I have had a very bad time on June 10th, 2010 due to an engine problem of the National Express bus going from London Heathrow to London Gatwick. I had a flight on June 10th from London to Genoa in British Airways flight number 2688 at 10:10 AM. For that reason I took a National Express bus nº727, license plate nº FH06EBL at 7:55 AM from terminal 5, Heathrow Airport. Since I took this bus at this hour, I was supposed to be in London Gatwick Airport at 8:45 AM, in other words, 1 hour and 35 minutes before my flight time. Since the bus I took had the engine problem, I finally arrived to LGW at 9:50 AM.
Because of the incident I had to buy another ticket to Turin, the nearest place to Genoa, and It cost me £163.70 in British Airways flight number 2578, I had to spend £ 5.00 in food which I was not considering, also a 3 hour train to Genoa cost me £ 15.00 and a taxi to take the train another £ 29.00

I was supposed to arrive to Genoa at 13:00 PM and I finally got there at 23:30 PM, a difference of 10 hours, so this hours must be paid by National Express.
As you can see, I was very affected because of the incident and I expect National Express to answer to my claims, because I had a very well planned schedule from the very beginning. I expect National Express to Pay for all of the extra spending I had to deal with and also a compensation for the incident.

I am an Italian citizen, that is why am sending a scan of my passport, also pictures of the incident that occur that day. The Incident number is 134667 occurred on June 10th 2010 and the team leader that helped me that day was Miss Wendy Mabley in National Express sales place in Gatwick Airport. She told me I was supposed to have an answer for the following points:

1) The last check in time according to British Airways policies was 45 minutes before the flight. With the bus I have taken, I was supposed to be at Gatwick Airport 1 hour and 35 minutes before the flight. So it was not my problem to miss the flight.

2) We were standing on the side of the road for over an hour, with cold and rain. No bus from National Express came to rescue so I was denied to check in and board my plane. I was severely affected emotionally, economically and morally. I was supposed to visit for the last time my Italian family.

3) A transfer company, well known as National Express should know if the engine of a bus has troubles, the bus driver kept saying “I am sorry, I am sorry” to the support National Express Phone Helper.

4) I feel National Express service is not reliable, and is in deed dangerous because an engine trouble in the middle of the high way is not a joke.

For all the reason I have given, I expect National express to:
Pay £212.70 for the extras I had to pay that day plus £18.30 of the return way which the incident took place.
Pay a compensation of £500 for the bad time including 10 hours of extra waiting and transportation far from my final destination.


The total compensation to this problem, that would fulfill my expectations is £731.00 (seven hundred, thirty one pounds)
I would expect to have this deal with National Express very quickly since I have evidence, I am sending to you, of the poor, unreliable and unserious service. I don`t want to initiate charges against National Express because I believe in good will and men can do mistakes.
I expect a prompt answer to my e-mail