Missed flight connection - Compensation?

[steve99]

Hi
Perhaps I am naive, but I welcome opinions on my complaint with Qantas. and possible remedies.
Last year I booked with Qantas a return flight Brisbane/Shangahi for the Expo. The return flight from Shanghai was via Hong Kong with Dragonair to Hong Kong and Qantas back to Brisbane. I booked the flights on the Qantas website.
The connection time in Hong Kong was 60 minutes. The Dragonair flight was delayed in Shanghai waiting for passengers and took off late. I was told by the flight attendants that flights out of Shanghai were frequently delayed. By the time we arrived in Hong Kong the Qantas flight had gone. Four of us who missed the Qantas flight were given HKD200 for taxis and food and booked into a hotel downtown and flights back to Brisbane in the morning.
After a couple of hours sleep we went to the airport flew to Singapore and eventually 14 hours later arrived in Brisbane. The flights were with non one-world airlines so I didn't get my points or status credits.
I asked for compensation from Qantas and was told that I should seek compensation from Dragonair and that the connection times were set by IATA.
My beef is this. I booked and paid for the flights with Qantas. Surely they are liable? If so, what am I entitled to? Do I have to take them to court?
I have been a frequent flyer/ Qantas club member for 20 years and I am appalled at my treatment by Qantas.

 

[serfty]

Sorry to lean of your misconnects.

At the very least you should be able to garner the QFF ppoints and Status credits you would have earned if there had been no misconnection. This is termed "Original Routing Credit" and a friendly email to frequent_flyer(at)qantas.com.au indicating the issue(s) that resulted in your belated arrival to you destination, along with attachemnts including your original e-ticket email and scans of the BP's etc.

Anything further, you'll need to probably to take up with your travel insurer.

 

[mannej]

60 minute connection time in Hong Kong may be tight, but it is well within the legal MCT at HKG (50 minutes?). It is unfortunate that you missed your connection, however I do believe that Qantas is not far of the truth when they say that it is a Dragon Air issue. QF has provided accomodation, food, transport and a flight home the next morning, so in the scheme of things, they have looked after you. I do not see how going to court will resolve anything.

However, I can recommend going after QF for the points and the Status Credits. Tell them that due to the missed connection (Dragon Air's fault, not yours) that you should be entitled to your Original Routing Credit. You will need to scan your original tickets, and a copy of your boarding passes, and you should get the points and status credits you are entitled to.

My logic behind QF not being liable is they should a legal connection, just the same as any other travel agent would. I am sure they would have a waiver stating they are not liable for misconnects etc. I may be totally wrong, but I am sure that will be corrected if I am.

 

[richie9x]

These sorts of things are laid out in the conditions of carriage. In that situation even though you bought the ticket through Qantas you will fall under the conditions of carriage from Dragon Air. Because they were the ones whose flight delay caused your problem.

http://downloads.dragonair.com/ka/misc/KA_GENERAL-CONDITIONS-OF-CARRIAGE_EN.pdf

Section 6.2 covers what Dragon Air will do if they cause you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a reservation. Basically they will either put you on a another flight, re route covering any additional costs or refund your fare.

Qantas have similar conditions of carriage. Except they also pay your hotel if you are delayed over night away from home. But the delay was not caused by Qantas so that would not apply.

To me they have met the conditions of carriage. It will be difficult to get anything more out of Dragon or Qantas.

Did you have travel insurance? You might me able to make a claim on that if you haven't already.

 

[steve99]

Many thanks to the responses I received. I will request Qantas for the original routing credit. Thnaks once again. The forum is the best!