london – Miles for places

Travel Itinerary: Nine Days in London with Kids

Whether you’re traveling as a couple, with toddlers, or on your own, London is a destination that offers something for everyone. From world-class dining and museums to historic landmarks and incredibly walkable neighborhoods, it’s an ideal place to explore on foot. Add in one of the best public transit systems in the world, and the need for a car becomes minimal.

Last summer, my family and I had the chance to visit London. For me, it was my first time back in ten years, and for my wife, her first visit in over thirty. It was also our kids’ very first time, which made the trip even more meaningful. Beyond exploring a new city, they were able to reconnect with family and meet cousins, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, and great-uncles, making this experience truly special. On previous trips, I had focused mostly on the classic tourist spots like Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Piccadilly Circus. Those highlights were still part of the plan for my wife and kids, but this time we also made it a priority to explore as many London neighborhoods as possible, getting around primarily by the Tube. It turned out to be an incredibly fulfilling trip in so many ways, and it was easily the highlight of our summer. After all, time spent with family is priceless. Below is a breakdown of our London itinerary.

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My Experience with AirHelp for a Delayed Flight to London

For those of you who have experienced a non-weather related flight cancellation or a delay of 3+ hours on a flight to or from Europe over the last 3 years, you might want to visit http://www.airhelp.com and see if you are eligible for compensation. On a flight from New York City to London back in May of 2015, my flight on Norwegian Airlines was delayed for 5+ hours. When I inquired about the reason for the delay, they said it was due to a scheduling error and not having a pilot available to fly the aircraft. I thought it was a pretty ridiculous excuse for a reputable airline such as Norwegian not to have a pilot available. A few months prior, I had heard about AirHelp and I thought I would give them a shot and have them process my claim. AirHelp has lawyers that process your claim for you in European courts. If the judge awards you monetary compensation (this can be as high as 680 euros), they take half of that (25% service fee and 25% legal fee) and directly deposit the rest into your bank account via Payoneer. If you are not awarded anything, they don’t collect. Classic case of zero risk, high reward. I emailed them my flight info and the reason Norwegian gave me for the delay. They told me right away that cases similar to mine were awarded compensation greater than 90% of the time. They were transparent throughout the entire process and kept me updated on where the case stood. About 14 months after I initially contacted them, AirHelp informed me via email that the judge ruled in my favor and I had been awarded 600 euros. In a funny twist, I received an email from Norwegian Airlines just 2 days later. They were offering me 150 euros as compensation along with an apology (lol, apologizing 14 months later). I immediately contacted AirHelp and they informed me not to accept anything. Norwegian was trying to give me a low-ball offer hoping that I would accept it and reduce their liability. I declined Norwegian’s offer and AirHelp transferred $328 into my bank account via Payoneer 4 business days later. Although the process took a while, there was very little effort in my part to collect the compensation. I paid $397 for the one way flight to Europe so the compensation covered more than 80% of that cost. If not for AirHelp, I certainly was not going to go through the hassle of filing a claim in Europe. If you have experienced a delay of 3+ hours transiting to or from Europe, the image below will guide you on whether you should pursue a claim. You will also find all the info you need on http://www.airhelp.com. You certainly have nothing to lose and they’ll inform you on whether your claim is worth pursuing in court.

It’s unfortunate that the U.S. doesn’t have similar laws that would offer consumers the same level of protection for delayed and cancelled flights. We have our own air carriers that are chronically late and will continue to be late until punitive measures are put in place. As of right now, the worst that can happen to them are a few negative yelp reviews.