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The EC261 regulations seem clear enough to me when you have a single-segment journey and your flight is delayed or cancelled.

However, while returning home with British Airways going BOM->LHR->ABZ, I had 2 cancellations across 2 different days and a downgrade!

I was scheduled to fly BOM->LHR on 28-May (in Club World), and then on to ABZ later on the same day (in Club Europe). This was a World Traveller Plus booking that I'd upgraded using Avios.

The BOM->LHR flight got cancelled, and I moved to a different BA flight around 12 hours later than the original departure. The remaining segment LHR->ABZ was also cancelled.

Now, EC261 is clear to me so far: I'm due €600 in compensation.

However, when I got to LHR I received an email telling me that the new LHR-ABZ flight had also been cancelled, and I'd been moved onto a flight the next day - and that flight had been downgraded to economy instead of Club Europe!

EC261 is clear that I should be due €250 for this, but because all these flights are all on the same ticket, I'm not sure where this stands? For me, the 2nd cancellation really is yet another major PITA, and as it occurred on a different day should be counted as a separate 'instance', so I do think I should receive additional compensation for this. But that's just what I think is 'right'; I'm not sure if that's actually how it works.

Also according to EC261, either 30/50/75% of the ticket price should be refunded when you are downgraded, but it's not clear if this applies to the whole ticket, or just the affected segment. It's also not clear if this can be claimed as well as claim(s) becauses of delays/cancellations. This downgrade is an extra unnoyance to me, as it means I miss out on much needed extra legroom, can't use fast track security (I'm only in the bronze tier of BA's Executive Club this year), and can't use the lounge.

Has anyone have any experience of something similar?

Should I submit 3 separate claims, or just one that explains everything? Or am I only going to get the €600?

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  • Are you still in business class on BOM-LHR? That might be enough to let you access the lounge in LHR.
    – Nate Eldredge
    May 29, 2017 at 16:42
  • I was yes, but the BOM-LHR segment was today, and the LHR-ABZ segment is tomorrow - I've asked about lounge access before coming off a business class flight going onto an economy one, and was told 'no'. TBH, I value fast track security and extra leg room far more on domestic flights.
    – Cocowalla
    May 29, 2017 at 16:45
  • There's no extra leg room in Club Europe unless you are in row 1 or in an exit row (which could also be a Eurotraveller row depending on the curtain position).
    – Calchas
    May 29, 2017 at 20:34
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    @Calchas there didn't used to be (I never got the *point of Club Europe then) - but the new Club Europe cabins have wider seats and a lot of extra legroom
    – Cocowalla
    May 29, 2017 at 20:48
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    @Calchas I just got off this flight, and there was indeed more legroom in the Club Europe section
    – Cocowalla
    May 30, 2017 at 10:41

1 Answer 1

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The EC 261 calculation is based origin-to-destination so it is with respect to your final arrival in ABZ (unless you originally had a stopover in London). So one payment applies for the delay, but it is based at the higher rate.

Also according to EC261, either 30/50/75% of the ticket price should be refunded when you are downgraded, but it's not clear if this applies to the whole ticket, or just the affected segment.

Although the wording seems to imply the whole ticket should be refunded at 75 % (and I know at least one person who tried to claim 75 % of his $8,000 round the world first class ticket when a 30 minute flight was delayed), recent European court cases have clarified that the downgrade compensation should be pro-rated based on the the downgraded segment length. This is also the opinion of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. In this case I think you would be entitled to 30 % of (total ticket price * LON-ABZ distance / total distance), in addition to the cancellation. Based on the distances on gcmap.com, I work out the downgrade compensation as 0.04*0.30 = 1.2 % of your total ticket price.

In total ticket price, I would include both the Avios and the cash (including the upgraded cash you paid), but I would not expect to receive the Avios back.

Claim for both and keep your explanation succinct and clear.

In the event that this compensation does not cover your actual expenses that you incurred because of BA, I suggest that you send in any receipts you have with a demand for further compensation to cover these costs. BA will pay out anything "reasonable" even if it slightly exceeds what they said they would pay in the literature. [However for some bizarre reason they do not pay dry cleaning bills so you are better off buying new clothes than cleaning the old ones.] But, if you have travel insurance to cover these costs, then claim for these from your insurer instead.

I also suggest you take a look at the expert guide on EC 261/2004 on FlyerTalk.

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  • I believe you intend 1.2% not 0.12%.
    – Andrew Lazarus
    May 30, 2017 at 22:38
  • @AndrewLazarus Glad someone reads these things ... fixed
    – Calchas
    May 31, 2017 at 7:32

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