Cancelled flights and compensation?

[EmmaStone]

We've just landed after a week in Greece. The morning of our departure flight (and having downloaded all our boarding passes for both ways the day before), I saw on the app that our return flight had been cancelled. We never received any notification of the cancellation. After clearing security, I got on the phone to EasyJet to ask how we were supposed to get home. The next available flight to our airport was 4 days later than our original return - not practical for many reasons, but we managed to rearrange to a different airport for the same original day.

We booked a taxi to get us from the rearranged airport to the original airport (where our car was), this has cost approx £300 (but would have been a similar cost had we taken trains, plus that would have been an enormous hassle with our luggage). I asked EasyJet if this would be covered and they said it would.

So, before I start to try to recover the cost of this taxi, I wondered if we should also be pushing for a standard compensation claim as well? Naturally, EasyJet aren't hugely clear on this point, so I wondered if anyone else had been in the situation? The main thing is I'm not left out of pocket, but this situation was quite an additional stress, and meant we also lost the majority of our last day of holiday (revised flight home was 12 hours earlier than original flight), and I'm still quite annoyed that EasyJet never made any effort to let us know of the cancellation - we could have turned up at the airport on our last day and have been completely stranded.

As the flight originated in the EU, I believe you’re entitled to compensation under EU261 so definitely put a formal claim in. I don’t know exactly how many kilometres the flight route is, but you could be owed up to €600 per person so it’s definitely worth chasing up.

The airlines will usually say that they’ve done their bit by arranging an alternative flight home, but if the cancellation occurred less than 14 days before departure - which yours did - you’re also entitled to compensation. You should be able to claim this directly through easyJet, don’t give any money to those companies online who offer to do it for you. It’s pretty straightforward.

You should be prepared for your request for compensation to be rejected. You will be given the opportunity to appeal to the independent arbitrator which is a straightforward web application. And then you should get the compensation. I think airlines automatically reject because not everyone bothers to appeal.

Brilliant, thank you both!

I've completed the compensation claim form on the EasyJet website as well as an expenses claim form for our taxi. Fingers crossed for at least the taxi expenses...

Well, I've just had an email from easyJet - they've agreed my cancellation compensation - £350 per passenger. Absolutely gob smacked. Should be in my account within 7 days (still waiting for my taxi expense, but this is incredible). Well done easyJet!