In a recent experience most Nigeria flights/airlines are saddled with flight delays,over bookings and cancellation.
Passagers should be aware of their rights and possible compensations especially if the flights is Europe bound .
NLers please share your flights delays and cancellation experiences and lets see how we can initiate corrective measures.

how about you start with a case study,
are there any laws governing airlines in nigeria with
regards to compensation apart from in the event of a crash.

are nigerian airlines under some sort of international ( customer service) laws when they are travelling out?

Dis Guy:

how about you start with a case study,
are there any laws governing airlines in nigeria with
regards to compensation apart from in the event of a crash.

are nigerian airlines under some sort of international ( customer service) laws when they are travelling out?

There is case at hand where a Nigerian Airline(Name with held for legal reasons) cancelled the second leg trip back to the UK without informing the traveller or her agent.The passager is at the moment demanding a compensation of 600 Euros(pounds equivalent).The EU Regulation 261/2004 did spells out travellers rights in an event of denied boarding,cancellation etc.
Unfortunately most Naija travellers takes these breach for granted and allow the airlines to go free.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays#catch
http://www.travelwatchdog.com/Airline%20Regs.htm
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/customerrelations/euregulationsno2612004.jsp
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/euclaimnor/public/en_gb

@post

It depends. I know abt Virgin Nigeria for international routes - if they are in a 'good mood', they will lodge you in a hotel and give you 60% off your next ticket purchase (valid for one year).

Domestic airlines in Nigeria, you are on your own. No compensation. 'Patapata', they will aplogise.

Abeg, wait sef, do the Europeans know their right?

Last week, my flight from London to Scotland the flight was cancelled, no compensation, i went back the next day the flight that was supposed to be for 7;20am, was delayed till 2:00pm, they did not give us any reason, and nobody fit cough, by the time we got to the tarmac, we discovered that the airplane was covered with snow, it was in our presence they desnowed and fueled the plane, all dem Britico's no fit talk until I and one Naija boy started asking questions, these people get rights at all 

funkybaby:

@post

It depends. I know abt Virgin Nigeria for international routes - if they are in a 'good mood', they will lodge you in a hotel and give you 60% off your next ticket purchase (valid for one year).

Domestic airlines in Nigeria, you are on your own. No compensation. 'Patapata', they will aplogise.

Will the rules only apply to EU residents?


No. Although the regulations have been created by the EU, you won't have to live within the EU to benefit.

Passengers travelling on all domestic and international flights taking off from any airport in the European Union, including French overseas territories, will be covered by the regulations.

If you are travelling from an EU airport, all airlines - whether European or not - are subject to the rules.

People flying into the European Union from overseas will also be covered by the new rules, as long as they are travelling on a European airline.



COMPENSATION: OVERBOOKING AND CANCELLATIONS 

Length of journey  Delay to destination  Compensation 
Up to 1,500km  More than 2 hours  250 euros (£173.04) 
1,500km to 3,500km  Up to 3 hours  200 euros (£138.40) 
1,500km to 3,500km  More than 3 hours  400 euros (£276.83) 
More than 3,500km  More than 4 hours  600 euros (£415.26) 
   
   
Source: Air Transport Users' Council 

babycool:

Abeg, wait sef, do the Europeans know their right?

Last week, my flight from London to Scotland the flight was cancelled, no compensation, i went back the next day the flight that was supposed to be for 7;20am, was delayed till 2:00pm, they did not give us any reason, and nobody fit cough, by the time we got to the tarmac, we discovered that the airplane was covered with snow, it was in our presence they desnowed and fueled the plane, all dem Britico's no fit talk until I and one Naija boy started asking questions, these people get rights at all 

Airlines won't have to pay compensation if the reason for delays or cancellations was due to "extraordinary circumstances".
Airlines are likely to argue that bad weather, strike action, or delays caused by air-traffic control or security alerts are outside their control.

If the cancellation or delay is due to natural causes, sush as weather, the airlines are not reqired to compensate you. Because it's out of their control. The other folks probably knew that and that's why they did not complain.

babycool:

Abeg, wait sef, do the Europeans know their right?

Last week, my flight from London to Scotland the flight was cancelled, no compensation, i went back the next day the flight that was supposed to be for 7;20am, was delayed till 2:00pm, they did not give us any reason, and nobody fit cough, by the time we got to the tarmac, we discovered that the airplane was covered with snow, it was in our presence they desnowed and fueled the plane, all dem Britico's no fit talk until I and one Naija boy started asking questions, these people get rights at all

@ babycool
did u still fly in the de-iced machine?

when i cancelled my flight reservation for a BA to london in 2007 , I took 6 months for me to get refund and what i got was 60k only out of about 130k which was paid,

my little contributuion

opensource:

when i cancelled my flight reservation for a BA to london in 2007 , I took 6 months for me to get refund and what i got was 60k only out of about 130k which was paid,

my little contributuion

Yes,because you cancelled the flight reservation yourself and not the airline.

