14.08.10
Hundreds of families are still waiting for compensation from KLM for costs incurred during delays caused by the volcanic ash cloud, the BBC reports. Under EU regulations passengers should get hotel and meal costs reimbursed for the period they are stranded, but KLM says it will only pay for 24 hours. The EU has threatened legal action unless the airline complies with the rules.
Under EU regulations, passengers are entitled to claim reasonable expenses incurred - on meals and hotels - for the time their flight was delayed. Some passengers were held up for a week or more and families incurred bills of hundreds and even thousands of pounds. The EC has sent the airline a formal warning saying they must comply with EU laws, if they do not they face legal action.
Many airlines are unhappy with the rules as they stand as there is no limit on the amount of compensation they have to pay - even if the delays are beyond their control. FT travel editor Tom Robbins told the BBC: ‘It is a nightmare for the travellers but this is one of the rare occasions you can see the airline's point of view. If they are selling a ticket for £100, but they have to pay out £1000 or £10,000 in compensation for something that was not their fault, then that is a very hard way to run a business.’
However, an EC spokesman said: ‘EU passenger rights are there to protect consumers. They are there to act as a safety net for passengers - even in very difficult circumstances like this. There is no grey area for us in this regard and those EU rights must be respected.’
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book heathrow airport hotel or heathrow airport car park at the lowest price click on these links to heathrow parking and heathrow hotels price comparison pages.
Copyright TMC Limited. All rights reserved.
Search & Buy