What hotel should I book if the flight was cancelled?
April 29, 2022 12:30 PM Subscribe
We're on holiday in Paris and our return flight has been delayed by a day. Customer service said they'd reimburse a hotel. Is it foolish to book an expensive hotel, or foolish not to?
They said that organising the hotel is our responsibility and that they'd reimburse the cost, but didn't specify an amount or price range. I imagine it's not in their interest to say 'there's no ceiling to what we're obliged to reimburse' if that's the case. We've been saving for this trip for a while and have been staying at a nicer place than we normally would, and eating out at nicer places etc. So it would be nice to continue, but we hadn't budgeted for that. Can we be on the hook for the cost if they decide it was too expensive?
The flight is Paris - Stockholm, so is covered by the EU travel laws (which also don't seem to specify an amount, just that we're entitled to a hotel).
It seems that they're supposed to reimburse meals as well, and there's also no guidance there.
We're not trying to do anything dodgy, but this delay will cause a bit of hassle so staying somewhere nice would certainly help.
They said that organising the hotel is our responsibility and that they'd reimburse the cost, but didn't specify an amount or price range. I imagine it's not in their interest to say 'there's no ceiling to what we're obliged to reimburse' if that's the case. We've been saving for this trip for a while and have been staying at a nicer place than we normally would, and eating out at nicer places etc. So it would be nice to continue, but we hadn't budgeted for that. Can we be on the hook for the cost if they decide it was too expensive?
The flight is Paris - Stockholm, so is covered by the EU travel laws (which also don't seem to specify an amount, just that we're entitled to a hotel).
It seems that they're supposed to reimburse meals as well, and there's also no guidance there.
We're not trying to do anything dodgy, but this delay will cause a bit of hassle so staying somewhere nice would certainly help.
Don't forget to file for EU flight compensation - that's on top of reimbursement of costs. You're right at the cusp between 250 and 400 euro per person (1500 km is the cutoff point), so worth asking the gate staff or flight attendants how long the flight is in kilometres. Your airline should have a form online for it.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 1:35 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by I claim sanctuary at 1:35 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
I can't help you with the cost but I can say I spent the night at a hotel at the airport one time and immensely regretted it. There were no nice experiences to be had at the airport. And the airport shuttle from the hotel to anything else took about as long as the RER took from the airport to the middle of Paris.
posted by Nelson at 2:12 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 2:12 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Assuming you're flying out of Terminal 2, there is a pretty nice (I've heard) Sheraton station (with 45 minute service to Paris) and the TGV. You could be on a direct train and in Lyon or Brussels in two hours, if located in T2. Good for plane spotting if you like that. It's pricey, but it's also located literally in the regional RER you like extensive day trips. I've spent 90 minutes getting from CDG to central Paris in a taxi, so it's not a crazy idea. Disneyland Paris is close, too. Otherwise I agree there is precious little at the airport itself.
Probably the best choice is to pick a decent hotel in Paris, though. Why uproot yourself from the City of Lights? If you want a reasonably nice hotel, you could do a lot worse than the Hotel du Midi in the Montparnasse district. Quiet, attractive area, lots to discover in a short walk.
posted by wnissen at 2:58 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Probably the best choice is to pick a decent hotel in Paris, though. Why uproot yourself from the City of Lights? If you want a reasonably nice hotel, you could do a lot worse than the Hotel du Midi in the Montparnasse district. Quiet, attractive area, lots to discover in a short walk.
posted by wnissen at 2:58 PM on April 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Possibly a bit late, but I'll chime in. This happened to me a couple of years ago (except that I wasn't really given a hotel choice). I stayed at one of the standard hotels in Roissy associated with the airport. Nothing wrong with them, but you're correct -- there's nothing but a clump of hotels out there.
I checked into the hotel and from the hotel, immediately jumped in a cab to the city center to save time. Taxi took 45 minutes; this can vary due to traffic/time of day. I rode the metro to a couple of places, got the obligatory Eiffel Tower selfie, had dinner, shopped for a few necessities in case my bag got lost. Late in the evening, I took the RER back to the airport. It all worked out fine.
One advantage to being out at the airport is that there are constant shuttles from the hotels to the terminals. If you stay in town, you'll have to manage your own route back to the airport and budget time accordingly. Since my rescheduled flight was early in the morning, being close to the hotel with an easy shuttle made sense for me.
posted by gimonca at 3:40 PM on April 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
I checked into the hotel and from the hotel, immediately jumped in a cab to the city center to save time. Taxi took 45 minutes; this can vary due to traffic/time of day. I rode the metro to a couple of places, got the obligatory Eiffel Tower selfie, had dinner, shopped for a few necessities in case my bag got lost. Late in the evening, I took the RER back to the airport. It all worked out fine.
One advantage to being out at the airport is that there are constant shuttles from the hotels to the terminals. If you stay in town, you'll have to manage your own route back to the airport and budget time accordingly. Since my rescheduled flight was early in the morning, being close to the hotel with an easy shuttle made sense for me.
posted by gimonca at 3:40 PM on April 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
« Older places to stay during Bristol Rhythm & Roots? | How can I find a non-scam spiritual retreat in... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:10 PM on April 29, 2022