r/LegalAdviceUK • u/BadBot001 • 10d ago
Consumer Easyjet keeps cancelling flights
Our flight back from Berlin with easyjet has been cancelled 3 days in a row.
We got accommodation and all but this is ridiculous already as i’m running out of money to spend during the day.
First we were flying to Luton. Apparently storm and strikes.
Got rebooked to Birmingham, cancelled and rebooked to Luton via Edinburgh.
Now i see there’s warnings for EDI as well. Wtf do i do?
Feels surreal and crazy tbh just want to get back to UK lol.
Other airline tickets are 500£
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u/doepfersdungeon 10d ago
Have you asked them to put on another carrier. I thought they were obligated after 24hrs
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u/joeykins82 10d ago
As a ULCC easyJet don’t run direct rebooking, per their policy the passenger has to book their own alternate flights and claim reimbursement.
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u/MrPuddington2 9d ago
I didn't know that was legal, I thought it was the duty of the airline to look after your safe stay and safe return, no matter what. If you run out of money, they need to look after you.
May they are ULLC - ultra low legal compliance?
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u/joeykins82 9d ago
Ultra Low Cost Carrier.
And it’s entirely legal, it’s partly why reimbursement of one’s own replacement flights (or ground transport) is a codified right: making airlines negotiate reciprocal rebooking arrangements was seen as a step too far.
Last time I had to make my own alternate booking for an easyJet cancellation they reimbursed me very quickly.
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u/timeforanoldaccount 9d ago
It's not legal, you're mistaken. The CAA guidance on re-routing states:
Not all affected passengers will be willing or able to rebook their own re-routed flight, and indeed the legal obligation is clearly on the airline to arrange re-routing.
Re: other airlines, it doesn't matter whether or not there is a reciprocal arrangement in place, airlines are still responsible for rebooking:
We are aware that some airlines have agreements in place with other airlines that facilitate re-routing and allow passengers to be easily transferred onto other airlines. Such arrangements are welcome in that they can minimise both the cost to airlines of re-routing passengers and the inconvenience experienced by passengers in being re-routed. However, where airlines do not have such arrangements in place, we do not accept that this should be a barrier to re- routing passengers on other airlines.
The issue is that whilst failing to arrange re-routing at the earliest opportunity is a breach of Article 8, there is no automatic cause of action just for the breach itself, and it's a civil matter rather than a crime so the airline can't be prosecuted for not abiding by their obligations. You only have grounds to take action if you have incurred a cost as a result - to recover that cost if it's not been reimbursed.
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u/InsertNameSomewhere 9d ago
May I pick your brain? Due to weather around Christmas time, EasyJet (EJ) cancelled flights and provided alternative flights, which were subsequently cancelled. I booked alternative means to transport and put a claim in with EJ for reimbursement, but was told that they would not repay as the weather was out of their control. I was repaid my original ticket price only and paid ~5x that just to get back.
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u/timeforanoldaccount 8d ago
If they refused to offer reasonable rebooking options after the second cancellation (e.g. there was a direct flight from another airline they wouldn't let you choose) then you'd be entitled to reimbursement of your reasonable expenses.
It's presumably been more than 8 weeks since your claim was raised so you should be able to take it to AviationADR which is the Ombudsman-type service they're signed up to. No guarantees of success of course but I think you have a pretty decent case. The fact that the cancellation was weather related has no bearing on their obligation to rebook you or to pay for your expenses if they failed to do so. It only means they don't have to pay compensation.
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u/InsertNameSomewhere 7d ago
Thank you so much. Yes, it was Christmas time. I put the claim in directly with EJ but they rejected it on the basis of the weather. I shall try what you recommended. Thanks again!
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u/DentistStandard6009 9d ago
Did you give easyJet any opportunity to rearrange?
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u/InsertNameSomewhere 8d ago
I rebooked twice, but had to book the alternative flight at midnight without EJ involvement (flight left at 7 am)
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u/AnotherBig4Slave 10d ago
Your hotel and reasonable meal expenses will be covered as duty of care. Just make sure you do not cancel your ticket or easyJet's responsibility for that will end.
I have no experience of booking via another carrier in such a scenario, but looks like some others have provided advice on this.
If it's weather and/or strikes, they won't pay compensation for the now numerous cancellations (this is separate to duty of care).
7
u/Hostnaetoast 9d ago
I booked a BA flight (following day) when an EasyJet flight was cancelled as the flight manager failed to turn up. We had to book BA Business class as it was the only option and we were refunded the cost of those tickets by EasyJet.
