Best-laid plans of mice and men

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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ubert767
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Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by ubert767 »

Our plan was a flight to Toulouse and a tour through the Gorge du Tarn but we ended up stuck in Toulouse with no bikes or baggage, courtesy of a total baggage system failure at Gatwick Airport on the 3rd September. With no equipment or means of onward travel, we had to spend three days in Toulouse (albeit very pleasant) awaiting the arrival of our kit. This meant that all our pre-booked accommodation was out of sync.
We decided to quit and return home where our bikes and bags showed up seven days after going AWOL.
One bike (they were in bike boxes) has suffered a dented down tube and a fractured rear rack, I've informed Easyjet of the damage but don't hold much hope of recovering all our costs ( hotel bookings, pre-booked train tickets, taxi to the airport, flight back to the UK, coach home).
Does anyone have any advice?

IMG_20190910_152101736 13.53.08.jpg

This is how it was returned to me after its travels...........[FFE*] happens !!!!
Rob
Last edited by Graham on 19 Nov 2019, 2:54pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: FFE . . .family-friendly edit
bohrsatom
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by bohrsatom »

So sorry to hear this happened to you. I dread waiting in the arrivals hall for my bike to show up.

Do you have travel insurance? I'd have thought you have reasonable grounds for a claim of the abandoned trip based on your luggage going missing.
ubert767
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by ubert767 »

bohrsatom wrote:So sorry to hear this happened to you. I dread waiting in the arrivals hall for my bike to show up.

Do you have travel insurance? I'd have thought you have reasonable grounds for a claim of the abandoned trip based on your luggage going missing.


Thanks for the sympathy, we've done this type of trip many times without incident so I suppose it was to happen sooner or later. It won't deter me from flying with bikes again, all means of transport has its snags. We're off for a short tour of Normandy tomorrow (via Brittany Ferries), to get over the trauma!

I do have travel insurance with "Sportscover Direct" and will pursue.
Rob
simonhill
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by simonhill »

That's really bad luck, but I'm glad you're being philosophical and it won't stop you having fun in the future.

I suggest you look on the web to see the EU and other (eg Montreal) rules on delayed baggage.

From a quick look, it seems a claim is time limited to 7 days for late and 21 for missing, so you need to act quickly. I didn't see anything about compensation for ruined trip, but I didn't look too deeply.

You may be lucky with the bike, but 'inadequate' packing is the airline's get out clause.

I've had my bike delayed a few times on long haul, but it has always come on the next flight and then been delivered to my hotel or home - bit of a win if not on a very tight schedule.

Did they give you the option to abandon your trip at Gatwick? If not, then this could be a point of contention. No bike, no cycling holiday.
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mjr
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by mjr »

ubert767 wrote:It won't deter me from flying with bikes again, all means of transport has its snags. We're off for a short tour of Normandy tomorrow (via Brittany Ferries), to get over the trauma!

I've never yet had my bike go missing for a week and get trashed on a train or ferry or bus, though! That seems less of a snag and more of a cutting-off-at-the-legs. Good luck with the claims - let us know how it goes, please.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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ubert767
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by ubert767 »

simonhill wrote:Did they give you the option to abandon your trip at Gatwick? If not, then this could be a point of contention. No bike, no cycling holiday.

Thanks for the advice.

It was Bedlam at Gatwick that morning due to a total baggage system failure, headless chickens come to mind. I felt that Easyjet was less than truthful about the prospect of baggage being on the same plane, probably more concerned about getting flights away. Annoyingly, my original plan was a ferry to Cherbourg from Poole, train to Paris then TGV to Toulouse. Oh well...

I've been in touch with my travel insurer and they will consider a claim for consequential losses and I'm awaiting the necessary forms to arrive.
I've put it all aside now till after my recuperation Normandy trip.

Thanks again,
Rob
ubert767
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by ubert767 »

Update to my Easyjet baggage delay and bike transit damage.

My travel insurance, Sports Cover Direct, didn't cover for consequential losses due to the tour cancellation caused by the baggage delay. This would have required something like an illness, bereavement, or loss of employment.

Better luck on the bike damage front.
After much to-ing and fro-ing, EasyJet has agreed to cover the costs of repair to my bike's downtube and rear rack. Fortunately, I was able to provide all the photographic and receipted evidence they required. I'm now eagerly awaiting their BACS transfer, which they tell me can take a further 2-3 weeks!
Looking on the bright side, I now have a pre-planned tour for next year.
Rob
simonhill
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by simonhill »

Thanks for the update and well done on persevering. At least you will get your bike fixed.

I consider my travel insurance is only good for medical or accident and possibly cancellation in the event of an apocalypse.

My bike is insured on my household policy, so I think that would be my final port of call.

Presumably easyJet prevaricate in the hope that you will eventually get fed up with what is not really that much money.

I love the idea the BACS will take 2-3 weeks. When I worked, we had a daily 10 am deadline for paying BACs that were processed overnight. If we were late we breached our service agreement and were fined.
ubert767
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by ubert767 »

It was the fact that I had boxed it well (obviously not well enough for determined baggage handlers), to EasyJet's requirements and paid what I think is an excessive amount for the carriage of the bike compared to the passenger ticket. I can live with a bit of bike transit damage but what really pee'd me off was the tour cancellation due to the baggage being delayed for a week!
I must admit that this affair did turn into a bit of a game in the end and, like hill climbing, it was a matter of not giving in.

Rob
mattheus
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by mattheus »

Well I'd be pee-ed off too. But sadly sh1t happens - as you say, on most trips everything works fine!

Your picture does show that cardboard boxes don't provide magical protection, which is a nice reassurance for us tightwads who have used (and plan to use ) the CUK-style clear bags! :- P
ubert767
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by ubert767 »

To be fair to the box packing method, it did suffer an abnormal situation going out from Gatwick and also it has experienced two flights ( one out to Toulouse and then return ) plus a trip in a courier van to my home.
Yes, sh*t happens sometimes.
Rob
matt_twam_asi
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by matt_twam_asi »

Hi Rob,

We were also on that flight, sorry to hear you didn't get any further than Toulouse. Our luggage arrived after 4 days. To Easyjet's credit they have (eventually) offered us more money in compensation than the amount that we claimed. We just had the compensation confirmed this week as well.
simonhill
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by simonhill »

As I said, I've had my bike couriered to me a few times after it missed the plane.

One time in UK the courier asked me to take it from his van. I was less than pleased to see that it had been lain flat in the van and other stuff piled on top.

It's often asserted on this forum by the 'great unboxed' that this is what happens on planes if you box. In my experience I've never had damage to the box that would suggest they do this. White van man is another matter.
mattheus
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by mattheus »

simonhill wrote:It's often asserted on this forum by the 'great unboxed' that this is what happens ...

'ere we go ...
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mjr
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Re: Best-laid plans of mice and men

Post by mjr »

mattheus wrote:
simonhill wrote:It's often asserted on this forum by the 'great unboxed' that this is what happens ...

'ere we go ...

Quick, move the discussion to a recent boxing topic: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=129829
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
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