Non Norwich related advice request

Recently returned from Australia and I have had some issues with Cathay Pacific and its contractors during my stay which I feel are unacceptable.

1) Leaving the UK the pilot chose the wrong runway causing a delay which meant we missed our connection in Hong Kong and arrived in Melbourne 9 hours late, missing a nights accommodation.

2) Bag went missing and I was misinformed by Menzies (the appointed baggage handler for Cathay Pacific) as far as a payment for missing baggage)

2b) Bag was missing for over 1 week, during this time no attempts were made by Cathay/Menzies to contact me - I had to repeatedly attempt to chase wasting time on my holiday. Managed to speak to someone twice in one week, both times I was informed that there was no update and they did not know where my case was.

2c) Went to the airport to fly to Sydney and visited the Menzies office, was told that the case was located on 21st December (day after I left and in theory before I knew it was missing) apparently no one had known all week where it was but this person knew straight away. Advised that case would be with me the following day by lunchtime - I waited until 1.30pm and there was no sign.

2d) Called in hotel at 7pm to ask if my case had arrived (it hadnt) follow several calls in the next 10 mins was told it would be with me no later than 8pm, turned up at 9pm.

3) Travelled to airport ahead of flight to Brisbane 2 hours before check in (5 hours before flight) to discuss face to face with Cathay - requested upgrades to put the issues to bed, denied and advised that they would not be offering compensation and if they felt "service recovery" was required they would pay in duty free vouchers following investigation.

4) Given menu on the plane with choices for food and offered the same selections when served, except what I requested was not served - when queried was told that it must be an error by the food suppliers and that was that.

Am I right to feel aggrieved and to seek financial compensation? This holiday cost me over ?5000 and was meant to be once in a lifetime trip to celebrate my 30th birthday and see in the New Year with the mrs. I spent most of the first week annoyed and chasing someone with no avail, not to mention the physical time wasted sitting around waiting.

If people feel that my request is unrealistic please let me know. By the same account, if you have any advice as to how to go about submitting this complaint, what I should request/expect please let me know.

Posted By: conker, Jan 22, 17:08:20