Flight delays - anyone have any experience getting compensation?

[Phil99]

Hi all,

We flew out to Vegas a few weeks ago and on the way there our flight was delayed by 23hrs due to a 'technical issue'. We were put up in a hotel for the night and received a £5 voucher for lunch and 12'500 air miles (pretty much useless to me).

My travel insurance is equally as useless, being able to claim back £20 for each complete 12hr delay...should have probably gone for a better policy, but not sure how others compare in this area.

I've just found this link, which suggests I may be entitled to between €250 and €600 in compensation. What I'm not entirely clear on is if this is definitely the case or whether there is some sort of get-out clause for them.

I'll be drafting a letter at some point over the weekend, so am looking for advice as to what to claim and how to approach the issue with the airline (Virgin Atlantic).

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Freefaller]

Check the airline's passenger charter for what they state. I've received 1/2 dozen compensation claims owing to cancelled/delayed flights - but I did used to take close to 40 flights a year so had more chance of it occurring! It cost my work more money in expenses and missing client meetings, and also the personal inconvenience of not getting home etc...

I don't like the claim/blame culture, but the 1/2 dozen times I did it were justified and I was at a financial loss as a result, and hugely inconvenienced (personally and professionally) as a result.