Flight Cancelled

[rosiew]

Morning Answebankers.
My brother had booked a flight with American Airlines to fly out on Christmas Eve morning. 3 hours before he was due to set off he got a text message to say the flight was cancelled and was rebooked for today (26th). He lands in Philadelphia not Chicago. The poor lad had booked this holiday to have xmas dinner with his best friend. American Airlines was not going to add the 2 days he had lost onto the end of his flight, he was then told (after kicking up a bit of a fuss) they would let him extend his holiday 2 days. Not only that, he had booked to go in the executive lounge at the airport, cost of which was £25. He telephoned the booking room and was told that it was NOT refundable and would have to pay again if he wanted to use the lounge. Does anyone know if he can get compensation for all this upheaval especially American Airlines.
Hope you had a very happy xmas

[fiction-factory]

This is worth reading. I think the EU compensation arrangments apply even though the flight was to US
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/if-your-flights-delayed-or-cancelled/

[fiction-factory]

Martin Lewis is good at covering this topic
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays

[clarkebarry]

Hi Rosie,

Looks like you're missing some information here. You haven't mentioned the departure airport. The departure airport plays an important role in claiming compensation from American Airline. If your brother would have departed from an EU airport then the following rules apply:

According to the EC Regulation 261/2004, "you can claim compensation if your flight was cancelled without notice or with a very short notice. Also, in the event of a cancellation, the airline is responsible for providing passengers with the following:

- A minimum of 2 telephone calls, fax, emails or messages
- If you are provided with an alternative flight whereby the time of departure is delayed by a day or so, the airline should provide you with hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and place of accommodation."

Contact American Airlines customer support or visit their website (https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/customer-service-plan.jsp) for more information on assistance on flight delay compensation.