14,938.87 THB, case closed.

[moontang]

I just had that amount deposited in my account.  It was my compensation for a flight leaving 90 minutes late from Frankfurt, causing me to miss my connection at IAD, forcing me to spend a night at a Wyndham Hotel.  I used a claim helper service that took 25%.  If it had been straightforward, I would have done it myself, but I ended up with 8 boarding passes, on four different airlines.  The trouble started with my flight leaving BKK being 3 hours late, causing me to miss my connection in VIE.  Would have got nothing for that, but they sent me to Frankfurt, and my UAL Flight was late due to a door problem.  Had I not had a connection at IAD, would have gotten zero, but missing the connection made me eligible.  Had I been on a short business trip, it would have sucked, but I had three weeks.  Might want to travel through EU, instead of Japan or China from now on.  Will answer any questions about the process, that weren't already answered.  Chalk one up for the good guys.

[treetops]

Was this compensation under EU261 (the value seems about right)?

 

Can you tell us airline(s) involved, original and final routing and timings, cause of delay, ticketing arrangements (one or multiple) so we can understand and perhaps use your experience?

[moontang]

50 minutes ago, treetops said:

Was this compensation under EU261 (the value seems about right)?

 

Can you tell us airline(s) involved, original and final routing and timings, cause of delay, ticketing arrangements (one or multiple) so we can understand and perhaps use your experience?

Yes, eu261.  The key is that my reassigned flight from FRA was 90 minutes late, causing me to miss my connection..600 euro, less 25% and a few bucks for transfer.  EVA was 3 hours late leaving BKK, but didn't get squat for that, even though it was equipment change. I used www.claimcompass.eu. Ticketing was done through United and I paid with miles..40k and about 75 us in taxes, but originally, UAL was only going to take me from IAD to CHO.  Was scheduled to fly from VIE to IAD on Austrian.  Oh, and the group of Chinese that wanted to connect to Poland at VIE, had separate tickets, and got nothing, except possibly stranded.  A warning about that..very risky.  UAL was late because of a door problem, but without the missed connection..I would have got zilch on that, too.  

Edited November 23, 2019 by moontang

[4MyEgo]

23 hours ago, moontang said:

I just had that amount deposited in my account.  It was my compensation for a flight leaving 90 minutes late from Frankfurt, causing me to miss my connection at IAD, forcing me to spend a night at a Wyndham Hotel. 

I might sound a little vaig, but I gather you didn't take out travel insurance ?

[moontang]

32 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I might sound a little vaig, but I gather you didn't take out travel insurance ?

I carry travel medical with Tokio Marine.  It would have been tough to insure a ticket that was purchased for the cost of taxes..about 75 USD.  And even then, I may have only been covered for extra expenses incurred, which were zero, since they gave me a hotel room at Dulles, and three meal vouchers.

[cm17]

Hi all, I got a similar story: my Thai wife was due to fly from Chiang Mai to Bordeaux on the 11th of July, via Beijing and Zurich with Swissair; CNX to PEK o.k., but at the same time I got an e.mail that her flight to ZRH was cancelled, then another one saying that she had a seat on an Air France plane and a connection to BOD, landing two hours before than the original one...LOL...Of course, no way to contact her, so she had some hard time in Beijing as it was a big challenge to find some staff awake at night or keen to provide any information...Anyway, she finally arrived to BOD ahead of schedule and we forgot about the ordeal...This is where it gets interesting: on the 17th of October, I recieved a mail from a company called AirHelp informing me that following the delay, I was eligible to a compensation of 600 euro and that they proposed to obtain it on my behalf, for a fee of 35%, of course...Being a pathological sceptic, I immidiately thought of just another scam, but as I had nothing to do nor pay, I sent them a couple of informations they needed and didn't think more about it...October 29th, e.mail from AirHelp: "Swissair agrees on a 600 euro compensation"...November 6th: 390 euro deposit on my bank account: pas belle la vie?...Sorry, it was a bit long, but worth it, I think...Oh, I'd like to know wich company takes only a 25% fee...Thanks

[moontang]

1 hour ago, cm17 said:

Hi all, I got a similar story: my Thai wife was due to fly from Chiang Mai to Bordeaux on the 11th of July, via Beijing and Zurich with Swissair; CNX to PEK o.k., but at the same time I got an e.mail that her flight to ZRH was cancelled, then another one saying that she had a seat on an Air France plane and a connection to BOD, landing two hours before than the original one...LOL...Of course, no way to contact her, so she had some hard time in Beijing as it was a big challenge to find some staff awake at night or keen to provide any information...Anyway, she finally arrived to BOD ahead of schedule and we forgot about the ordeal...This is where it gets interesting: on the 17th of October, I recieved a mail from a company called AirHelp informing me that following the delay, I was eligible to a compensation of 600 euro and that they proposed to obtain it on my behalf, for a fee of 35%, of course...Being a pathological sceptic, I immidiately thought of just another scam, but as I had nothing to do nor pay, I sent them a couple of informations they needed and didn't think more about it...October 29th, e.mail from AirHelp: "Swissair agrees on a 600 euro compensation"...November 6th: 390 euro deposit on my bank account: pas belle la vie?...Sorry, it was a bit long, but worth it, I think...Oh, I'd like to know wich company takes only a 25% fee...Thanks

I used www.claimcompass.eu  good for you bro and sis...

[ericthai]

Thanks for the update, it's always nice when an OP comes back with the final results!!

[CNXBKKMAN]

You can collect the full payout with zero deductions by going to the Swiss or United Airlines website and completing the online form. It should only take a few minutes. I am guessing the claims agents just type your name and ticket details in for you and and make 150 euros? No doubt you had to fill out the claims companies online form with the exact same details required by the airline?

[moontang]

18 minutes ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

You can collect the full payout with zero deductions by going to the Swiss or United Airlines website and completing the online form. It should only take a few minutes. I am guessing the claims agents just type your name and ticket details in for you and and make 150 euros? No doubt you had to fill out the claims companies online form with the exact same details required by the airline?

If it had been straightforward, I would have done it directly..but 5 airlines were involved (counting skywest), and I had 8 boarding passes.  I was also concerned that since my problems were caused by EVA which isn't required to pay in the EU, that they would deny..and also it was only 90 minutes late..if I hadn't checked my bookbag I probably would have made it.  Also, I was on an award ticket, which I learned is a non item.  But I was able to simply submit a copy of the boarding pass for the flight leaving FRA, and the connection at IAD.  And being an American living in Thailand with no ties to the EU made it more difficult, too.  The airlines are underhanded, for the most part..I would not get my hopes up for quick closure with them.  The claim helper has the ability to drag them to court in the EU....

[Jaggg88]

8 hours ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

You can collect the full payout with zero deductions by going to the Swiss or United Airlines website and completing the online form. It should only take a few minutes. I am guessing the claims agents just type your name and ticket details in for you and and make 150 euros? No doubt you had to fill out the claims companies online form with the exact same details required by the airline?

I dealt directly with the airline and they rejected the claim so I signed up with a specialist lawyers in the UK called Bott & Co and they took the airline to court. It was a class action but we won and all got a share of the compensation. If the claim is straight forward then deal direct with the airline.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 11/24/2019 at 12:03 PM, 4MyEgo said:

I might sound a little vaig, but I gather you didn't take out travel insurance ?

Just a FWIW I never buy travel insurance. I worked out that by now I would have paid in excess of ¾ of a million Baht in premiums over the years, so not a good deal for me better to just try to claim from the airline or claim agent and eat anything I can’t get back.