الثالثاء2015مارس 24

British Airways could face claims of up

to £90,000 as passengers seek

compensation over flight that returned to

Heathrow due to 'smelly poo in the toilet'

British Airways could be facing a compensation payout of up

to £90,000 following a pungent smell that forced one of its

flights to return to Heathrow Airport.

The BA flight to Dubai returned to London due to a foul odour

emanating from an overflowing toilet, and three passengers

have since filed claims for compensation due to the travel

disruption.

They argue they are entitled to hundreds of pounds each after

cabin crew were unable to fix the problem and the flight turned

around near Brussels.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

(CONTINUE)

Passengers were initially told that they would board

another flight in three hours, but it turned into a 15-

hour delay.

Flights.com4ClaimThree passengers have contacted

to seek up to €600 each (£450) in compensation, the

maximum allowed for a delay of more than four hours

when travelling over 2,200 miles as stipulated by EU

rules.

If all 200 passengers on board the flight were to claim,

BA could be forced into paying out up to£90,000.

One claimant is Hertsmere councillor Abhishek

Sachdev, who was travelling to Dubai with his

pregnant wife and two-year-old daughter.

At the time he took to Twitter to explain how a 'smelly

poo in the toilet' had forced the plane to turn back and

land at Heathrow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

(CONTINUE) Speaking to MailOnline Travel Mr Sachdev, a Tory councillor, said: 'We

had booked a night flight to allow my two-and-and-half-year-old

daughter to sleep.

'Initially we were told that the delay would be three hours until another

flight. When we landed, the pilot said it would be a 15-hour delay, until

1pm the next day.

'This meant we lost a whole day of our holiday, and that we also had the

stress of travelling on a daytime flight with our toddler daughter.'

Mr Sachdev decided to lodge a claim with Claim4Flights.com after being

unimpressed with how BA officials dealt with the situation.

'At the baggage collection area, we were told by some BA staff to queue

for information. After 15 minutes in that queue, we were then told there

was no need to do so, and were given a leaflet,' he added.

'This leaflet simply said BA apologised for the technical fault, even

though the pilot was clear that there was no technical fault.

'We then had to wait 25 minutes to get our accommodation and food

voucher. About five or six staff were trying to print these for us but

couldn't because of system problems they said.

'This was now midnight and we had pleaded with them to hurry up but it

still took a long time to resolve. Then we got to the hotel, and had to

wait another 25 minutes to check in.'

A British Airways spokesperson told MailOnline Travel at the time that

they were 'sorry for the discomfort' of the passengers.

David Williams, director for Claim4Flights.com told MailOnline Travel:

'We are exploring the circumstances against the Regulation 261/2004

set by the European Parliament which dictates when passengers are

entitled to claim compensation for delayed or cancelled flights.

'If the circumstances are such that the delay to the flight was within the

control of British Airways then each passenger on the flight could be

entitled up to €600 compensation, assuming there were 200 passengers

on the flight then this could cost British Airways €120,000 in

compensation.'

British Airways have told MailOnline Travel that they 'will assess any

claims and respond accordingly'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Qatar Airways flights to Zanzibar from July 1

Qatar Airways has announced that it will launch flights to Zanzibar, the airline’s

third gateway in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, from July 1.

The new five-times-a-week flight to Zanzibar will operate via Kilimanjaro. The

Kilimanjaro flights that are currently served by Qatar Airways via Dar es Salaam

will be made non-stop from Doha to Kilimanjaro, also from July 1, with return

flights from Kilimanjaro to Doha served via Zanzibar.

The new destination, Zanzibar, and the launch of direct flights to Kilimanjaro will

add even more options for passengers when travelling to any of the more than

140 destinations served by Qatar Airways, according to a statement. Similarly,

passengers from the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe can now take

advantage of connections to these Tanzanian cities via Doha’s hub, Hamad

International Airport.

The mystic spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean will take the total number

of destinations in the airline’s African network to 20 cities. The new destination

makes a perfect island holiday spot for leisure travellers with its white sandy

beaches, abundant wildlife, rich culture and long history, the statement adds.

“The announcement of new services to Zanzibar reflects our commitment to

connect diverse cities via our Doha hub and offer our passengers an extensive

range of exciting global destinations. As our 20th gateway in Africa, Zanzibar will

strengthen our presence as one of the biggest airlines flying to the African

continent,” said Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker.

Qatar Airways’ African expansion in the past weeks has included the

announcement of a new destination, Durban, and an increase in flights to

Johannesburg, which will launch on December 17, as well as an increase in

frequency to Cape Town from October 1 this year.

