Etihad - poor service, no re imbursement. What more can we do?

[tassietiger]

mwenenzi - in reading back through these posts - you seem to have disregarded every bit of fact stated. I have already asked you and you have not answered me - are you an employee of etihad?

 

[Mwenenzi]

Return flight was cancelled about 10 days before we left Australia.

hi Mwenenzi - sorry to disagree with you - 100% Etihad's fault - certainly not mine

Airlines tend not to pay for your consequential costs of known schedule change.
More so several week after the event. That's what travel insurance is for.
TT & family arrived back in Aust 11 June (as a post above)

Certainly do not work for any airline, but have done some miles on airlines (but not a M East airlines)

 

[mannej]

I laugh every time that there is a disagreement of opinions and the old you must work for them line comes up.

Gets me every time!

 

[Mwenenzi]

I laugh every time that there is a disagreement of opinions and the old you must work for them line comes up.

Gets me every time!

The collective knowledge _ experience on AFF / FT is often a lot more than airline staff and people not well traveled

 

[tassietiger]

Hi mannej - glad I could give you a chuckle (lol)

Yes, I have now had my spat & shouldn "get on with life"

I'm just from the old school where, you pay (or in this case your wife & mother in law) money direct to an airline to fly - then they don't even get advised that the domestic flight sector home (last flight of the night) has been cancelled, you organise the next day flight yourself, which is at a cheaper rate , then when you arrive back & email the airline re this - they don't even reply.

Oops - there I go again!

 

[MelUser]

I think if this had happened to me I would have gone over to QF and got their last plane home!

 

[tassietiger]

I think if this had happened to me I would have gone over to QF and got their last plane home!

hi melUser - think QF left at about the same time, so would have been no use.

We (I) asked etihad could we try for the 7.30pm flight, but they said as we would only be arriving in Melbourne at 6.05pm, not enough time to get bags, clear customs & check in with bags to the virgin flight - but, if we wanted to, but missed this (last) flight that the cost of the flights home next day would be at our expenses - we couldn't risk it

 

[Mwenenzi]

We (I) asked etihad could we try for the 7.30pm flight, but they said as we would only be arriving in Melbourne at 6.05pm, not enough time to get bags, clear customs & check in with bags to the virgin flight - but, if we wanted to, but missed this (last) flight that the cost of the flights home next day would be at our expenses - we couldn't risk it

So this must have been before you left Aust ?
Airlines do not pay for your consequential costs of known schedule change before you start the trip.
At times they will offer you a refund when there is significant schedule change.

The price airlines pay one another for codeshares is likely to have little to do with the retail prices we see on the web.
Same with your DJ reward flights on Etihad

 

[tassietiger]

So this must have been before you left Aust ?
Airlines do not pay for your consequential costs of known schedule change before you start the trip.
At times they will offer you a refund when there is significant schedule change.

The price airlines pay one another for codeshares is likely to have little to do with the retail prices we see on the web.
Same with your DJ reward flights on Etihad

Yes Mwenenzi - I found out before we left Australia (I received notification as I was a direct Virgin flyer, Virgin claim they advised etihad, who did nothing, as we then emailed them & received no reply) - then had to spend 3 x 1+ hour calls to etihad to sort this out - ie have a different flight from Melbourne to Hobart)

Nothing was offered by etihad - even though I asked for compensation & they acknowledged in all my calls I was polite, gave them no grief. This came in the lead up to the holiday, whilst I was trying to get my work projects completed.

So, from your expert opinion, you are saying - it's o.k to book a multiple sector flight on one ticket with partner airlines involved, then have something like this happen & expect no compensation for overnight accomodation etc for something out of our control. Airlines fair? no - and people says banks are coughs!!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

hi melUser - think QF left at about the same time, so would have been no use.

We (I) asked etihad could we try for the 7.30pm flight, but they said as we would only be arriving in Melbourne at 6.05pm, not enough time to get bags, clear customs & check in with bags to the virgin flight - but, if we wanted to, but missed this (last) flight that the cost of the flights home next day would be at our expenses - we couldn't risk it

Depends on what the minimum connecting time is for INT-DOM. If it is 90 mins they are correct. If it was less than 90 mins you shuold have taken the 730pm option, then your insurance would have covered hotel and meals for the travel delay. Well, so would the airline. But the key is the minimum connecting time... I tried looking for that but couldn't find it anywhere.

