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Tunnel troubles

Q: Do you’ve gotten any ideas on how badly Eurotunnel dealt with the caught prepare earlier this week, each for the passengers within the tunnel itself and people with 10-plus hour delays on the terminal? How can they be inspired to enhance communications and dealing with sooner or later?

Rich72

A: On Tuesday afternoon a Calais-to-Folkestone Eurotunnel Shuttle with around 100 cars came to a halt on account of an alarm on board. The corporate tells me: “The Shuttle was delivered to a managed cease and inspected. As a precautionary measure, for his or her security and luxury, we transferred the passengers on board to a different shuttle, through the service tunnel (which is there for precisely that objective) while we investigated the reason for the alarm.

“The service tunnel is a purposeful surroundings constructed as a 50km lengthy “lifeboat” to supply a protected haven and allow a simple switch to a different prepare. The switch prepare was one other passenger shuttle – once more a purposeful answer.

“Operations like this do take time, however they’re for the protection of everybody and should be carried out fastidiously. Sadly, that implies that different clients can undergo prolonged crossing occasions.

“Nonetheless, we placed on further departures to attempt to cut back that as a lot as doable and provided the choice of a switch to a ferry as a substitute.

“While some passengers skilled an extended journey than deliberate, everybody was stored protected always.

“We apologise to anybody who bought caught up within the incident, however we stress that we’ll all the time put buyer security above all the pieces.”

For the passengers caught within the tunnel it should have been an alarming, demanding and exhausting expertise. The Channel Tunnel is clearly a distinct prospect from a ferry crusing between Calais and Dover. There may be an additional dimension: and that’s the aspect of being deep under the ocean. If a ferry suffers a technical downside within the Channel, as they do on occasion, individuals are absolutely conscious of their environment.

Eurotunnel is usually well-liked amongst folks with issues about mobility or nervousness, as a result of motorists and passengers stay of their automobiles. In contrast to on ferries, they don’t have to clear the automotive deck. However in Tuesday’s occasion these folks have been offloaded from the relative consolation and reassurance of their automobile right into a seemingly limitless floor tunnel after which into a really spartan freight shuttle as their rescue.

It’s all the time essential to study from these experiences – and I hope that Eurotunnel will take away the necessity for higher communication, and maybe extra help for individuals who have bodily or emotional points. I feel there may be additionally a case for a briefing that goes into extra element in regards to the measures in place to make sure security.

Flight modifications

Q: My British Airways flight from Marseille to Heathrow, then to Belfast, was cancelled on Friday 1 July and we rebooked for the next day. This flight was thencancelled and we couldn’t get flight till Wednesday 5 July. We needed to get one other resort, prolong automotive rent and bills for 4 folks added as much as £3,000 . BA will solely reimburse  €1,000. Am I entitled to full compensation from Heathrow airport? Ought to BA pay full quantity?

Dee 3

A: In precept what ought to have occurred, whatever the trigger, is that it is best to have been flown again on 1 July (or, if it was late on, 2 July) through Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester or wherever else that will get you dwelling.

Heathrow airport gained’t be occupied with compensating you, however I consider there’s a powerful case for claiming from an airline in case your rights aren’t spelt out.

Q: I’m in The Bahamas for Christmas. I used to be initially happening 14 December however British Airways have cancelled my flight and rescheduled it for 13 December which implies I’ll need to pay for an additional day’s lodging (which isn’t low cost).

Can I declare the price of the resort from BA? I’m flight-only, not British Airways Holidays

Spursman

A: The simplest technique to proceed: ask British Airways to fly you on the market on the unique date on Virgin Atlantic, which has an 8am flight from Heathrow. That’s the obligation underneath European air passengers’ rights guidelines – to fly you to your vacation spot on the identical day as initially booked.

The present fare is someplace north of £2,300, however that’s BA’s downside, not yours. Given the excessive value, British Airways might properly select to barter about paying for an additional evening.

Q: 5 weeks in the past easyJet cancelled my flight to Milan with lower than 5 hours’ discover. It was the primary day of the varsity holidays so flights have been jam-packed and nothing accessible oneEasyJet for days. I referred to as them and identified they have been obliged to fly me on any accessible airline; they agreed that however mentioned I needed to pay myself and they’d then take a look at my declare.

I forked out £650 for BA flights however have nonetheless not bought that again from easyJet (although they’ve paid my statutory compensation for the cancellation). Aren’t they obliged to repay me (and arguably ought to have paid themselves within the first place)? And isn’t there a deadline for them to answer to my declare?

Jo E

A: All airways are alleged to reimburse passengers in a well timed vogue – and, certainly, if the European air passengers’ rights guidelines have been correctly enforced, a provider that cancels a flight would wish to rebook travellers itself. However the customer support departments of easyJet and British Airways are vastly overstretched on account of the mass cancellations this summer season, and the airways know there may be little probability of any motion being taken towards them. So, simply be affected person (and if the delay prices you a major in curiosity, add that to the declare).