Bossman:

If the cancellation or delay is due to natural causes, sush as weather, the airlines are not reqired to compensate you. Because it's out of their control. The other folks probably knew that and that's why they did not complain.

I can understand  the cancellation but to the delay for no feasable reason? they could have desnowed and fueled the plane long before the flight time or at least informed us of the reasons for the delay, hope you are getting my point? The other folks were just just waiting for someone to pop the question before they too started to complain.

igbogolo:

@ babycool
did u still fly in the de-iced machine?

Yes

Reply from the UK Air Transport Users Council (www.auc.org.uk)

RE: Bellview Airlines Ltd

Thank you for your email of XX February 2009. I am sorry for the delay in responding to you but we have large backlog here at the AUC and out of fairness to passengers we are dealing with complaints in a strict chronological order.

I have had the opportunity to review your complaint. I am sorry to inform you that Regulation EC 261/2004 is not applicable to your flight. The Regulation only applies to passengers departing from an airport located in the European Union or where passengers depart from outside the European Union arriving into the European Union and the carrier is a European Community Carrier. Whilst your flight was flying into London from Lagos, Bellview Airlines Ltd are registered in Nigeria and are therefore not a European Community carrier.

If you have incurred costs due to the cancellation of your flight may I suggest you write to the airline with copies of receipts? The airline may reimburse you for any out of pocket expenses you have incurred.

Yours sincerely








Passengers Stranded As NCAA Grounds Bellview Aircraft

By Gboyega Adeoye, Correspondent, Lagos


About 300 intending passengers were on Monday, stranded at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, (MMA), Lagos as well as the London Heathrow airport.

This was as a result of Bellview airline's inability to airlift them from Lagos to London and return some from London to Lagos.

It was gathered that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had grounded the aircraft scheduled for the flight on Sunday for safety reasons.

It was however not clear why the airline went ahead to check-in the passengers giving them boarding pass that the flight would depart Lagos for London at 9.15 am.

Trouble started when it was time to board the aircraft and passengers were stopped from proceeding into the plane by aviation security personnel.

It was at this point that they were informed that the aircraft for the operation was undergoing NCAA's check.

Passengers who commented on the matter said the action was deliberate, stressing that the airline was just interested in collecting money without planning to airlift them.

They said it was typical of Nigerian airlines to treat passengers shabbily without thinking of the trauma they would pass through when their plans are thwarted.

They said as soon as it dawned on some of the airlines' officials that passengers knew the flight might not depart; they disappeared so as not to face their wrath.

Akin Omotoye, one of the passengers said; "Many of us have been here as early as 7 am and this is 3.45 pm. We were not told anything as we were checked in to fly at 9.15 am. They later told us that the aircraft has some technical fault. They just kept us here since morning without telling us what will become our fate".

Another passenger, Tayo Ogundele said all the airline gave them after waiting for over two hours was a small juice drink and meat pie.

"A lot of us are supposed to resume at our offices, now we cannot do that. Those people that are to meet us will be at Heathrow and become apprehensive when we do not see us," he lamented.

For Marvis Ihasee, who is to have a connecting flight to Norway, "Passengers should not be treated like this, no one is telling us anything. In fact, this is fraud. I am supposed to have a connecting flight to Norway; I do not know how I will deal with that now."

Others were busy asking for the airlines officials with rage, threatening to sue the airline for failure to show concern for their welfare.

The regional manager, in charge of the Lagos airport, Edward Olarerin said that the NCAA was meeting with officials of the airline.

According to him, in order to ensure that law and order is maintained by the passengers, some aviation security personnel were deployed to the terminal while the station manager of the airline was directed to relocate the passengers to a hotel.

"We are on top of the situation, you know this is the busiest airport in Nigeria, we would not want anything disrupt other airlines operations. So everything is under control," Olarerin said.

Several calls made to the Corporate Affairs Manager of Bellview Airlines, Habib Mohammed were unanswered, just as the media assistant to the Director General of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, equally failed to respond to his calls.


http://www.independentngonline.com/busi/lead/article02

If your Europe bound flight was delayed with a delay of 3 hours or more or if your flight was cancelled without prior notice then you can claim compensation of up to 600€ from your travel airline for the inconvenience caused to you according to the EC Regulation 261/2004. You can claim compensation online or even file a compensation claim directly with the airline. You might like to read this "Ultimate Guide on Claiming Flight Delay Compensation" (link: https://www.claimflights.co.uk/flight-delay-compensation )