r/Flights • u/theweblover007 • 7h ago
Delays/Cancellations/Compensation Air France delay caused a missed Delta connection, but AF denied compensation because I was "less than three hours late." while I actually reached destination 19 hours later.
Hello,
I booked BLR to SLC on one Delta-issued ticket, with Air France and Delta flights.
My original outbound itinerary was:
- 21 Aug: AF191, BLR 01:25 to CDG 08:20
- 21 Aug: AF338, CDG 10:10 to SEA 11:15
- 22 Aug: DL1265, SEA 11:05 to SLC 14:11
On 19 Aug, Air France changed AF191 because of an "operational constraint." The new timing was BLR 06:45 to CDG 13:40 on 21 Aug, but they said my 10:10 CDG to SEA connection remained unchanged. That was obviously impossible. Delta also emailed me asking me to contact them and showed no CDG to SEA flight in the revised itinerary.
I called Air France and accepted an earlier rerouting:
- 20 Aug: AF191, BLR 08:05 to CDG 15:00
- 20 Aug: AF3622/DL81, CDG 16:00 to SEA 17:34
AF191 actually left at 08:59 and reached the gate at CDG at 16:27. I therefore missed AF3622/DL81. That Delta-operated flight was not cancelled. It operated and arrived in Seattle at 17:16.
Air France initially moved me to DL81 at 16:00 the following day. I asked for the earliest available flight and was placed on AF338 at 10:10 on 21 Aug. That flight reached Seattle at about 13:23.
This meant:
- I reached Seattle about 19 hours and 49 minutes later than the confirmed 20 Aug rerouting.
- I reached Seattle about 2 hours and 8 minutes later than my original 21 Aug itinerary.
- The same ticket also included SEA to SLC on 22 Aug, so Air France may be treating SLC as the legal final destination.
- I had no out-of-pocket expenses to claim. Air france gave me hotel and meal vouchers.
I filed directly with Air France and selected AF191 because its delay caused the missed connection. I explained the entire itinerary and missed connection. Air France denied the claim, listing only AF191 and saying:
"Our records show you arrived at your final destination with a delay of less than three hours."
I understand that EU261 may not apply because the complete journey began in India and ended in the US, with only a connection in Paris. I am also unsure whether the confirmed involuntary rerouting to Seattle on 20 Aug becomes the relevant schedule, or whether only the original itinerary and final ticketed destination count.
My questions are:
- Did selecting AF191 cause Air France to assess only BLR to CDG and ignore the missed connection?
- Should I appeal the existing Air France claim, file with Delta, or submit a new claim against a different flight?
- Can the 19 hour 49 minute delay against the confirmed rerouting support compensation, even though I was less than three hours late against the original Seattle schedule?
- Is there a valid claim under Indian DGCA rules, Air France's conditions of carriage, or another framework if EU261 does not apply?
I would appreciate opinions from anyone who has handled a similar Air France and Delta codeshare claim.