Norwegian Air - A Cautionary Tale
#76
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
I had a 3hr 30 min delay for CPH-BKK and tried to claim compensation for it.
Norwegian said it arrived at 2hrs 52mins late to destination, which was a lie. I even had screen shots on the IFE showing the time we arrived, and flightaware shows it over 3 hours late.
First I tried to claim directly with DY, no luck after a few months.
So gave up and went to 2 different EU claim websites, neither could make the claim because DY told them the same thing.....
I just gave up in the end. Oh well.
Norwegian said it arrived at 2hrs 52mins late to destination, which was a lie. I even had screen shots on the IFE showing the time we arrived, and flightaware shows it over 3 hours late.
First I tried to claim directly with DY, no luck after a few months.
So gave up and went to 2 different EU claim websites, neither could make the claim because DY told them the same thing.....
I just gave up in the end. Oh well.
Interesting that the EU claims websites couldn't help. I guess if Norwegian understates the delay time then they can get away with it. It's not much of a system if it's based on the airline self-reporting. It should be based on ATC/Airport records, which is what flightaware uses.
#77
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
The Points Guy liked hearing about my experience and has chosen to write about it.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/08/cau...ing-norwegian/
Norwegian still refuses to pay the compensation they owe me.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/08/cau...ing-norwegian/
Norwegian still refuses to pay the compensation they owe me.
#78
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
The Points Guy liked hearing about my experience and has chosen to write about it.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/08/cau...ing-norwegian/
Norwegian still refuses to pay the compensation they owe me.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/08/cau...ing-norwegian/
Norwegian still refuses to pay the compensation they owe me.
What are Norwegian currently telling you?
#79
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
I sent them a link to the article. They don't seem to care and still refuse to pay the compensation they owe.
I don't know if they have no Public Relations people, or just don't care about their image.
LCCs seem able to get away with treating people terribly for short-haul flights. But, for a trans-atlantic flight, I can't see people risking it once they get burned once or read a story like mine.
The downside when something goes wrong is huge. It's not like you can rent a car and drive home across the atlantic if Norwegian denies you boarding and says they can't re-accommodate you for 5 days.
#80
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,166
Why should they bother? The article says you have been compensated:
We reached out to Norwegian, and a spokesman for the carrier said that a customer being downgraded is something it tries to avoid at all costs. Director of Communications for Norwegian Anders Lindström said that in this particular case, the customer service department had “contacted most, if not all, customers originally booked in Premium trying to offer rebooking or voluntary downgrade,” and that by not taking it resulted in an involuntary downgrade at the airport. Lindström noted that the customer was compensated for the downgrade, but Norwegian understands his frustration with not getting the experience he’d originally booked.
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,727
The OP is claiming for delayed arrival compensation for the return flight - the issue of downgrade compensation for the outbound appears to be settled to everyone's satisfaction!
However, the arrival information that appears in "Points Guy"'s post is inaccurate. They appear to be using the wrong scheduled arrival time. The flight arrived within the 3 hours, despite what that graphic says. [See www.fr24.com's report below]
20:05 was the scheduled arrival time (http://info.flightmapper.net/route/Y...date=2017-7-10 - see also the schedule reported by EUClaim.co.uk attached at the bottom) 20:05 to 22:41 is only 2 hrs 36 minutes, despite what "Points Guy" says!
However, the arrival information that appears in "Points Guy"'s post is inaccurate. They appear to be using the wrong scheduled arrival time. The flight arrived within the 3 hours, despite what that graphic says. [See www.fr24.com's report below]
20:05 was the scheduled arrival time (http://info.flightmapper.net/route/Y...date=2017-7-10 - see also the schedule reported by EUClaim.co.uk attached at the bottom) 20:05 to 22:41 is only 2 hrs 36 minutes, despite what "Points Guy" says!
Last edited by irishguy28; Aug 9, 2017 at 7:48 am
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,727
To the OP: EUClaim.co.uk, one of the specialist agencies that has sprung up to make claims on passengers' behalf on a no-win no-fee basis, do not consider that your flight arrived later than 3 hours and would not take up the case as they don't consider compensation is payable.
If an independent observer, who exists solely to make money on these claims, thinks that the flight didn't actually arrive at the gate past the 3 hour mark, then I think you are probably wasting your time pursuing this any further.
Feel free to check for yourself
http://euclaim.co.uk
If an independent observer, who exists solely to make money on these claims, thinks that the flight didn't actually arrive at the gate past the 3 hour mark, then I think you are probably wasting your time pursuing this any further.
Feel free to check for yourself
http://euclaim.co.uk
#83
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
The OP is claiming for delayed arrival compensation for the return flight - the issue of downgrade compensation for the outbound appears to be settled to everyone's satisfaction!
However, the arrival information that appears in "Points Guy"'s post is inaccurate. They appear to be using the wrong scheduled arrival time. The flight arrived within the 3 hours, despite what that graphic says. [See www.fr24.com's report below]
20:05 was the scheduled arrival time (http://info.flightmapper.net/route/Y...date=2017-7-10) 20:05 to 22:41 is only 2 hrs 36 minutes, despite what "Points Guy" says!