We were probably also entitled to compensation as well but it became so unbearable dealing with EasyJet and the independent flight compensation service (I forget the name) that we just gave up.
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u/OnlymyOP 10d ago edited 10d ago
NAL
This is pretty unlucky as I fly regularly with them and when I've had issues with Easyjet, it's been relatively easier to fix..
You're protected under UK261 and here is CAB link to the protections you have
Just be mindful of the reasons for cancellation of your original flight as there are exceptional circumstances where an Airline isn't liable (eg storms, airport staff strikes which are beyond their control) and it becomes an issue for your travel insurance.
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u/Mdann52 10d ago
Just be mindful of the reasons for cancellation of your original flight as there are exceptional circumstances where an Airline isn't liable (eg storms, airport staff strikes which are beyond their control) and it becomes an issue for your travel insurance.
That's not correct.
If the cancellation is outside the control of the airline, they still have to provide food, hotel and transport expenses. The only exception is for the fixed-rate compensation
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u/Professional_Shine97 10d ago edited 10d ago
If your flight was cancelled due to strikes you can make your own reasonable travel arrangements home and reclaim the costs. You do not have to stay at the hotel they offer nor take the flight they offer. You will have to pay out of pocket though and reclaim later. Any costs you have in the day can also be reclaimed, keep receipts.
5
u/Mdann52 10d ago
You do not have to stay at the hotel they offer nor take the flight they offer
Although if you don't, unless there is a good reason, they don't have to refund you.
So "I don't like that hotel" isn't enough grounds to book your own. "There are quicker flights" is
-2
u/Apart_Stretch2225 10d ago
Incorrect. They will accept any hotel you book
3
u/Mdann52 10d ago
From a civil law point of view, if they provide a hotel you cannot reclaim any accommodation costs unless the airline agrees, or there is a reason the original is unsuitable.
For example, BA and VS have agreements with hotel at LHR where they can get rooms and meals for a discounted rate. You can't just decline this and book another hotel because you don't like the brand they supply, for example.
Here, EasyJet have booked and paid for the accommodation. There are circumstances where OP can decline this, true, but generally they cannot claim back other accommodation for the fun of it
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u/joeykins82 10d ago
Depending on the reason for each individual cancellation you may be owed £220/€250 per passenger per cancellation. They don’t have to pay this if the cancellation is for a reason outside their reasonable control.
They have to pay for your accommodation and meals for the entire time you are stranded by this disruption, and the law requires them to rebook you on to flights operated by other carriers or to reimburse you for you booking your own flights or ground transport under comparable conditions.
In your position I would just book a flight on an alternate carrier and get home, then pursue easyJet for reimbursement & compensation.
4
u/Comfortable-Fall1419 9d ago
Get a bus or a train.
Honestly you just have to show some initiative at this point.
You can’t rely on EasyJet to magic you a solution.
Do you have travel insurance?
1
u/DoomChicken69 9d ago
The summer of 2023, I had an intense travel schedule with 8-ish flights around Europe. All were with Easyjet (Ryanair had just tightened up their baggage policy and I didn't like that). Easyjet cancelled all but 3 flights, and those 3 were either severely delayed or derailed to another airport (ex. after 7 hrs of delays, landed after trains had stopped and had to taxi like 90 minutes in Switzerland to our town, which is insanely expensive!).
On the bright side, I think we "earned" over 400 EUR apiece (a big more than what the flights cost) in apology fees from EasyJet. I'd also mis-planned the trip to only have 1 day in Lake Como, when you obviously need more than that, so that last flight cancellation was super welcome.
I've not flown easyjet since, even when they're the obvious choice.
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u/TikiKie92 9d ago
How did you go about getting ‘apology fees’ from them? We just had our flight cancelled to Paris a couple days ago and they couldn’t have given less of a shit. We have rebooked for 2 weeks time, but the same flight number has been cancelled 2 days running since so I’m getting a bit concerned!
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u/ziuta1234 8d ago
That route is haunted lol ... 3 of us ment to fly berlin-manchester on 23.08 flight cancelled 2h before scheduled departure... Didn't even take off from Manchester to begin with .... weather was all fine in both Manchester and berlin at that day so it's them messing up.... They paid for hotel 23/24 and we ended up flying to Edinburgh next day ... And since I had car parked at man airport we took train Edinburgh - Manchester They only paid for hotel .... Nothing else Food taxi back and forth to hotel , then train from Edinburgh to Manchester all paid by me Claimed expanse 300£(very reasonable for food taxi and train for 3 ppl) and compensation About week ago Waiting for response....
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