Q: EasyJet simply cancelled my flight on Saturday and it’s been rescheduled for subsequent Tuesday. Am I due any compensation?

Yellowbag

A: Compensation will depend on the reason for the cancellation, however at 48 hours’ discover I think about the airline will discover it tough to plead “extraordinary circumstances”. Equally pressingly, easyJet should get you to your vacation spot on Saturday at any value on any airline. Which I hope they instructed you about …

Q: My flight on 30 June with British Airways from Heathrow to Marseille was cancelled with lower than 24 hours discover. My brother was additionally booked on the identical flight. Since we have been going for a marriage we needed to arrive on the day that the unique flight was booked.

BA had no different availability for flights on 30 June so we went forward and individually booked the final two seats on a Ryanair flight flying that night. Following our cancellation electronic mail from BA we heard nothing extra.

Once we returned dwelling we every put in a declare to BA for reimbursement of the price of the Ryanair flight. Not figuring out if I used to be entitled to it, I additionally claimed compensation (my brother didn’t). My brother’s declare for the complete value of the Ryanair ticket, which value the identical as mine, has been absolutely reimbursed. BA have rejected my declare in its entirety and say that they paid my brother in error. I nonetheless haven’t acquired a penny from them since my flight was cancelled.

I might be very grateful for recommendation as to what I’m entitled to.

Anna T W

A: I’m not positive of the authorized grounds on which British Airways is refusing your declare. The Civil Aviation Authority, which stipulates that an airline should get you there on the day if any seats can be found, shall be occupied with your expertise, I think about.

Testing occasions

Q: Do you assume that locations that solely removed testing this spring/summer season such because the US and New Zealand, will convey again testing, if Covid instances enhance over the autumn and winter?

Independenter

A: Excellent query. I have to warn you initially that you simply may wish to search a second opinion, provided that I’ve been overoptimistic all through the depressing coronavirus pandemic about journey restrictions – and particularly them being lifted. However each the nations you title have just lately swivelled from excessive warning to “welcome again everybody”.

Given the extreme injury precipitated to the journey business by the responses to the Covid disaster, I don’t consider governments will wish to take that route once more. And naturally New Zealand – like Australia – is at the moment transferring from winter to spring within the southern hemisphere.

Turkey alert

Q: I emailed you about my sister who’s caught alone in Turkey after altering her ticket to an open one as she was covid optimistic when the remainder of her younger household have been flying again. Turkish Airways insisted on PCR check to alter her flight and since getting that Turkish regulation states she should isolate for seven days from date of check. She’s been isolating now for 10 days and earliest she will be able to go away is 30 August. Turkish Airways have refused to place her in enterprise class or allow us to improve.

The subsequent flight in economic system is 6 September 2022. She has persistent well being situation and younger kids now within the UK. The youngest is autistic and she or he actually must get dwelling as quickly as doable. What can she do?

Jane R

A: Sorry to listen to this. It is best to contact the International Workplace on 020 7008 5000 and inform them {that a} British citizen is in misery and desires assist. Simply on Turkish Airways: I can’t perceive why any airline wouldn’t permit a passenger to improve in enterprise class on cost of the suitable surcharge.

Delay compensation

Q: Jet2 are rejecting most compensation claims for flight delays over the previous few months citing “extraordinary circumstances” for causes reminiscent of workers illness, I do know this wasn’t the rationale for my delay however am nonetheless anticipating to be fobbed off with the identical generic electronic mail everybody else is getting. What’s the following step to enchantment this?

Mike 182

A: On the whole I encourage individuals who consider they’ve a legitimate case for compensation underneath European air passengers’ rights guidelines to use direct to the airline. However some individuals who really feel they’re getting the runaround flip to “no win, no price” solicitors reminiscent of Bott & Co. It’s removed from very best, as a result of you’ll sometimes lose one-third of any compensation.

Indian glummer

Q: I wish to go to India in November however have came upon that their eVisa scheme is suspended for British travellers. It seems to be like, to get a paper vacationer visa, I have to ebook an appointment at one of many Indian visa places of work (Bradford being my closest), hand over my passport, pay £116, and hope they course of my utility in time. Is that this appropriate? Or is there an easier means?

Andy A

A: Nobody loves India greater than me (Mumbai is presumably my favorite metropolis in the entire world), however for nearly all my travelling life the nation has made swathed any journey in purple tape. And proper now, despite the fact that eVisas can be found for residents of (for instance) Belarus and Russia, they don’t look like on supply for UK travellers. I do hope I’m incorrect with this, however I’ve checked the listing of eligible nationalities a number of occasions over and can’t see United Kingdom, Nice Britain, England, Wales, and so on listed. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Brexit bonus

Q: If I arrive in Portugal on 4 January 2023 and keep to 26 February – a complete of 54 days. Can I then go to France in April or Could for one more 14 days? I’m confused in regards to the post-Brexit “90/180 rule”.

