Delayed, entitled to compensation?
 

Dear fellow FT'ers,

I just got delayed to my final destination by over 8 hours. I flew CX out of Asia, and lost my BA connection at LHR, being delayed at HKG and ICN due to this reason according to the pilot: The ground crew forgot to give the pilot a piece of paper showing the weight points of the plane, which he discovered when we were on the runway.

I ran through HKG in impressive 15min, then ran through LHR, but ended up being ten minutes too late, and had to wait for the next BA flight, which made me over 8h late at my destination, and my luggage didn't show until the next day. During my long layover in LHR, BA provided me with mealvouchers from CX (no direct CX contact due to CX being at a different terminal) and did their best to secure me another flight, and upgrades but no availabiliy.

I'm not an experienced flyer, so my question is if I'm entitled to any sort of compensation from CX, and if I am, where do I do this? The complaints form on CX webpage doesn't exactly have a delay box to tick.

You can write to CX - I would choose inflight service as the topic on the form. However, you don't have a statutory right to compensation as EU261 doesn't apply.

Sorry to know that you missed your flight for no fault of yours. It happens and good to know that BA tried to do something about it.

You can select as complaint on the CX feedback form. The options actually doesnt matter and it just sends all the details in plain text format to the CX customer service. Dont forget to enter all the details though - like your flight number, frequent flier number etc etc..CX usually replies to genuine complaints and concerns.

Thanks to both of you. I guess it doesn't hurt to at least try.

Just curious to know. So your HKG-LHR flight was delayed by a bit and because of that your missed your LHR - final destination flight? Looks like your transit times were really less..

When you got off at LHR - wasn't someone from CX/BA waiting at the gate to help you transit faster? may be they knew you wouldn't make it and did not bother coming :D

Good luck with your compensation..No harm in trying :D

Check EC regulation 261
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...LEX:32004R0261

I am not an expert in this but assuming your final destination is in the european community (is it?) you could be entitled to 600 Eur compensation

I was met at LHR by airport ground staff which handed me an express transit folder, which was of no use to me until I got to T5 (landed at T3). Tried and failed to use it to get ahead in the transit bus line...

All my flights were purchased together on the same itinitary, and it was over an hour delayed, but in hindsight it was a short connection time.

I can imagine the T3 to T5 at LHR. Even changing different gates in T5 is a tough task to achieve if you have less time..Only once I had a < 1hr transit in LHR but that was from BA-BA so I landed in T5 and was escorted super fast to ongoing flight in less than 15 mins..

If I'm reading this right it does seem I am entitled to a compensation as my final destination was within Europe, but not completely sure I understand it correctly

I think EU261 only applies to EU carrier or flying out of EU on any airline, but not in OP's case

It was indeed an EU carrier (BA operated) and his destination was an EU location. I am not aware of how to make a claim but looks like you should be entitled to some compensation.

I think the OP is saying that the CX ICN-HKG flight was delayed hence they missed the BA HKG-LHR flight. They must have been rebooked onto one of the CX LHR flights (which sounds like it was pretty well dealt with to get them onto one of them - CX evening LHR flights leave only about 40 mins to 90 mins after the last BA one).

Then it sounds like the later CX flight arrival did not allow him enough time to make the connection at LHR and that's the issue, however, it started with the late arrival of ICN-HKG is what I'm hearing.

Ohhh sorry I must have thought something else then. If that is the case then the only compensation the OP can request is from CX and through their feedback form.

Yes, you should get something e.g. 15k/20k asiamiles only from CX.

Next time, please remember to choose BA flying to London, it will be protected by EU261 and you would get Euro 600 compensation for such long delay.

Thanks guys. I'll just have to wait and see what happens :)

Actually re-reading the OP, it's not that clear. OP might have been booked on CX originally ex-HKG.

Anyhow...apologies.

So i finally got a reply, they are offering me 150USD (voucher) or a upgrade certificate. As I am most likely to not fly alone the next time, I'm thinking the voucher is the best bet, what do you think?

The "services" voucher which CX sends has a very limited use. It has a validity of 1 year and can be used in any CX ticketing counter or CX/KA operated flights worldwide.

Note that this would be a physical voucher and CANNOT be used online.

And, if our experience is anything to go by, you aren't assured of the upgrade in advance. You have to present it at check-in, and it is only on a "space-available" basis. Oh, and it won't work on redemption tickets (including redemption upgrades)

The memsahib got one of those once and was unable to use it despite trying for an entire year

The typical one-class upgrade voucher can only be used at the airport. And it comes very low in the order of upgrades (after cash or miles opup and some other vouchers), so no certainty in being able to use it. It is really worth for longhaul flights but hard to use. I usually fly J longhaul and, like IanFromHKG, I lost one of them as I could not upgrade from J to F on some ten segments. It might be easier from Y to PE.
If you wish to use it, you should check that the flight is quite empty in the next class of service, but even then...

Are you referring to the voucher or the upgrade certificate? That the upgrade certificate can only be used in person sort of makes sense, but if i can't use the voucher online it's virtually useless.

Curious if the voucher can be used for paying yq of redemption ticket?

of coz no lol

Yes - I am talking about the voucher. I have $150 worth of them and the only way to use those is by physically using them at Cathay Pacific ticketing counters or on CX/KA flights. Yes - now I feel I should have settled for something else apart from these stupid vouchers.

That makes them completely worthless to me as I'm only able to book flights with them online...