Flight diverted, who pays hotel?

[karen blancfield]

Asking for a friend and I don’t have many details but their flight to Christchurch was diverted to Wellington due to fog, they had to pay for a hotel. Does this seem right?

 

[AIRwin]

Travel insurance?

 

[karen blancfield]

Travel insurance?

They probably had it…. but over the years we’ve been put up in various hotels when the plane didn’t take you to where you’d booked. Just wonder if it doesn’t happen anymore.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Maybe get the friend to check with their airline.
If they got put up at the Rydges Wellington airport hotel, that is not cheap.
If it was the airport motel, then a taxi would have been needed, or were the bussed as a group to a hotel in the Wellington CBD.
Guess it depends on how many were on the flight, and what the airline did.
But to start, maybe contact the airline first.

 

[karen blancfield]

Maybe get the friend to check with their airline.
If they got put up at the Rydges Wellington airport hotel, that is not cheap.
If it was the airport motel, then a taxi would have been needed, or were the bussed as a group to a hotel in the Wellington CBD.
Guess it depends on how many were on the flight, and what the airline did.
But to start, maybe contact the airline first.

They are very experienced travellers, but had to book and pay own rooms, Rydges in this case. I’m just asking whether there’s a policy to put people into a room, what the onus is on airlines.

 

[JohnK]

The airline may not have had anyone available to make reservations.

It should be possible to make a claim with the airline and if that fails then try travel insurance.

 

[tdimdad]

Yes, during disruptions, the airline would be on hook to look after the pax: feed, sleep, necessary taxis, etc. However, the airlines would not automatically have the capacity and opportunities to do it all at once for everyone.

Your friends should first try to get the airline to reimburse the costs, then the rest (if any) through their travel insurance.

 

[karen blancfield]

The airline may not have had anyone available to make reservations.

It should be possible to make a claim with the airline and if that fails then try travel insurance.

Well ok if you are able to use a phone on roaming, you’re in a position to hunt around for hotels, taxis in a city you had no plan to visit while accommodation is paid for in Chch….. have we become soft on airlines?

 

[dajop]

Not sure about diversions, but for delays there’s a lot of airlines who don’t provide anything if the delay is weather related (my main experience with this is the US where all they might provide you is a list of hotels with distressed passenger rates or if not you might get a figurative one fingered salute).

 

[JohnK]

Well ok if you are able to use a phone on roaming, you’re in a position to hunt around for hotels, taxis in a city you had no plan to visit while accommodation is paid for in Chch….. have we become soft on airlines?

I don't disagree. Airlines get away with a lot.

Scoot 17 hour delay. They offered refund in Scoot vouchers. Seriously? At least they gave us hotels and meals but they had checkin staff ready to assist.

 

[dajop]

I don't disagree. Airlines get away with a lot.

Scoot 17 hour delay. They offered refund in Scoot vouchers. Seriously? At least they gave us hotels and meals but they had checkin staff ready to assist.

I assume Scoot delay related to aircraft or crewing problem. I can’t imagine they’d offer that for weather related delays.

 

[JohnK]

I assume Scoot delay related to aircraft or crewing problem. I can’t imagine they’d offer that for weather related delays.

That'd be a long delay for weather in Sydney but yes I do get the point regarding Scoot.

Back to the original point on this thread, if I was going to CHC and the airline took me to WLG instead I'd really not care what excuse they use. Just pay up. Airlines should have insurance just like we have insurance.

In March we were stuck in BNE as Virgin decided to cancel last flight of the night after we had boarded and they realised crew were out of hours. Cheapest hotels that Saturday night were $300-$400 plus a taxi ride away and back to airport. Is that something we'd be expected to cover if it was a weather delay?

Airlines operate knowing they'll have any sort of delays.

 

[Lynda2475]

Which airline?

When I was in Wellington earlier this year there was awful flooding at AKL airport and a lot of flights were diverted to WLG. I was staying at Sofitel and when I came back in the evening the foyer was full of diverted passengers waiting to be allocated rooms at the airlines expense; i skipped breaky the next morning because way too many people.

So I guess it depends on how many flights were diverted, the airlines and what hotel availability there was.

But yest I would expect the airline to reimburse at least a portion of the cost and use TI for the ret.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Not sure about diversions, but for delays there’s a lot of airlines who don’t provide anything if the delay is weather related (my main experience with this is the US where all they might provide you is a list of hotels with distressed passenger rates or if not you might get a figurative one fingered salute).

Also my understanding that is the way USA airline operate. But compared to AU, in USA are a lot more weather events:- snow/blizzard in winter - summer thunderstorms, hurricanes. Weather in AU-NZ is benign compared to USA. We do not get many diversions - cancellation due to weather.

Believe EU261 has duty of care (hotels, meals) paid for by the airline for weather related events.

 

[offshore171]

They probably had it…. but over the years we’ve been put up in various hotels when the plane didn’t take you to where you’d booked. Just wonder if it doesn’t happen anymore.

Certainly if it's the airline's fault, such as a tech issue, airline should cover it.

But fog is beyond their control. I would try travel insurance for this one.

 

[dajop]

Also my understanding that is the way USA airline operate. But compared to AU, in USA are a lot more weather events:- snow/blizzard in winter - summer thunderstorms, hurricanes. Weather in AU-NZ is benign compared to USA. We do not get many diversions - cancellation due to weather.

IIRC, within Australia historically QF did provide such assistance during weather, but at the other end of the spectrum there were a few well publicised instances with weather related delays where Jetstar did not provide accommodation etc. Not sure of what happens now.

 

[Franky]

Certainly if it's the airline's fault, such as a tech issue, airline should cover it.

But fog is beyond their control. I would try travel insurance for this one.

Agree somewhat, but this particular flight has had the same problem on a number of occasions from memory...

 

[JohnK]

IIRC, within Australia historically QF did provide such assistance during weather, but at the other end of the spectrum there were a few well publicised instances with weather related delays where Jetstar did not provide accommodation etc. Not sure of what happens now.

Both Qantas and Virgin provided accommodation for weather delays.

Seriously who takes out travel insurance for a domestic weekend trip away?

 

[karen blancfield]

It was Qantas.

 

[dajop]

Qantas have a delay and cancellation policy that sets out reimbursement for hotels - but - it only applies for situations within their control. Not for situations outside their control which are defined in a footnote

“Delays or cancellation outside our control include: weather events, air traffic control issues, industrial action by a third party, security issues or any other unusual or unforeseen circumstances which we cannot control and the consequences of which we could not have avoided.”

Compensation and Refunds Policy | Qantas

Compensation and Refunds Policy | Qantas

www.qantas.com