 

[tassietiger]

Depends on what the minimum connecting time is for INT-DOM. If it is 90 mins they are correct. If it was less than 90 mins you shuold have taken the 730pm option, then your insurance would have covered hotel and meals for the travel delay. Well, so would the airline. But the key is the minimum connecting time... I tried looking for that but couldn't find it anywhere.

maybe, but had we missed the last flight that sunday night, we would have been stranded in melbourne, exhausted from 2 flights initiating from dublin, with an 80 year old traveller, having to then organise accomodation that night.

Also, as this was a long weekend, things were very busy & the flight the next day was full, so waiting to sort this out when we arrived back in Australia was an option I'm glad i didn't choose, as we may not have been able to get a flight home on monday at all.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

maybe, but had we missed the last flight that sunday night, we would have been stranded in melbourne, exhausted from 2 flights initiating from dublin, with an 80 year old traveller, having to then organise accomodation that night.

Also, as this was a long weekend, things were very busy & the flight the next day was full, so waiting to sort this out when we arrived back in Australia was an option I'm glad i didn't choose, as we may not have been able to get a flight home on monday at all.

well at the moment you had to overnight anyway...

there is a hotel attached to MEL airport. Easy to book. This could have been booked in advance at a cancellable rate to guarantee the room. It would have been reimbursed along with meals by travel insurance. Being on the one ticket you would have been protected to Tasmania. The airline would have been responsible for organising onward travel, whether that be on Qantas group or Virgin. The pax could have remained in comfort, with a good night's sleep until the flight.

I appreciate this is with the benefit of hindisght, but if you knew the 9pm was cancelled, then the 730 would have been the option if it was within connecting times. At best, you would have made the flight, at worst, the hotel was booked and no messing around at the airport on arrival. At least with the 730 flight insurance would have covered all costs if the airline didn't.

But the key is the min connecting times. Anyone know what those are for MEL?

 

[MrHyde]

Hi TT,

There are two very distinct cases here:

1) Your ticket.
As you have said, these were two separate tickets - one between Hobart and Melbourne on DJ and one between Melbourne and Dublin on EY.
Since these were separate tickets, EY has no responsibility on the onward connections and in fact won't even know that you had an onward connection. In the same way, DJ won't know about any previous flights and their responsibility is with their flights only. DJ is responsible for the Melbourne to Hobart flight and they offered you two options, an earlier flight and/or a flight the next day. DJ were right in saying that if you missed the earlier flight, you would be on your own and have to pay for the next day's flight. The other option provided by DJ would have been a full refund of the ticket. Once you have accepted an option, the matter is considered closed. Any discussions on compensation should have been made before an option is accepted.

2) Your Wife and MIL
This is the second case, where you have more of a possibility to get compensation. Since this was a single ticket from Hobart to Dublin and back, the airline this was booked with is responsible to get you back to Hobart. If a partner cancels a flight or a connection is missed, the booking airline needs to make suitable alternative arrangements. In this case, if MCT allowed, I would have taken the 7:30 PM flight because if you missed it, Etihad would have been responsible for finding your wife and MIL accommodation and putting them on the next available flight. It looks like 85 minutes is less than MCT for Melbourne, so they booked next flight (which is next day). I still think they should have paid for accommodation caused due to their's partner flight cancellation.

What complicates the matter is that the phone calls you made before the start of the trip. Even though they did not call your wife, the fact that you called them about their flights would have registered in their systems that the passenger knows about the flight changes. Those phone calls would be considered an acceptance of the new flight and any request for compensation or accommodation costs should have been at that time before agreeing to the new flight times. Once you accepted the new flight, the matter is closed.

As has been suggested by other, I feel that you should still pursue the claim for expenses incurred by your wife and MIL with both Etihad and your travel insurance. Just be aware that they might use the fact that you agreed to the flight changes before the trip against you.

 

[mannej]

Thank you MrHyde, well put.

 

[moa999]

Minimum Connection Time's for MEL (expertflyer) appears to be 2hrs according to this excerpt, so EY was right in not being able to put you on the earlier flight.

DJ-DJ ID 1.45 FLT 8000 - 8999 - FLT 200 - 2999
DJ-DJ ID 1.15
EY-EY ID 2.00
VA-DJ ID 1.15 FLT 1 - 50 - FLT 200 - 2999
**-DJ ID 2.00
DJ-** ID 2.00

MrHyde,
Agree with your comments.
Based on the scheduling there was no other option but for the OP and family to book an overnight stay. If the original later flight had not existed, presumably this is what they what have done (at their expense).
Otherwise if not wanting an overnight stay at the time of finding out the flight is cancelled they should have been working with the airlines on alternatives (eg via SYD etc)
Its a bit much when you have accepted a flight change to come back and demand compensation after the fact for a change you accepted.

