French Industrial Action – Compensation?

[Ian99]

Hi

Has anyone got any thoughts on claiming compensation from Rail Europe or SNCF?

Following travel last month by Eurostar and TGV, I was due a couple of days later to take the sleeper train from Poitiers to Madrid. On arrival at Poitiers, I was told that due to French Industrial Action, the train was cancelled. I was told to book into a hotel and travel the next day.

I did this but travelling the next day meant that I didn’t get to Madrid in time for any connection south to Malaga. I therefore had to stay in another hotel.

Rail Europe say that they will refund the ticket but not the accommodation cost and they advise I should claim on travel insurance. I don’t have any travel insurance – having never needed it in the past.

Is that a reasonable stance from Rail Europe?

Of course ideally, Rail Europe would have emailed me to advise that the train was not running and I could have set out earlier for Madrid. They knew that I had a reservation on that train as it was confirmed by them by email.

I look forward to hearing any thoughts………

It seems that in this instance, airline passengers who suffered delays of similar length are better treated, which is a pity.

Regards

Ian

 

[Old Timer]

I don’t have any travel insurance – having never needed it in the past.

Salutory lesson my friend.

That is the point of travel insurance.

Your only avenue for any form of recompense is as stated in the terms and conditions of issue of the ticket.

As for claiming compensation from the French you might as well try to negotiate with the fairies.

Road hauliers from the UK who were affected by strikes in the 1980s and were PROMISED compensation by the French Government gave up after hurdle after hurdle was erected and more and more pedantic conditions and requirements were added on at each stage of the claim process. This in itself was continually lengthened and changed.

In the end they gave up as it was taking more time and money than the original loss, which is of course how the French operate. So my friend try by all means but expect nothing.

 

[Greenback]

Yes, the whole point of insurance is you don't know when you might need it!

I'm afraid I donlt think you are going to get anywhere with this. I don't know precisely what happens when airline staff go on stirke, as with BA, but a friend of mine had to call BA every day when she was booked to Gibraltar. They didn't contact her, and if she hadn't called them and just turned up at Heathrow to find the flight was cancelled, I very much doubt they would have paid for her to stay in a hotel.