2023-09-16 04:17:00
After winning fifth place in an international urban dance competition, a group of young carolos found themselves stranded at Manchester airport. Having received no information from Ryanair, the dancers and their loved ones decided to return the next day by train, one of the employees of the dance non-profit organization told us via the orange Alert us button. What are their rights?
Eight young dancers aged 11 to 18, accompanied by their parents and their coach, left last Thursday, August 24, to participate in a world urban dance championship in Blackpool in the United Kingdom. On Friday, our compatriots qualified directly for the final. The Carole group finally won a good fifth place on Sunday. “It’s an international competition, a big organization and there are many groups of different nationalities. We are super happy and proud of this result”says Camille, who takes care of communications for the non-profit organization Temps Danses Urbaines.
They had no information about what was happening
But, at the end of this emotional weekend, the happy group had to face an unexpected event. On their arrival at Manchester airport, the Carolos learn that their plane is grounded, due to a problem with air traffic control. “They arrived around noon at the airport for their Ryanair flight scheduled for 2:30 p.m. And there, they had no information about what was happening or what would happen next”, relates Camille. In Belgium, she also tries to contact the company: “I tried by phone, chat, Facebook and we haven’t heard anything”.
The group waits for several hours. But faced with the lack of information, he is growing impatient. “We didn’t tell them anything on site, people didn’t respond or said: we don’t know, we have to wait. I think even the company was taken by surprise but at no time did it offer solutions “says Camille.
Left to their own devices, the group ends up booking a night in a hotel and leaves the airport. The next day, he took two trains to return to Belgium: a first to London, then the Eurostar to reach Brussels.
At the moment, we want to cry or go to sleep
The feeling of these young people? “They were tired and angry that Ryanair was not doing anything. And then, for the parents, these are additional things to resolve”, estimates Camille who says she experienced a bit of the same thing by proxy. While trying to put things into perspective: “It remains an adventure, an anecdote and memories to tell… It will be fun in a few days, even if at the moment even with fatigue, you want to cry or go to sleep”.
Camille adds that they will try to hold the airline accountable: “It is unacceptable that travelers are abandoned and have to fend for themselves”.
Especially since this “adventure” has a cost: 250 euros per person for the return by train, not including the price of the hotel night. So, who will cover these costs?
It was a technical problem with air traffic control which paralyzed British airspace for a good part of the day on Monday August 28. This technical defect in the flight plan system forced airline agents to manually enter flight plans, leading to numerous delays and cancellations, explained British Transport Minister Mark Harper. Result: hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed.
Like our group of dancers and their loved ones, many Britons complained, notably on X, formerly Twitter, of being stuck far from home after seeing their flight cancelled. Some explain having remained seated on board for hours, or after a day and a half waiting at the airport, AFP tells us.
Contacted by us, Charleroi airport confirms that the Manchester-Charleroi flight of our group of dancers was indeed canceled, not delayed. The flight scheduled for the evening for the same destination, however, arrived safely, the problem having been resolved in the meantime. For the CEO of Charleroi airport, we are facing a case of force majeure.
Will travelers be entitled to compensation?
This is also the opinion of Test-Achats: “We are not faced with a technical problem which affects the device as such and which would be part of the management hazards inherent to the activities”underlines Julie Frère, the spokesperson.
The qualification of the facts is important here, because this will determine the obligation or not for compensation.
Indeed, compensation may be awarded to a traveler whose flight was delayed by more than three hours, or if the flight was canceled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure date. This is a European regulation that applies to flights by airlines in the European Union or for companies established outside the EU, if your flight departs from an airport located in the EU.
Amount of compensation:
– 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km.
– 400 euros for flights over 1,500 km within the EU and all other flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km.
– 600 euros for flights over 3,500 km.
The carrier is not required to pay this compensation if it can prove that the delay or cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances. For example, natural disasters, bad weather conditions, a strike by air traffic controllers or baggage handlers are considered extraordinary circumstances, as is a technical problem with air traffic control.
Even in the event of force majeure, the company has obligations
However, a case of force majeure does not allow the company to evade its obligations to inform, assist and care for passengers.
Passengers who see their flight canceled due to force majeure are therefore entitled to reimbursement of their ticket, reimbursement of their alternative journey, if a replacement flight is not offered, accommodation costs if there is no no further flights until the next day, as well as refreshments and food.
We submitted the case of the group of dancers to Test-Achats. The consumer protection association believes that a priori the group will not have difficulty obtaining reimbursement for the ticket for their canceled flight and their hotel night. On the other hand, regarding the train ticket, it will be more complicated because the group has decided to leave the airport of their own free will.
The association therefore recommends waiting where possible at the airport until travelers receive information about a possible alternative flight.
But here, the group can still argue and cite the lack of information. Indeed, the company has an obligation to inform proactively. Test-Achats advises travelers to contact it directly; the association can help individuals prepare their complaint file.
Also read The Ryanair strike almost ruined Jérôme and Rachel’s honeymoon: “We won’t arrive on time for the cruise” Also read The Ryanair pilots will begin their second day of strike: here is the list of the 30 flights canceled this Friday in Charleroi
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