6 Hours on Tarmac at IST
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 5
6 Hours on Tarmac at IST
Hi All,
Just curious how you'd handle this... Last week I had an LX flight from IST-ZRH-JFK. After an hour or so delay at IST, we finally boarded, only to end up sitting on the plane for 6 hours while awaiting a de-icing that we ended up not needing because the flight was canceled due to ZRH's night ban. Swiss (through their incredibly incompetent third party ground staff in IST) eventually (3 hours after de-planing) got us our bags and into a hotel room. All told, this was a nine hour ordeal, plus the extra day to fly home.
Now, my problem isn't necessarily that our flight was cancelled, but the fact that we sat on the airplane for 6 hours, two and a half of which were actually AFTER our flight was officially called off. I know the EU has stricter regulations regarding this sort of thing than the US, and I've read where we may be due compensation. I've written a complaint to Swiss, but after 48 hours, have heard nothing back. How should I proceed?
Just curious how you'd handle this... Last week I had an LX flight from IST-ZRH-JFK. After an hour or so delay at IST, we finally boarded, only to end up sitting on the plane for 6 hours while awaiting a de-icing that we ended up not needing because the flight was canceled due to ZRH's night ban. Swiss (through their incredibly incompetent third party ground staff in IST) eventually (3 hours after de-planing) got us our bags and into a hotel room. All told, this was a nine hour ordeal, plus the extra day to fly home.
Now, my problem isn't necessarily that our flight was cancelled, but the fact that we sat on the airplane for 6 hours, two and a half of which were actually AFTER our flight was officially called off. I know the EU has stricter regulations regarding this sort of thing than the US, and I've read where we may be due compensation. I've written a complaint to Swiss, but after 48 hours, have heard nothing back. How should I proceed?
#5
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Even in the best weather IST can have tarmac delays of over an hour. Last month I sat on an A3 plane for ATH as we slowly made our way along the taxi way counting about a dozen planes ahead of us on one side, a similar number on the other side, alternating take offs and a few landings too!
Last week was a disaster at the airport given the snow that blanketed the city on Tuesday and Wednesday. I arrived on Thursday afternoon and things were just getting back to semi-normal. We had no delays getting out early afternoon on Saturday to FRA.
Last week was a disaster at the airport given the snow that blanketed the city on Tuesday and Wednesday. I arrived on Thursday afternoon and things were just getting back to semi-normal. We had no delays getting out early afternoon on Saturday to FRA.
#6
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,752
Swiss are legally obliged to provide you with a hotel and food if required, but no compensation. The cancellation was caused by weather, which is outside of the scope of EU261 compensation regulations (which also apply to Switzerland).
Any compensation they decide to offer is purely their goodwill.
Any compensation they decide to offer is purely their goodwill.
#7
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
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But I believe Regulation 261/2004 does apply to LX.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/9886076-post9.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/9886076-post9.html
#8
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: HAM
Posts: 556
But I believe Regulation 261/2004 does apply to LX.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/9886076-post9.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/9886076-post9.html
EDIT: I have to correct myself. Switzerland has adopted the EU-regulation. But anyway: In case of ice in Turkey being the reason for the delay, I do not see a big chance for compensation
Last edited by rotanes; Feb 8, 2012 at 11:27 am Reason: corrected
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 5
Swiss is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, however - so technically they are an EU airline. Anyway, my problem isn't the fact that our flight was canceled (Swiss flew us out successfully the next afternoon), it was the fact that we sat on the aircraft for an inordinate amount of time, and were then mishandled by inexperienced transfer staff who did not work for the airline. I had a hotel reservation in ZRH that I could have cancelled, had the airline done its job and called off the flight in a reasonable amount of time. They knew full well, having operated out of IST before, what the airport's capabilities were as far as getting planes off the ground.
At what point does a cancellation or delay stop being about "weather" and start being about incompetence?
At what point does a cancellation or delay stop being about "weather" and start being about incompetence?
#10
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As I explained, it is very likely you were one of dozens of cancelled flights Tuesday and Wednesday when this once in a decade snow fall hit the city and airport. At the best of times, IST can be an inefficient airport. This was the worst of times.
#11
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,980
Switzerland applies EU 261 to air passenger rights. I would file a complaint with Swiss national regulator for which they have a pdf link to a form in English on their website, unless the airline offers something obviously.
#12
Join Date: Jan 2012
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How does this address the question of incompetence vs weather? Does the airline is really entitled to imprison pax in an aircraft for 6 hours? Is this defendable?
#14
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: HAM
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#15
Join Date: Aug 2004
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