Then I gained’t be travelling to the EU once more till January 2024. Many thanks.

T Toplis

A: The 90/180 day rule is likely one of the many penalties of Brexit for journey. The quick reply is, it will depend on whether or not you’re planning to be within the Schengen Space (many of the European Union plus some hangers-on) any time from this coming weekend (28 August) onwards. If the reply is not any, then you’re all clear. You are able to do your 54 days (nearly eight weeks) in stunning Portugal, and can then have the ability to be within the France or another Schengen nation for a most of 36 additional days (simply over 5 weeks) earlier than the tip of June. After that the January dates begin being erased and you may return.

In the meantime, given {that a} majority voted to go away the European Union, I’m genuinely to listen to from anybody who can supply a advantage of Brexit for travellers (not counting duty-free, which is debatable, or “blue passports” since we may have had these at any time).

On-line journey brokers

Q: On Monday I booked flights for Vienna by Kiwi.com, utilizing Wizz Air. The flights are for March 2023 and value £176. This morning, Kiwi knowledgeable me that the provider had modified flight occasions and I’ve a number of choices.

1. To just accept another flight (the occasions don’t work for us because it’s solely a brief break). Most of those will value as much as double the unique value.

2. To just accept £41 of Kiwi credit score instantly

3. To have an assisted refunded the place they are going to get again what they’ll from the provider however this may be within the type of vouchers. Takes approx 3 months

4. To pay £20 for the above however will take 6 weeks.

I might identical to a simple refund however Kiwi say they can’t do that. Am I caught with the above choices?

Lizzie R

A: I’m actually sorry to listen to that you simply booked by Kiwi.com – I don’t assume I’ve ever heard something good about this Czech on-line journey agent, and I’ve heard loads of complaints. These choices are full garbage. However Kiwi is aware of that its location in Brno is comfortably distant for authorized motion, and that Brexit has ended the European small claims process for British travellers.

As you’ll little doubt have labored out, had you booked direct with Wizz Air then it might have been a easy matter to get an immediate refund. As issues stand, it quite relies upon why you select to make use of Kiwi.

Should you have been persuaded to click on by on a flight-comparison web site reminiscent of Skyscanner, you would contact their buyer providers workforce.

Q: We have been booked onto a flight that didn’t exist, despite the fact that lastminute.com mentioned it did. They’ve refused to resolve the difficulty and left 9 folks deserted at Antalya airport with no means dwelling.

We’ve contacted Abta, the CAA and our MP. Is there the rest we are able to do to make final minute.com search for from their pc to grasp the flight didn’t exist and we have been pressured to pay £6,500 to get our social gathering dwelling? The service has been horrible with over 17 calls, six hours on the telephone and no reply to what we must always do.

Hugh B

A: Given the sums concerned, I counsel you interact a lawyer. Nonetheless, as I found after I tried to reclaim cash owed to me by lastminute.com, coping with a agency based mostly in Switzerland makes life difficult. Good luck.

Passport issues

Q: EasyJet denied me boarding on 26 July 2022 stating my passport not legitimate. The passport was issued on 22 Sept 2012 and expires 22 April 2023. The airline is regularly rejecting my declare of unfairly denied boarding, even after I posted to them the Impartial article the place EasyJet admitted misunderstandings and agreed they have been incorrect when a grandmother was denied boarding in comparable circumstances to mine. I suppose they assume I’ll simply surrender. So irritating.

Tam 1

A: Don’t surrender: it seems to be to me as if easyJet has been compounding the injury it precipitated to folks’s holidays in wrongly denying them boarding by routinely rejecting compensation. I’m tackling the airline on its document.

American dream

Q: I’m within the strategy of reviving a visit to the Huge Apple that bought “covidated” early within the pandemic. We stay within the Algarve and our flights to the US (Miami) have all the time been with TAP Portugal through Lisbon.

We may try this for this journey too however there’s additionally the choice of going through Dublin with Aer Lingus, which works higher for our logistics. Nonetheless, I’m involved that the connection time of 1h45mins could also be too tight, given the (very interesting) US pre-clearance. Clearly no person can know for positive but when they’re promoting it, presumably it’s anticipated to be doable, proper? Ideas?

Fiona M G

A: If Aer Lingus is promoting it, then I might take it. And these tough days pre-clearance is an absolute Godsend. Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler was ready nearly three hours at Chicago just lately. And if he’s struggling, what hope the remainder of us?

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