Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Ashen Faced

.

Well, here we are in Tenerife, with our flight to Gatwick booked for the coming Saturday, and this happens. A volcano erupts in Iceland, again.

So we've been busy going over our various Plan B's, just in case...

The Plan B that I really, really like involves booking into the opulent 5 star hotel just down the road and reclaiming the costs from our nice benevolent airline. Yes, I know I wouldn't get away with it, but I can dream, can't I?

But seriously, the claims procedure does seem to be very complicated nowdays. I've just read an article in today's Telegraph which tells me what to say to the airline if our flight is cancelled.

Here's the advice given by the Telegraph:

"You should tell them that under Regulation (EC) 2004/261 Article 5 you are entitled to be reimbursed or re-routed under Article 8 and also offered assistance, including accommodation, meals and transport under Article 9.

You should also state that under Article 5, airlines are able to not pay compensation in accordance with article 7 in the case of 'extraordinary circumstances', but crucially that this extraordinary circumstances clause does not apply to the entitlement to assistance under Article 9."


Blimey! I turned quite pale at the thought of saying all that. But then I realised my bigger problem.

How could I say it with a straight face?
:-)

7 comments:

Canary Islander said...

I'm a naughty numerologist.
:-)

JW10 said...

Forget article 5.
Article 8 is a good one and should be said with a firm face.
don't mention article 7

Dolores Doolittle said...

bloody hell, CI, it sounds like a French Application to Join a Tennis Club! (Bureaucracy at its most twisted is Paramount over here).

Plan B sounds splendid - any trouble and we'll send George's mum over - they'll surrender immediately!

Expat said...

No problem. You'll make your flight. They're going to put all of those windmill farms in reverse mode and blow all the ash back to Iceland.

Canary Islander said...

JW - Articles artfully articulated!

Dolores – I like G's Mum! Please send now!

Expat – Matt fan windmills?

And did you notice?
Digits 2004, 261 in (EC) 2004/261 add up to 6 and 9 respectively.

The answer is always 69...
:-)

Canary Islander said...

Now, after all this time (12 days), will anybody notice this extra comment?

If not, I'll treat this as a secret space, and I'll happily start chatting to myself. Wow! We'll see...

Shhhh...

Dolores Doolittle said...

Buhnnnnn Oui, CI! (as they puzzlingly say over here) for My word - yes indeed!).

Actually, was that splendid photo at the blogtop there from The Beginning? I imagine so - probably just another thing that's gone right out of my head...

Are you having joyous times?