Missed connection - Travel Department & Aer Lingus / BA

mikedublin

Hello

Just wondering if anyone would have any advice on this situation -

Booked a Christmas Holiday tour to China with the Travel Department. The flights were Aer Lingus to London, and BA to Beijing. Booked it back in Summer, everything sorted. Got my visa, all ready to go yesterday.

Got texts from the Travel Department on Monday and Tuesday and yesterday morning to say they were monitoring the flight situation, but to check in as normal.

Yesterday arrived at Dublin airport in plenty of time, checked in, bags tagged through. I was on the 12.10 flight to Heathrow, and the Beijing flight was due to go at 16.20 from Heathrow Terminal 5.

Then the London flight was delayed, first by 1/2 an hour, then an hour, then 2 hours. Then quite a long taxi and finally took off about 3. Due to the snow, and thats nobodys fault.

Landed in Heathrow at about 4, and (me and the others in the group) all got texts and calls from The Travel Department to say we had missed the connecting flight, and to come back to Ireland straight away.

In other words : we're not going to rebook you on another flight, we're not going to try and re-route, or go tomorrow or anything like that - just the entire thing is cancelled.

Ended up running around Heathrow last night between Terminal 1 and Terminal 5, between BA, Aer Lingus and Menzies (their ground handling agency in Heathrow) and the end of the situation was no-body would re-book us, so ended up back in Dublin at midnight

No Christmas holiday (and no bags either - as its somewhere between here and Beijing).

So my question is this : Are the airlines, and travel agencys not supposed to re-book or re-route you when the connection is missed, rather than just saying tough the whole trip is cancelled and go home.

There were seats on flights today via other airports and airlines for all 5 of us. But betweeen them all no-body would book us on them.

They have promised a refund, but after 6 months of saving and working to do the trip its not very nice to have it all cancelled like that.

Cabaal

Personally the delay was beyond their control and if they provided you with the flight back to Ireland I can't see them being liable for anything more then the refund.
just my 2c

AlwaysAmber

You must be gutted, having a trip like that canceled.

Your flight from Dublin was 12.10 leaving Dublin? That's a very short window to catch the other flight. They must have known that even in normal weather conditions they weren't allowing much time for the connection.

Having said that, I'd tend to agree with Cabaal that they're probably covered legally. The delay was outside of their control, but they did get you home and you weren't left stranded.

mikedublin

I'm hoping I'll get the refund and be able to book something else next year.

I thought they would be more organised that they and the airlines involved would re-book people (there were 5 of us) on the next flight rather than cancelling the entire thing.

E.T.

If it's booked as a package I thought the travel agency or airline would have to sort out your connecting flight? I know if you book separate flights eg dublin-london with ryanair and then london-beijing with british airways and your first flight is delayed, then the second airline isn't obligated to sort you out.

mikedublin

E.T. wrote: »

If it's booked as a package I thought the travel agency or airline would have to sort out your connecting flight? .

Yeah - thats what I thought would happen. So it was a big shock when we were all told just to come home.

It definetly was a package ticket, as when I was checking in at Dublin it had all the 2nd flight information (seat etc) and actually printed me out a boarding pass for the 2nd flight too.

dudara

Moved to Travel & Holidays

dudara

mervifwdc

We had something similar but never left ireland. Ba ticked with ei to heathrow which was cancelled. Ba now saying it's an ei problem as their flight from heathrow left on time and ei made us miss it.

mikedublin

mervifwdc wrote: »

We had something similar but never left ireland. Ba ticked with ei to heathrow which was cancelled. Ba now saying it's an ei problem as their flight from heathrow left on time and ei made us miss it.

Just wondering ; were you booked through "The Travel Department" as well ? As in my case it seems its what they did with the connecting flights was what caused the problems.

mikedublin

Just also wanted to say : I still want to go, and even if I have missed the tour, I have my visa and passport and am able to travel at just a few hours notice.

So if by any chance there is anyone from British Airways, Aer Lingus etc reading this, please get in touch with me. (you'll see all my information on your systems under PNR Z6GQMD