Flight Cancellations and Delays

I was hoping someone could help please?- Basically I flew from the states to the UK and one of my flights was cancelled and delayed and my airline provided no compensation to me while others were given some compensation.

I had a flight from Chicago to Newark- I got to Newark at 12:30 am so I had to wait 8 hours for my flight to London Heathrow, which I was fine with since I paid for that ticket. Albeit, when I got onto my 8:30 am flight, it was first delayed for about 3 hours and was then cancelled- we were told there would be another flight leaving at 7:30pm so we would have to wait.

We were also informed to go to the customer service desk, people were given food vouchers, I was speaking to some people who had just got there an hour before the flight and they even received $60 and a hotel. However when I informed the customer service team that I had already been there for 8 hours, they only offered me $20 worth of food vouchers- while others were given $60 and a hotel.

We ended up being boarded onto the plane at 8:30 pm even though we were supposed to leave at 7:30 pm and then we were delayed again and finally took off at around 11:30 pm. The reasons for all the delays were due to issues with the plane's brakes.

They have provided me with no compensation, I went on their website (united cares- united airlines) and filled out a form- almost 2 weeks later I have received no response.

Is there anything I can do? I just feel it's unfair that I was practically in the airport 23 hours- while others who were only there for an hour or two were actually compensated.

Best Answer

Contrary to (for instance) flights originating in the EU or operated by a EU airline, flights from the US operated by a US carrier have very little protection, and definitely no automatic compensation by law or regulation. Other than indemnification of damages as protected by the Montreal Convention, it's mostly up to each carrier to decide how they want to compensate you (or at all), and how they want to take care of you (if there had been an overnight delay the situation would have been different).

It is perfectly possible they could have different compensation policies based on:

the cabin travelled in (first / business / coach...)
the fare class (a full non discounted fare vs a highly discounted fare)
the fare rules (if the ticket is refundable, they have an incentive to take care of you to avoid cancellation)
the frequent flyer status
the perceived "fragility" of the passenger (elderly, sick...).
and of course the human factor (a smile can go a long way).

I believe it's unusual under normal circumstances for a hotel to be provided for a day-time delay, but they could do it for high-value passengers.

Unless you know the specific circumstances of each passenger, it's difficult to compare what kind of compensation or service you were offered.

On the other hand, if you can actually justify damage, you may be eligible for compensation under the Montreal Convention, though this is often a complex endeavour, and quite limited in scope.

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What are you entitled to when your flight is Cancelled?

The US Department of Transportation says you are entitled to a refund of your ticket cost because of a cancellation or "significant delay" and you choose not to travel. This is the policy regardless of the reason the airline cancels or delays the flight.

Why are they canceling so many flights?

Many of these problems stem from airlines slashing staff early on in the pandemic, when air travel plummeted. Demand has since roared back faster than airlines have been able to ramp up hiring. "The biggest issue is they don't have the capacity.

Do airlines have to compensate for Cancelled flights?

The airline is required to compensate you for a canceled flight if you were notified less than 14 days before your original scheduled departure date. However, compensation is not required if the airline proves that extraordinary circumstances (e.g., weather) caused the cancellation.

Will I get full refund if flight is Cancelled?

The answer is yes. You can get money back from airlines in case your flight gets cancelled regardless of the reason. an airline must offer you a full flight refund for all flights within the same booking. an airline must find you a replacement flight so you can reach your final destination.