Just come back from Abu Dhabi – flying via Bahrain with Gulf Air.
Flight out was a nightmare – took 48h in total with late departure from Heathrow (£20 voucher for food and drink only), couldn’t land at Bahrain so went via Kuwait to refuel and then back to Bahrain, 8 hour wait and several missed connections, no voucher this time so I bought my own food and drink – went c 30 hours without sleep. Baggage was lost but delivered the next day.
A lot of this was due to fog in Bahrain so not the airline’s fault but presumably I have a case for a substantial if not 100% refund of the outward leg of the journey?
Coming back today, flight was late leaving Abu Dhabi, delayed again at Bahrain and was about 2.5 hours late back to London this morning. Apparently the late departure from Bahrain was because the plane was late from maintenance (rather than causes of of their control).

So, question is, what am I legitimately allowed to claim for under general consumer/travel rules and what can I reasonably ask for in terms of refund/compensation – the outward leg shortened my trip and the sleep deprivation was something of an endurance test to say the least, even it is was quite an interesting adventure!

I’ll do some general web research but suspect STW will have some useful insights and ideas…

Others will be along to help, there was a thread with a very useful link – I just can’t find it (quick search only)

http://www.resolver.co.uk/

Nothing for the return (less than 3 hours late). Maybe something for the outward journey if the airline can’t blame it on fog, but it’s a fixed sum depending on delay not a refund per se.

+1 for it being compo, not a refund/expense claim

If it wasn’t beyond the airlines control (weather/natural disaster etc) then the most you can get is €600 per passenger (transatlantic flight, delayed by more than 12 hours.) there’s a list of the criteria and what that gets you online, but I Cba to google it

Edit, seems I can

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/if-your-flights-delayed-or-cancelled/

I’ve followed this method successfully in the past. The airline may well argue fog, but maintenance is within the control of the airline. What caused the original delay on the way out. Was the fog there then?
flight compo

I think you can claim for the outward because it left from an EU airport, even though it’s a non-EU airline. return you can’t because of the delay <3hrs but also because it’s a non-EU airline leaving from a non-EU airport.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays

good link, also covers the ethics of it.

Of course, now we’re leaving the EU we’ll need our own rules.

Of course, now we’re leaving the EU we’ll need our own rules.

😀

Sounds like a nightmare, I thinks its tough luck on way back but on way out you should be able to claim some expenses. If it can seen to be normally foggy in Bahrain at this time of year thenyou could say the airline wasn’t prepared.
I got snowed in in Gdasnk last month, the airline / airport should be prapared for that in Poland in December. Ryanair have approved my claim but haven’t received payment yet. Not that I’m expecting it any time soon as my wife has been waiting payment for over 6 months for a 6 hrs Ryanair delay claim that was also approved straight away.

but also because it’s a non-EU airline leaving from a non-EU airport.

As long as one of the airports is in the EU, departure or arrival, youre covered.

As all the above really and +1 http://www.resolver.co.uk/ Free to use and I got the maximum under EU rules (though a friend went through a claims company for same flight delay and I assumed they’d take a cut but he actually got twice as much! They might have fabricated the claim though).

Airlines flat deny you have any right to claim and give you the basic minimum subsistence during the delay (meal coupons etc). Delay I had last year they gave us a letter to give to our own insurers to claim from and said nothing about EU regs. Own insurance was a pathetic £20 per day delayed. I got €250 for just under 14 hour delay short flight in EU.

@Tomhoward.

Nope. From the MSE link

It’s only for EU-regulated flights
European Union flight
An EU flight is where the flight departed from an EU airport, regardless of the airline OR where an EU airline landed at an EU airport. Under this law, EU airports also include those in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

So a delayed Manchester to Miami flight qualifies, regardless of the airline. Yet for Miami to Manchester, you are entitled to compensation flying Virgin or KLM, but not on Air India.

Enjoy it while it lasts anyway. Airlines are looking forward to Brexit.

If it can seen to be normally foggy in Bahrain at this time of year thenyou could say the airline wasn’t prepared.

And how exactly are they supposed to do that? Flights are delayed in fog due to airport restrictions (greater spacing; very limited vehicle movement etc). They could perhaps have given ou more food and drink but I honestly don’t think you stand a chance of getting any compensation under EU rules.

I honestly don’t think you stand a chance of getting any compensation under EU rules.

From reading the EU conditions I think you’re right. My insurance won’t cover it either – but surely being 24 hours late for a 14 hour journey, inadequate food and drink and 30 hours with nearly no sleep is breaking some law or sales regulation somewhere? It was truly chaotic at times… The queue in Bahrain took 3 hours to move 15 metres to find out what connecting flights were available as pretty much every flight from that part of the world had been affected…

From reading the EU conditions I think you’re right. My insurance won’t cover it either – but surely being 24 hours late for a 14 hour journey, inadequate food and drink and 30 hours with nearly no sleep is breaking some law or sales regulation somewhere?

normally filed under shit happens however your travel insurance policy probably has some delay cover that will be about the same as the policy excess.

The queue in Bahrain took 3 hours to move 15 metres to find out what connecting flights were available as pretty much every flight from that part of the world had been affected…

Hub airports in bad weather shocker. One of those things, there is no point in building an airport for the 1 day a year it all goes wrong.
I was trying to get back from Geneva when LHR was shut due to the liquid bomb scare. Queued for 4hrs to get rebooked, no vouchers or anything just happy to get home via 3 other airports.