 

[tassietiger]

Minimum Connection Time's for MEL (expertflyer) appears to be 2hrs according to this excerpt, so EY was right in not being able to put you on the earlier flight.

DJ-DJ ID 1.45 FLT 8000 - 8999 - FLT 200 - 2999
DJ-DJ ID 1.15
EY-EY ID 2.00
VA-DJ ID 1.15 FLT 1 - 50 - FLT 200 - 2999
**-DJ ID 2.00
DJ-** ID 2.00

MrHyde,
Agree with your comments.
Based on the scheduling there was no other option but for the OP and family to book an overnight stay. If the original later flight had not existed, presumably this is what they what have done (at their expense).
Otherwise if not wanting an overnight stay at the time of finding out the flight is cancelled they should have been working with the airlines on alternatives (eg via SYD etc)
Its a bit much when you have accepted a flight change to come back and demand compensation after the fact for a change you accepted.

Hi TT,

There are two very distinct cases here:

1) Your ticket.
As you have said, these were two separate tickets - one between Hobart and Melbourne on DJ and one between Melbourne and Dublin on EY.
Since these were separate tickets, EY has no responsibility on the onward connections and in fact won't even know that you had an onward connection. In the same way, DJ won't know about any previous flights and their responsibility is with their flights only. DJ is responsible for the Melbourne to Hobart flight and they offered you two options, an earlier flight and/or a flight the next day. DJ were right in saying that if you missed the earlier flight, you would be on your own and have to pay for the next day's flight. The other option provided by DJ would have been a full refund of the ticket. Once you have accepted an option, the matter is considered closed. Any discussions on compensation should have been made before an option is accepted.

2) Your Wife and MIL
This is the second case, where you have more of a possibility to get compensation. Since this was a single ticket from Hobart to Dublin and back, the airline this was booked with is responsible to get you back to Hobart. If a partner cancels a flight or a connection is missed, the booking airline needs to make suitable alternative arrangements. In this case, if MCT allowed, I would have taken the 7:30 PM flight because if you missed it, Etihad would have been responsible for finding your wife and MIL accommodation and putting them on the next available flight. It looks like 85 minutes is less than MCT for Melbourne, so they booked next flight (which is next day). I still think they should have paid for accommodation caused due to their's partner flight cancellation.

What complicates the matter is that the phone calls you made before the start of the trip. Even though they did not call your wife, the fact that you called them about their flights would have registered in their systems that the passenger knows about the flight changes. Those phone calls would be considered an acceptance of the new flight and any request for compensation or accommodation costs should have been at that time before agreeing to the new flight times. Once you accepted the new flight, the matter is closed.

As has been suggested by other, I feel that you should still pursue the claim for expenses incurred by your wife and MIL with both Etihad and your travel insurance. Just be aware that they might use the fact that you agreed to the flight changes before the trip against you.

O.K everyone - I surrender! I shouldn't have accepted a flight change.

Even though my 9PM flight was cancelled from Melbourne to Hobart - I should have said no - I still want this one even though it's cancelled. I then should have accepted the earlier 7.30pm flight, which if we missed it, would have meant we fly next day (final day of a long weekend day, full flights, maybe no seats - additional tickets at our expense)

Also, when virgin advised me of the flight change - I should have been dishonest & not advised etihad as well (even did were already advised by virgin & did nothing), taking hours of my time to sort this out - should have lied, let my wife & mother in law turn up to get the 9PM virgin melbourne to hobart flight & there is no evidence that etihad advised us of this - because they didn't.

I'm learning, thank you

 

[mannej]

No - that's not is being said.

What is being said is your bargaining position now is much weaker considering you have accepted the change. If you stood your ground (not along the lines of 9pm flight only, more that's not good enough you have to put me up) you may have had a slightly different result

 

[Awesom Andy]

If you've accepted the schedule change, then any additional costs associated with this would be borne by the pax. Neither the airlines or travel insurance companies have anything to do with it. In this case, there really isn't anything you can do. You can demand as much compensation as you like, but chances are, you won't get anywhere.

For future references, when there is a delay/cancellation, the best thing to do is work with the airline to find the best option for you. I personally went through a similar exercise with Qantas a couple of months ago, and a re-route was made.

 

[serfty]

The OP has been around AFF since last year.

Here is a bit of advice for those that come across this thread in the future.

If aware at 10 days out of the cancellation; post the issue here and ask for advice before contacting any airline.

Having done that, I believe the end result could have been far better for the OP.