HELP! Ditched in Lagos by AirItaly!
Feb 22, 2020, 8:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 6
HELP! Ditched in Lagos by AirItaly!
Hi folks,
On 9 feb I went to Lagos (Nigeria) to partake in a convention. My flight was with Norwegian from Oslo to Milan. Then AirItaly from Milan to Lagos. And the same route reversed for the return.
While I was there, Airitaly was liquidated. I got conflicting information: On 12 Feb I received two mails from them: one reminding of my return flight Sun 16th at 02.20 a.m. Another saying the return flight is cancelled. And on 13 Feb i receive a third email saying i should check-in and pick a seat. I discovered these mails the day before my departure.
Although I was alarmed by the cancellation news, they insisted that everyone flying with them in my period would be able to get on another flight - quote from their website:
"Flights from 11 to 25 February 2020 inclusive All Air Italy flights will be operated from 11 to 25 February by other carriers at the times and on the days previously scheduled."
As they said this both in the email and at the website, I felt reassured. Besides, it was impossible to get hold of them on the phone numbers they specify.
I went super-early to the airport and inquired at the airitaly desk, but they said no flights had been running for several days, and that my flight was also cancelled. Although the monitors at the airport said there was an airitaly flight a couple of hours after mine which was on schedule, the airitaly folks said the monitors are not updated (Lagos airport is very old school and more manual than digital). They also said they themselves were in the dark having not been in the loop for several days, and that the only thing i could do was to email airitaly on their refunds email, and/or try getting hold of them on the phone, and ask them to get my on a flight out of there.
So there I am with no return flight, no hotel, almost empty of funds, and without ability to call anywhere since my mobile network didnt work in Lagos. I checked prices for return flight with others, because i had to catch the Norwegian flight on Sunday 16th from Milano, so as not to loose that one also. However, the prices were outrageous (cheapest: 3000 U.S. dollars). The return flight with Norwegian was lost.
I emptied my credit cards and purchased the cheapest flight closes in time, which was 900 dollars 3 days later, and found a cheap hotel close to the airport. I got all sorts of additional expanses, like personal driver back and forth from the hotels (these are not cheap, but the only viable solution for a white person in Lagos), extended parking fee for my car back in Norway, high fees on my credit cards, food to get by, etc.
My insurance company refused to help me with anything, they said this was Force majeure and is not covered by any insurance providers. They said to get the expanses covered by AirItaly. But the latter doesn't reply to any phone or email. Not even now, days after my return.I notice their website is back up and running - for a while it only contained the disclaimer info about being voluntary liquidated. If they are back in operation, surely they must be responsible for the customers they ditched? I presume everyone got a replace flight, except those few of us who were in an inconvenient place in the worlds backyard. Yet, ought they not first provide for those, seeing as they ditched me in one of the most dangerous spots on earth for someone like me.
I have no idea who to contact and how to go about getting some reparations. I've put myself in debt to get out of this situation. I hard someone say my credit card company could go after them, since I purchased the flight with a master card.
I hope some well-informed bright heads at this forum can give me some solid advice in how to approach this unfortunate dilemma AirItaly placed me in.
On 9 feb I went to Lagos (Nigeria) to partake in a convention. My flight was with Norwegian from Oslo to Milan. Then AirItaly from Milan to Lagos. And the same route reversed for the return.
While I was there, Airitaly was liquidated. I got conflicting information: On 12 Feb I received two mails from them: one reminding of my return flight Sun 16th at 02.20 a.m. Another saying the return flight is cancelled. And on 13 Feb i receive a third email saying i should check-in and pick a seat. I discovered these mails the day before my departure.
Although I was alarmed by the cancellation news, they insisted that everyone flying with them in my period would be able to get on another flight - quote from their website:
"Flights from 11 to 25 February 2020 inclusive All Air Italy flights will be operated from 11 to 25 February by other carriers at the times and on the days previously scheduled."
As they said this both in the email and at the website, I felt reassured. Besides, it was impossible to get hold of them on the phone numbers they specify.
I went super-early to the airport and inquired at the airitaly desk, but they said no flights had been running for several days, and that my flight was also cancelled. Although the monitors at the airport said there was an airitaly flight a couple of hours after mine which was on schedule, the airitaly folks said the monitors are not updated (Lagos airport is very old school and more manual than digital). They also said they themselves were in the dark having not been in the loop for several days, and that the only thing i could do was to email airitaly on their refunds email, and/or try getting hold of them on the phone, and ask them to get my on a flight out of there.
So there I am with no return flight, no hotel, almost empty of funds, and without ability to call anywhere since my mobile network didnt work in Lagos. I checked prices for return flight with others, because i had to catch the Norwegian flight on Sunday 16th from Milano, so as not to loose that one also. However, the prices were outrageous (cheapest: 3000 U.S. dollars). The return flight with Norwegian was lost.
I emptied my credit cards and purchased the cheapest flight closes in time, which was 900 dollars 3 days later, and found a cheap hotel close to the airport. I got all sorts of additional expanses, like personal driver back and forth from the hotels (these are not cheap, but the only viable solution for a white person in Lagos), extended parking fee for my car back in Norway, high fees on my credit cards, food to get by, etc.