However, the arrival information that appears in "Points Guy"'s post is inaccurate. They appear to be using the wrong scheduled arrival time. The flight arrived within the 3 hours, despite what that graphic says. [See www.fr24.com's report below]
20:05 was the scheduled arrival time (http://info.flightmapper.net/route/Y...date=2017-7-10) 20:05 to 22:41 is only 2 hrs 36 minutes, despite what "Points Guy" says!
I was on the flight, it got to the gate at JFK at about 23:15. That's what EU compensation is based on. That's also what the total delay number being shown on flight aware is based on.
Even Norwegian says the flight was 2 hours 54 minutes late. They're falsely claiming it was just under the time where they would owe compensation, as seems to be common practice for them.
#84
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
[QUOTE=irishguy28;28667091]To the OP: EUClaim.co.uk, one of the specialist agencies that has sprung up to make claims on passengers' behalf on a no-win no-fee basis, do not consider that your flight arrived later than 3 hours and would not take up the case as they don't consider compensation is payable.
If an independent observer, who exists solely to make money on these claims, thinks that the flight didn't actually arrive at the gate past the 3 hour mark, then I think you are probably wasting your time pursuing this any further.
Feel free to check for yourself
[\QUOTE]
Yes, it seems to be common practice for Norwegian to understate the delays by just enough to avoid compensation. Since those claim sites seem to use information Norwegian provides for gate arrival, I understand that they show it incorrectly.
Luckily Flightaware uses ATC & Airport data, so they accurately show the delay being over 3 hours. They're also a neutral 3rd party.
I was on the flight. It arrived at the JFK gate at about 23:15.
If an independent observer, who exists solely to make money on these claims, thinks that the flight didn't actually arrive at the gate past the 3 hour mark, then I think you are probably wasting your time pursuing this any further.
Feel free to check for yourself
[\QUOTE]
Yes, it seems to be common practice for Norwegian to understate the delays by just enough to avoid compensation. Since those claim sites seem to use information Norwegian provides for gate arrival, I understand that they show it incorrectly.
Luckily Flightaware uses ATC & Airport data, so they accurately show the delay being over 3 hours. They're also a neutral 3rd party.
I was on the flight. It arrived at the JFK gate at about 23:15.
#85
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
To the OP: EUClaim.co.uk, one of the specialist agencies that has sprung up to make claims on passengers' behalf on a no-win no-fee basis, do not consider that your flight arrived later than 3 hours and would not take up the case as they don't consider compensation is payable.
If an independent observer, who exists solely to make money on these claims, thinks that the flight didn't actually arrive at the gate past the 3 hour mark, then I think you are probably wasting your time pursuing this any further.
Feel free to check for yourself
http://euclaim.co.uk
If an independent observer, who exists solely to make money on these claims, thinks that the flight didn't actually arrive at the gate past the 3 hour mark, then I think you are probably wasting your time pursuing this any further.
Feel free to check for yourself
http://euclaim.co.uk
#86
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,412
You can hardly rent a car and drive from, say Italy to the UK, or Spain to Ireland etc., it's not going to stop people from flying with LCC, as the chances of being drastically affected by IRROPs are incredibly low... (and one can opt to get a good travel insurance to cover such scenarios)
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,727
(It may be better to have an agency - who doesn't just look at the landing time and immediately back off in the manner of the agency I mentioned above - to pursue this, if any such agency can be found! They would need to be willing to fight them through courts if necessary for a long taxi delay leading to them missing 3 hours by a mere matter of minutes!)
#88
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,412
I was on the flight, it got to the gate at JFK at about 23:15. That's what EU compensation is based on. That's also what the total delay number being shown on flight aware is based on.
Even Norwegian says the flight was 2 hours 54 minutes late. They're falsely claiming it was just under the time where they would owe compensation, as seems to be common practice for them.
Even Norwegian says the flight was 2 hours 54 minutes late. They're falsely claiming it was just under the time where they would owe compensation, as seems to be common practice for them.
Was there a 20 minutes delay in which the aircraft stood just short of the terminal before getting to the gate?
#89
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
According to FR24, flight landed at about 22:41, and arrived to the terminal at 22:58 (at which point tracking of the flight stops), so 2h54 sounds just about right.
Was there a 20 minutes delay in which the aircraft stood just short of the terminal before getting to the gate?
Was there a 20 minutes delay in which the aircraft stood just short of the terminal before getting to the gate?
I don't know where that site gets their info (presumably from the incorrect info that Norwegian reports since they agree with the incorrect time).
I do know Flight Aware is the gold standard and they agree with me. We didn't get to the gate until about 23:15.
At this point I'm not really expecting Norwegian to honor the compensation they owe. I'm just glad my story got some attention so that maybe some other travelers will be spared my Norwegian experience.
#90
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
You can hardly rent a car and drive from, say Italy to the UK, or Spain to Ireland etc., it's not going to stop people from flying with LCC, as the chances of being drastically affected by IRROPs are incredibly low... (and one can opt to get a good travel insurance to cover such scenarios)
You could take a train, I presume? Things are a little trickier & more expensive getting back across the Atlantic if you're denied boarding.
It seems like a lot of risk to me, especially now that I know these TATL LCCs have no backup planes and don't care about their customers.