned by hadsst, the HX flight was also delayed a couple of hours. It's way better to have the free accommodation at the Best Airport Hotel in the World than to sit in the plane stuck on the tarmac :D

I did not see the thread for the delay of the HX flight from HKG to DPS. Where is it?

BTW, I was arranged at the hotel in downtown not in the airport. I was told by KA that all the hotels in airport were sold out( not sure if it is another lie), but the hotel they arranged for me is a decent hotel( Harbor Grand Hotel in Kwooloon). Obviously, this hotel was aslo sold out so they gave me a free upgrade to a very nice harbor view suite. They provided the buffet dinner( each for 450HKD if I need to pay). I had the dinner at 9:45 pm finnally.

What do you mean 'put together' ? The reservations may be in one PNR but seperate tickets, mean seperate tickets.

You want to contest the HK tax? Go ahead ! Its your battle - not ours. Its what, $20 for all the hassle ???

As others have mentioned to you.... CX is under no obligation to assist you on your connection as their main concern is to get you to your final ticketed destination on their contract - which is HKG. Beyond that, is really on your own as its a seperate ticket.

If you issued the tickets as one, then if your originally intended itinerary was to connect on the same day and you were not charged the tax, you would not be obligated to pay if your intended flight was delayed.

The KA/CX code is the same for PEK--HKG and HKG---DPS. I think KA/CX automatically put them together.

For the tax, I probably can ask LAN to give me back since they can see in the reservation that HKG is a connection.

I do not know what you mean by "CX has no obligation". So CX should tell me " sorry, you are late for the flight from HKG to DPS, the flight delay for PEK to HKG has nothing to do with HKG to DPS"

Let's see what they can compensate.....

Even if the two flights are on the same ticket and you checked in for both together, 'compensation' for a weather delay really is just to get you to your destination safely. They may get you a hotel and/or food (required in Europe, almost never get it in the US) but they don't owe you anything else as vouchers, cash, upgrades, miles, or anything else.

As for the taxes, I don't know much about HK airport tax, but ask whoever you bought the ticket from would be my guess.

You can say it is weather delay. But CA has flight that can depart earlier, KA has no airplane in PEK the evening of the day before, which they should have done. They may have very flight delay and maybe they cancelled the flight from HKG to PEK and every passenger in HKG had gone home that night so they do not want to fly a empty aircraft to PEK to pick up the passenger in PEK in the next morning. Whose problem should this be?

I called CX the evening the day before depature and asked them if the flight in the next morning has any delay and was told everything looks fine. I asked this since I saw the storm that evening. I registered the cell phone notification for the departure time. I arrived at airport at 6:50 and was told the flight will be delayed to 11:30am. The notification comes to my cell phone on 10:30am saying that the flight has been delayed. Ridiculous, yes!

This delay is still due to weather - if there were no thunderstorms this wouldn't have happened. Also, for weather delays they generally don't put you on another carrier.

As for the delay notification, they could have done better. The evening before they might not have know about the cancellation if the flight departed late, but they could have done a better job letting passengers know about it. If you think there might be a problem, actually calling them or checking their website usually works, but again, they should have done a better job letting passengers know what is going on.

Now it is time for me to comment on CX's bad customer relationship website. I submitted a complaint letter on CX's website. 30 days later( each of the passeneger's letter or follow-on reply needs to wait for 30 days to get a reply). I got the first round reply: they feel sorry for the flight delay and decided to reimburse my lodging for the first day. Plus, they will give me two upgrade voucher( I guess it will only be valid for KA short haul). They need me to send them the orginal hotel receipt for the first day.

I sent the hotel bill and several weeks after I got the second round reply: they did receive the hotel bill but can not tell from the bill that hotel charged me for the "no-show".

I submitted the complaint letter again: "You did not ask me to provide the no-show bill, the hotel usually does not provide such receipt"

I actually was not charged for the no-show although the cancellation policy says I need to cancel 24 hours before the arrival. I called the hotel when there is flight delay. I called a couple of times internationally for the possible delay and finally told them I will not be there that day.

My four-day holiday was shortened to 3 day. Why does CX need the no-show bill to give me compensation? I did not ask for the indirect loss I had with the flight delay.

For the Hong Kong departure tax, they feel they are not obliged to but they will provide 2XUSD25 voucher to me as a good will.

surely they wont - they did not take from you since you ticketed through LAN
but if your original flight was on the same calendar day and you still have the original itinerary, you can send it to HKCAD and you can get your HKD120 refunded. no idea in waht form tho - and i'm not sure if it's not too late.

Should be the issuing airline if on the same ticket. If on separate tickets, you can get a HKD120 cash refund at a HKIA counter in the departure check-in area by presenting both boarding passes and your travel document on the day of transit.

I tried to get refund at the airport but they only accept if two the boaridng passes are in the same day.

Yes, HKG has same day rule for tax refund, not 24 hours.@:-)

Sorry - you are definitely unlucky - the unfriendly sky is playing with your flights...

No compensation...