Flight Cancellation
Dec 20, 2006, 9:49 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Toronto
Programs: Aeroplan, Starwood Platinum, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 87
Flight Cancellation
This is my first post, but I have been a frequent traveller on & off for over 10 years.
I purchased an Air Canada ticket from YYZ to DEL on Air Canada and a return from BOM to YYZ via LHR through lastminute.com, as they were the only ones with availability on Star Alliance for the dates that I wanted to travel. The BOM to LHR leg was run by British Midland. That flight has now been cancelled and I have been put on a flight by Indian Airlines and British Airways. This flight will cause me to spend an extra 10 hours in transit.
What do people think is the right amount of compensation that I should ask for? I have 25k status miles with AC this year and over 250k points accumulated in the past two years, I paid $2600 for this particular flight, compared to other routing options that were $2000.
So is $500 a reasonable amount to ask for? Should I ask for this amount from Air Canada or British Midland? Or should I ask for points, Elite status or something else?
BTW, don't ever book on lastminute.com as they have the most useless customer service in the world. I had booked hotels and other flights through them in the past, but with their customer service in India it is close to impossible to deal with them.
I purchased an Air Canada ticket from YYZ to DEL on Air Canada and a return from BOM to YYZ via LHR through lastminute.com, as they were the only ones with availability on Star Alliance for the dates that I wanted to travel. The BOM to LHR leg was run by British Midland. That flight has now been cancelled and I have been put on a flight by Indian Airlines and British Airways. This flight will cause me to spend an extra 10 hours in transit.
What do people think is the right amount of compensation that I should ask for? I have 25k status miles with AC this year and over 250k points accumulated in the past two years, I paid $2600 for this particular flight, compared to other routing options that were $2000.
So is $500 a reasonable amount to ask for? Should I ask for this amount from Air Canada or British Midland? Or should I ask for points, Elite status or something else?
BTW, don't ever book on lastminute.com as they have the most useless customer service in the world. I had booked hotels and other flights through them in the past, but with their customer service in India it is close to impossible to deal with them.
Dec 20, 2006, 10:08 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: DL Plat
Posts: 758
Be aware that the airline contract says that they will get you from point A to point B but doesn't guarantee that you will arrive at a specific time. Your 10 extra hours in transit may be terribly inconvenient but will probably not earn you $500 or airline status. If you find the new flights to be impossible, you can likely get a refund and find a more acceptible itinerary on your own. I think the only thing you might get out of this are a handful of miles (5-10K?).
Dec 20, 2006, 10:25 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Austin
Programs: CO-Plat, DL-Gold
Posts: 518
I wouldn't think it's likely you'll get compensation. Typically with a major schedule change you can get a full refund (even if the fare is non refundable), or take the reaccommodation option.
I would check to see what other *A options might be available rather than the AI/BA flights. The automated system or the person who rebooked you may not have given you the most direct option.
The difficulty with asking for compensation in this case is the number of carriers involved, and the fact that you booked through lastminute.com. The airlines will likely push you back to lastminute, and lastminute will likely try to deflect any customer service requests. I think it's unlikely you'll get AC miles for a flight cancellation on BD, even if the BD segment in question was part of an AC flight. And it's unlikely BD will compensate you, since your ticket was booked with AC.
In short, I wouldn't spend too much time trying to get compensation. Look for other flight options that better suit your needs, but also be happy that the airline was able to find something that didn't involve changing dates!
I would check to see what other *A options might be available rather than the AI/BA flights. The automated system or the person who rebooked you may not have given you the most direct option.
The difficulty with asking for compensation in this case is the number of carriers involved, and the fact that you booked through lastminute.com. The airlines will likely push you back to lastminute, and lastminute will likely try to deflect any customer service requests. I think it's unlikely you'll get AC miles for a flight cancellation on BD, even if the BD segment in question was part of an AC flight. And it's unlikely BD will compensate you, since your ticket was booked with AC.
In short, I wouldn't spend too much time trying to get compensation. Look for other flight options that better suit your needs, but also be happy that the airline was able to find something that didn't involve changing dates!
Dec 20, 2006, 11:55 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC E75K *G
Posts: 7,111
anishm, welcome to FlyerTalk!
I won't repeat the answer I gave you here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=638061
Also, please remember to only put your questions in one forum at a time. It helps keep things organized.
Sometimes using the search function can help you find answers for common problems. Unfortunately the "C" word comes up so often that you might be swamped with hits, but it's always worth a try anyway.
I won't repeat the answer I gave you here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=638061
Also, please remember to only put your questions in one forum at a time. It helps keep things organized.
Sometimes using the search function can help you find answers for common problems. Unfortunately the "C" word comes up so often that you might be swamped with hits, but it's always worth a try anyway.
Dec 20, 2006, 12:32 pm
#5
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Dec 20, 2006, 1:24 pm
#6
Senior Moderator
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Since FT rules call for posting the same message in only one forum, we'll close this in TBuzz in respect for the open thread in Air Canada. Ocn Vw 1K, CoMod, TBuzz.