[Travel] OT Gatwick drones

[LockStock]

I was caught up in the drone delays at Gatwick and as a result had to book new flights out of Heathrow. My orginal easyJet flight got cancelled so I got a coach to Heathrow and a BA flight from there.
I have since been trying to get the easyJet flight refunded but have been told it is not covered by travel provider, my travel insurance or easyJet as the government deemed it an act of terror.
Any else who got caught up in it had the same or had any luck getting a refund?

 

[pauli cee]

I was caught up in the drone delays at Gatwick and as a result had to book new flights out of Heathrow. My orginal easyJet flight got cancelled so I got a coach to Heathrow and a BA flight from there.
I have since been trying to get the easyJet flight refunded but have been told it is not covered by travel provider, my travel insurance or easyJet as the government deemed it an act of terror.
Any else who got caught up in it had the same or had any luck getting a refund?

Did they ever get to the bottom of what happened, or is it just another of those stories that seems to mysteriously go away without an answer

 

[Daddies_Sauce]

Did they ever get to the bottom of what happened, or is it just another of those stories that seems to mysteriously go away without an answer

Its Chris Grayling, the man with no ferries and a take-away menu, what do you think the outcome will be? lift corner of carpet and brush underneath.

 

[Blue3]

I was told by somone who works aircraft side fairly senior that there was a drone and the airport used its sighting to test the emergency planning and response but that it got out of hand and took on a life of its own

 

[Bry Nylon]

Did they ever get to the bottom of what happened, or is it just another of those stories that seems to mysteriously go away without an answer

Who knows what the answer to this mystery could be? After all, every time Sussex Police launched one of their surveillance drones, a drone was spotted and the airport was shut. But once Sussex Police stopped launching surveillance drones, the drone sightings miraculously ceased?

Who knows what the answer could be?

 

[Weststander]

I thought pictures of the offending drone were publicised at the time.

Gatwick, a private company, wouldn’t throw away £10m’s and have a massive PR disaster for testing or a lie.

 

[Surf's Up]

Who knows what the answer to this mystery could be? After all, every time Sussex Police launched one of their surveillance drones, a drone was spotted and the airport was shut. But once Sussex Police stopped launching surveillance drones, the drone sightings miraculously ceased?

Who knows what the answer could be?

Nothing that Sussex plod do would surprise me! Surely front runners for the "Nacker of the Yard" award for the most incompetent force in the country??!!

 

[juliant]

I was caught up in the drone delays at Gatwick and as a result had to book new flights out of Heathrow. My orginal easyJet flight got cancelled so I got a coach to Heathrow and a BA flight from there.
I have since been trying to get the easyJet flight refunded but have been told it is not covered by travel provider, my travel insurance or easyJet as the government deemed it an act of terror.
Any else who got caught up in it had the same or had any luck getting a refund?

If your insurance and airline wont cough up then your only option is to try the CAA

http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1126 Your rights when there is a problem with your flight.PDF

Some airlines do have a habit to not pay out in times like this , it all depends on what they offered you at the time. Ie did they offer to move you for free to another flight with them.

Good luck with it

 

[goldstone]

Did they ever get to the bottom of what happened, or is it just another of those stories that seems to mysteriously go away without an answer

I was wondering the other day what had happened to this story. Surely we are due some answers?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Did they ever get to the bottom of what happened, or is it just another of those stories that seems to mysteriously go away without an answer

Theyre still looking into the chemical mist mystery. One thing at a time my friend.

 

[Weststander]

Theyre still looking into the chemical mist mystery. One thing at a time my friend.

The ISIS Birling Gap cell.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I was caught up in the drone delays at Gatwick and as a result had to book new flights out of Heathrow. My orginal easyJet flight got cancelled so I got a coach to Heathrow and a BA flight from there.
I have since been trying to get the easyJet flight refunded but have been told it is not covered by travel provider, my travel insurance or easyJet as the government deemed it an act of terror.
Any else who got caught up in it had the same or had any luck getting a refund?

I had two flights cancelled and got full refunds for both. I got the money back for the cost of the two cancelled flights and nothing more; it’s not covered by the EU compensation thing and whilst I incurred extra costs of booking two new flights at short notice and transport from Heathrow to Brighton I was not expecting these to be compensated*.

At the time of the cancellation I was offered, via the cancellation email, the choice of a full refund or alternative flights. I accepted the former. *This also forfeited my rights to their duty of care ie hotels and alternative flights etc. I was refunded automatically but had to chase one as it didn’t get paid.....all it took was a quick phone call; there was some glitch in their system. I had booked direct with EasyJet....maybe this played a part in my swift assistance?

To be fair to EasyJet, and bearing in mind the ridiculous situation at Gatwick with the Key Stone cops, I found them quite helpful.

Good luck as I know this sort of stuff can be a pain and very frustrating.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Nothing that Sussex plod do would surprise me! Surely front runners for the "Nacker of the Yard" award for the most incompetent force in the country??!!

My favourite Sussex Plod moment was seeing about 20 of them kettle about 5 spotty student protesters outside the pier on Sunday morning about 10 years ago. They had obvs seen the met doing the same during the London riots the previous week and clearly wanted to play at being bigger boys for the day.

 

[whitelion]

Featured on Panorama tonight at 8.30pm. Although the airport spokesperson maintains over a 100 "sightings" by trusted employees and police not one photograph and only one uncooberated video footage exists.

Why did Sussex Police at one point say that they may not have existed. But later overriden by the Chief Constable?

 

[banjo]

Three flights diverted to Stansted as drone spotted inside 5km zone.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-48086013

 

[LamieRobertson]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-53041256

 

[Knocky's Nose]

"A couple arrested over the Gatwick Airport drone chaos that halted flights have received £200,000 in compensation."

Oh no they haven't....

They received £55,000 (which they'll probably spend on the very best drones money can buy for a giggle..) - and the real winners were... "..and law firm Howard Kennedy said it has billed the force an additional £145,000 in legal costs."

 

[vegster]

"A couple arrested over the Gatwick Airport drone chaos that halted flights have received £200,000 in compensation."

Oh no they haven't....

They received £55,000 (which they'll probably spend on the very best drones money can buy for a giggle..) - and the real winners were... "..and law firm Howard Kennedy said it has billed the force an additional £145,000 in legal costs."

Well, It's cost Sussex police a hefty wad for that.

 

[Eeyore]

'No-one has ever been charged, and police have said that some reported drone sightings may have been Sussex Police's own craft'

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

'No-one has ever been charged, and police have said that some reported drone sightings may have been Sussex Police's own craft'

“Twelve armed officers swooped on Mr and Mrs Gait's home, even though they did not possess any drones and had been at work during the reported sightings.”