Qatar Airways has been operating in Tanzania ever since the airline launched

flights to Dar es Salaam in 2007. The Tanzanian operation was expanded in 2012

when the airline launched flights to Kilimanjaro.

“I would like to thank the Tanzanian government for supporting our newest route

to Zanzibar. The exposure of Zanzibar to the world through Qatar Airways’ global

network will enable Tanzania to attract even more tourists and businesses alike,”

added al-Baker.

The Doha-Kilimanjaro-Zanzibar route will be operated with an Airbus A320

aircraft in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in business class and 132 in

economy.

http://www.gulf-times.com/

Customers Say American

Airlines Ignores Its Own Refund

Policies

Does a major airline ignore its own policies when it comes to

handling the refund requests of passengers whose family

members have died?

An NBC5 Investigates report last month prompted a flurry of

complaints from our viewers that raise questions about

American Airlines and how it treats the sensitive issues

surrounding death and previously purchased airline tickets.

Man Found Dead on CTA Train

Sharon Parcell said American Airlines ignored her repeated

attempts to get a refund after her father-in-law Donald Parcell

died last fall. The Des Plaines family had planned to go to Puerto

Rico later this month – a trip meticulously planned by

"Grandpa" Donald Parcell. When he passed away, Sharon said

she sent the required death certificate. Months later, she said

American Airlines continued to disregard her repeated requests

for the refund outlined in its guidelines.

"I’ve mailed it at least three times and faxed it once," Sharon

Parcell said. "I think I’ve called probably nine or 10 times, and I

even asked [if there was] someone else I can talk to."

Mother Nature Dumps Spring Snow on Chicago Area

It’s a timeline that is familiar to Cliff Boggs.

"You can’t talk to a live person when you need a refund," Boggs

complained.

http://www.nbcchicago.com

(CONTINUE) Woman Stabbed to Death Inside Hospital Room

His dad, Walter, died last November, right before a trip Cliff Boggs had

outlined on the booked to go see him in Tennessee. It's a situation

as a permissible reason for a refund, but American Airlines website

Boggs said he continues to wait for a refund months after submitting

the death certificate.

"I can't believe that for the thousands and thousands and thousands of

dollars that I've spent over the years flying American, that you know,

the one time that I need sympathy, empathy and action, I can't get

anything," Boggs said.

Pa. University Dismisses Player for Vulgar Mo'ne Tweet

Parcell and Boggs are among the viewers who reached out to NBC 5

.a report about the Cantrell family of St. CharlesInvestigates after

The Cantrells contacted American Airlines and after the sudden death

of 9-year-old ”Scout." After submitting a copy of Scout’s death

certificate and obituary, the family was told it could not get a refund for

her unused ticket. In a letter, American Airlines said it could not "offer a

refund, issue a travel voucher or transfer the ticket to another person."

Nanci Koschman Files Appeal to Resurrect Lawsuit

But after our report aired on television and was widely shared on the

Internet, the airline acknowledged it should have handled the request

reached out to the family via telephone to with more sensitivity and

.apologize and complete the refund

Five months after first privately asking for the refund, the Cantrells

said they are satisfied with the final outcome, but remain hopeful no

other family has to endure the same treatment by American.

Is there a pattern here? By Monday evening, a spokesperson for

American had not responded to a request for comment.

Boggs ultimately received an email indicating his long-awaited refund

had been processed after NBC 5 Investigates posed questions. Parcell

was still waiting for hers as of Monday evening.

http://www.nbcchicago.com

Aviation industry’s role in economy highlighted

A Carrickfergus audience has heard of the important

contribution made by the aviation industry to the Northern

Ireland economy.

It was highlighted by Guy Warner, aviation historian and

author, during an address as guest speaker at Carrickfergus

Rotary Club.

In his talk, Mr Warner traced the development of aircraft

manufacturing in the province from the early pioneering

initiatives of Joseph Cordner, Lilian Bland and a young Harry

Ferguson through the twentieth century to the present day.

With a series of photographic illustrations featuring aircraft

from military and civil backgrounds, Rotarians enjoyed a

chronological look at how a successful aircraft and aerospace

industry developed, survived and managed to thrive locally

through periods of war and peace.

With Mr Warner’s extensive knowledge and comprehensive

collection of illustrations, he covered fascinating research

designs, jet and missile developments and successful

transport and passenger aeroplanes.

He concluded by emphasising the importance of the research,

development, technical and manufacturing skills of the

Northern Ireland aviation industry workforce and their

contribution to Bombardier Aerospace and the Northern

Ireland economy.

On behalf of Sam Crowe, president and all the club members,

Rotarian Colin de Fleury thanked Guy and congratulated him

on an excellent presentation.

http://www.carrickfergustimes.co.uk

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