V-Flyer

Hi All - my GF and I were meant to fly from Luton to Berlin at 7.30am on Sunday.

We live near M Keynes, and the roads around here quickly became diabolical (not to mention the M1 being barely passable according to the local plod) on Saturday night.

As a result we decided that we didn't want to risk the (very early) journey on unsafe roads, and also risk the possibility of being stranded in Berlin had conditions deteriorated whilst we were away.

I contacted easyJet on the phone and twitter, and they've taken a very frustrating "rules is rules" approach that the flight operated and therefore to re-book it's a case of paying the change fees etc. All we're asking for is the chance to re-book free of additional charges. Appreciate it's only a £55 per person ticket but I believe a pragmatic approach is needed here.

(Also, my GF has had Flu, so we're lining up our travel insurance to cover us for that if easyJet don't help.)

Any V-Flyer thoughts?

I'd look to the insurance. EZY are very process driven. In the disruption this time last year I compared experiences of the follow on from the cancellation of a flight from EDI to STN with a fellow traveller.

We were both told we could submit a claim for alternative transport to get back home. He booked a train ticket from Edinburgh to Stansted, with the result that EZY paid out. I booked a train ticket from Edinburgh to Huntingdon, which is about 45 miles north of Stansted but on the same rail route as if I had booked through to Stansted, on the basis that I would get the other half to drive me to the airport and collect the car the next day. EZY would not pay out for this, and no amount of arguing would convince them to take another course.

Paul

I'm with EasyJet on this one - as you say, you took risks, perhaps you could have added the risk that EasyJet would not accommodate you for free. They'll probably take the line that as other people got there, and the flight departed, you could too. Sorry about the £55 (each?).

I think you should go the airport, march up to the Easyjet ticket desk, shout abusively at the staff, demand to see a supervisor and then tell them you'll never fly with them again. Well, that's how it seems work on 'Airline'...

Seriously though, you have my sympathies, but low-cost carriers being what they are I don't think you stand a cat in hell's chance of getting them to change their stance.

mdvipond wrote:I think you should go the airport, march up to the Easyjet ticket desk, shout abusively at the staff, demand to see a supervisor and then tell them you'll never fly with them again. Well, that's how it seems work on 'Airline'...

Seriously though, you have my sympathies, but low-cost carriers being what they are I don't think you stand a cat in hell's chance of getting them to change their stance.

Yes but then you look like a right <insert expletive here>

But yes hate to say it but Easyjet are in the right here. The flight did operate ...

I mirror the above comments here, the flight left therefore its you that is making the decision not to fly. Hope the GF gets better.

cheers

alex

Thanks for the replies.

I'm totally onboard with easyJet's rules being as they are, but maybe I'm a little less black and white and can see how a good will gesture for the crazy weather would be appreciated.

Anyhow, I've had some good news that our hotel have allowed us to rebook for free (we just pay any increase in the rate for the new booking) so all we lost was £110 on the airfare.

It's not a big deal compared to people's trips of a lifetime being ruined at LHR, I guess it's just the principle/soft side that I should appreciate doesn't really exist with easyJet/Ryanair and co, but then would the answer have been any different from BMI or BA had their flights operated?

BA and VS are indeed allowing anyone flying to cancel and/or re-book F.O.C. not sure about BMI though.

In fact BA are actively promoting and recommending as many pax as possible do this via their Twitter page at the moment:

If you're travelling to/from LHR til 31 Dec & ur tvl isn't essential, can we ask u to think about cancelling,refunding,changing ur plans pls

Sorry I should've been clearer, I meant would the answer have been different from BA or BMI had their flight operated as the easyJet one did, and I didn't travel due to treacherous roads.

clarkeysntfc wrote:Sorry I should've been clearer, I meant would the answer have been different from BA or BMI had their flight operated as the easyJet one did, and I didn't travel due to treacherous roads.

No, and I read plenty to substantiate this on FT, I don't think they would. And why should they really, if masses of people took your choices their business would suffer. If you really wanted to fly, you had a number of options including travelling to the airport the day before, taking a taxi, looking at alternatives, or driving yourself. The airline can reasonably say (BA and BMI) that other people made the flight, why didn't you? I hope that didn't sound too harsh.

If you cancelled before you travel then yes you would be refunded in full.

If you just don't turn up for a confirmed operating flight then probably not, as I can't see any airline offering refunds for simple no-shows regardless of the reason.

Slightly o/t but I noticed that EZY are now offering flexible business fares throught their business to business distribution channels.

pjh wrote:Slightly o/t but I noticed that EZY are now offering flexible business fares throught their business to business distribution channels.

Earlier in the year you could also simply book flexible flights on easyjet.com (at a vastly different price to the cheaper fares as expected!) don't appear to be able to anymore for some reason though

Thanks for the additional responses. I've dropped an email into easyjet customer services as a last ditch attempt, but won't be too devastated if they come back with a 'no'. To be honest I'm not even sure if I need to claim on the travel insurance because the excess will likely barely cover the £110 on the flights, so coupled with Doc notes etc it might be more trouble than it's worth.

Now looking at the 2011 diary to see when we might fancy re-booking!