My insurance company refused to help me with anything, they said this was Force majeure and is not covered by any insurance providers. They said to get the expanses covered by AirItaly. But the latter doesn't reply to any phone or email. Not even now, days after my return.I notice their website is back up and running - for a while it only contained the disclaimer info about being voluntary liquidated. If they are back in operation, surely they must be responsible for the customers they ditched? I presume everyone got a replace flight, except those few of us who were in an inconvenient place in the worlds backyard. Yet, ought they not first provide for those, seeing as they ditched me in one of the most dangerous spots on earth for someone like me.
I have no idea who to contact and how to go about getting some reparations. I've put myself in debt to get out of this situation. I hard someone say my credit card company could go after them, since I purchased the flight with a master card.
I hope some well-informed bright heads at this forum can give me some solid advice in how to approach this unfortunate dilemma AirItaly placed me in.
Feb 22, 2020, 8:42 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Did you at any point specifically ask IG or its ground handlers to reroute you? If so, make certain that you have the details of how this was accomplished and what you asked for. If this was at the airport and you do not have the staff person's name, use a physical description. If not, item may not be payable.
You should be able to make the following claims to IG:
1. Cancellation/Delay compensation of EUR 600.
2. Duty of Care reimbursement for your reasonable local expenses, e.g. hotel, food & driver.
3. Refund of the segment value of your IG flight.
4. Net increase in cost for your new ticket.
Your onwards travel arrangements on other tickets and parking are consequential expenses and not likely reimbursed. You could include them in #2 , but don't expect them to be paid.
IG is not insolvent, but simply not viable. If insolvent, you would still have the above claims, but it would not likely be worth pursuing them.
You should be able to make the following claims to IG:
1. Cancellation/Delay compensation of EUR 600.
2. Duty of Care reimbursement for your reasonable local expenses, e.g. hotel, food & driver.
3. Refund of the segment value of your IG flight.
4. Net increase in cost for your new ticket.
Your onwards travel arrangements on other tickets and parking are consequential expenses and not likely reimbursed. You could include them in #2 , but don't expect them to be paid.
IG is not insolvent, but simply not viable. If insolvent, you would still have the above claims, but it would not likely be worth pursuing them.
Feb 22, 2020, 9:17 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 6
Interesting.
Yes, I asked the personnel to reroute me, but they said there was nothing they could do. I even showed them that the monitor said another lfight was going out later, but they scoffed at it and said it was wrong. No flights for several days. I got the notion I was not the first upset customer they had dealt with lately.
However, they were completely out of the loop. In fact, they feared they were out of jobs. They gave me a piece of paper with information that I took picture of. It was mostly the same bull that they put on their website (it's still there). They said I should ask per email for a compensation flight, which I did (but no reply to date). Further, after 10 minutes waiting on the line, the call gets disconnected. So if I was to follow the formal process of operation, I would still be in Lagos, either dead or alive.
Today I made a formal complaint on their website, since it seems to be back in operation. If they once more are flying people around today, surely they need to step in and alleviate those they screwed? Not sure they will ever reply though.
As for the claim you list, where do you suggest I send it? I'm happy just to be partially refunded. Something is better than nothing.
And is there anything to do using the credit card companies to go after them?
Yes, I asked the personnel to reroute me, but they said there was nothing they could do. I even showed them that the monitor said another lfight was going out later, but they scoffed at it and said it was wrong. No flights for several days. I got the notion I was not the first upset customer they had dealt with lately.
However, they were completely out of the loop. In fact, they feared they were out of jobs. They gave me a piece of paper with information that I took picture of. It was mostly the same bull that they put on their website (it's still there). They said I should ask per email for a compensation flight, which I did (but no reply to date). Further, after 10 minutes waiting on the line, the call gets disconnected. So if I was to follow the formal process of operation, I would still be in Lagos, either dead or alive.
Today I made a formal complaint on their website, since it seems to be back in operation. If they once more are flying people around today, surely they need to step in and alleviate those they screwed? Not sure they will ever reply though.
As for the claim you list, where do you suggest I send it? I'm happy just to be partially refunded. Something is better than nothing.
And is there anything to do using the credit card companies to go after them?
Feb 22, 2020, 9:24 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 6
By the way, if they are not bankrupt and this is simply a cancellation case, shouldn't i re-inquire my insurance company to deal with it? They refused to help me in any way when I was there because they said it was a bankrupcy case which equals force majeure. However, now that AirItaly is back on their feet operation, wouldn't this boil down to a simple cancellation case? Then I should be able too invoke my travel insurance after all?
Also, who is IG?
Also, who is IG?
Feb 22, 2020, 3:04 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
By the way, if they are not bankrupt and this is simply a cancellation case, shouldn't i re-inquire my insurance company to deal with it? They refused to help me in any way when I was there because they said it was a bankrupcy case which equals force majeure. However, now that AirItaly is back on their feet operation, wouldn't this boil down to a simple cancellation case? Then I should be able too invoke my travel insurance after all?
Also, who is IG?
Also, who is IG?
You need to reread your policy terms very carefully and determine whether what occurred here is within scope of the coverage you purchased.
If it is and the insurer refuses to pay, pursue them both through your regulator.
Feb 22, 2020, 6:19 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Feb 24, 2020, 12:12 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 6
Feb 24, 2020, 12:15 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 6
He also said to get them to tell me the reason for their cancellation, which they never did - perhaps other than "We are making a number of schedule changes one of which will affect your flight" - if that can be defined as a reason. Apparently if the reason is "right", the insurance can do something.