Easyjet changing flights, can't make new date

[BettyStogs]

We booked an Easyjet package holiday for half term, several months ago so got a good deal. Easyjet have now contacted us to say they have changed our outbound flight to the Friday (we were going Saturday to Saturday) which we can't do as one of the group is a teacher, and kids will be at school. Plus the hotel is still only booked from the Saturday so that would leave us without accommodation on the Friday night.

We contacted Easyjet and after initially lying to us and saying there were no flights to destination on the Saturday they have now offered us Saturday flights from another airport, which is not a problem but they wanted us to pay the difference which is £9k! The holiday was only £5K in total!

Has anyone had anything like this and do you know what our rights are? So far we've only paid deposit so there wouldn't be an issue getting that back - we want the holiday we booked, not our deposit back. We won't get such a good deal if we rebooked elsewhere.

No advice but that's terrible. I won't be using easyJet for a holiday

Neither will we, we've been with them a few times and never had an issue but never again.

We had flights changed by Ryanair and because the change was more than a certain number of hours, 6 hours I think, we could apply for a refund. Had to dig into the small print but we got the refund.

As you booked as a package I would think they need to refund the whole thing.

However, could the rest of the group take the Friday flight and the teacher book their own flight for the Saturday? It might be the least disruptive if you got a good deal and you're unlikely to get something else now?

You’ll be entitled to a refund

This is the risk you take when you book things separately.

Except they didn’t, they booked a package holiday through EasyJet.

Its a package holiday

We've only paid a deposit, I want the holiday not my money!

Doesn’t solve your teacher problem but if it’s a package holiday. Why wouldn’t you have accommodation on the Friday?

Possibly but would also mean taking 4 kids out of school, which isnt the end of the world for one day but we booked Saturday to Saturday for a reason. Plus the lack of accommodation on the Friday night.

The accommodation us still showing as booked Saturday to Saturday. The return flight hasn't changed.

As the previous person suggested, the teacher could book another flight maybe. Not ideal but I'm sure it will be cheaper than either paying the difference or re-booking.

They’ve offered you a new flight or a refund. It’s up to you what you take. I know you want the holiday but their circumstances have changed and they now can’t provide the goods . Either book with another airline or take the earlier flight. That’s your only options they won’t magic your flight up.

That's terrible and they have you over a real barrel

I wonder if they've actually made a mistake with the pricing, if they want an extra £9k for the flights? How many people is this for, that's huge?

It also sounds like they're telling you sufficiently far enough in advance (is it October half term?) that legally you're not due any compensation although I don't know if there's anything in the package travel recommendations that means your flights and accommodation need to 'match' ie they should be accommodating you all at their expense on Friday night, worth looking into.

I think if you don't want to lose the holiday and don't want a huge extra hassle with Easyjet I'd buy a new single flight for the teacher and everyone else fly out on the Friday. Make sure they know the teacher is coming and will need the return flight.

Technically Easyjet flights aren't returns but independent singles so there should be no risk of cancellation in the event of a no show on the outbound flight but I don't know if the package changes this.

Then book accommodation for Friday night, either get EJ to amend the booking or book the same hotel or something else separately.

If you paid by credit card (sidenote for the 'I don't have a credit card because I don't need one crowd', this is one of the reasons why you do) it might be worth trying to claim your consequential losses, ie the extra nights accommodation and the Saturday flight for the teacher from them as they've failed to supply a product that's fit for purpose and you've had to pay to put it right). If might take a bit of tooing and froing but I reckon if you went to the ombudsman they'd side with you.

Have you asked them about the Friday night. It's worth an ask

Just take the refund, book another holiday and chalk it down to a shitty experience with Easyjet. I never book anything with them because they have messed me around so much in the past.

They can provide the goods, there are other flights on the Saturday they just want to charge a ridiculous amount for them

I think I’d ask in Legal

absolutely ridiculous of them not to provide accomodation for the Friday night
though if the accomodation is booked from the Saturday and the return flight is on the 2nd satudday then it’s nonsense that the new Saturday outward flight for all of you would cost £9K. Cos you’d be using the same accomodation and return flight. Could you look into buying that return flight independently?

you will be entirely to a full refund for this. But that doesn’t help with the holiday.

But surely if it’s a package then the accommodation is down to them as they are the ones changing the flight on their package deal?

We had this happen with Ryanair (flights only) and it’s a bloody nightmare, so unfair they’re allowed to do it.

If it is a package it includes the hotel, so if they changed the dates it is for the hotel as well. Or am I missing something? Or do you only have the flights with them?

This page here on Easyjet’s own website suggests you ought to be able to swap to the flights from the other airport for free.

It says:
”If your flight is cancelled, there are several options available to you, which you can request quickly and easily by logging into Manage Bookings here on our website or via our easyJet App:

• Switch to another flight for free. On Manage Bookings you'll be able to book seats on the next available flight. If there are no direct flights available, you can also search for flights to or from nearby airports within the same country or indirect flights on the easyJet network.”

I’d be quoting this at them and saying they need to give you those other flights, absolutely no £9k charge.

Yep that is a good point we didn’t pay any extra when Easyjet cancelled our flight to take a different one from a different airport

that said Easyjet may argue that if it’s some time away the cancelled flight isn’t actually cancelled it’s rescheduled

Thanks all we're going to go back to Easyjet and try to change without the huge cost.

I’ve had a similar issue though only had flights booked with them. In my case they changed the flight time from early morning to late evening. As we were just going for a weekend this meant we missed most of a day. I saw they had flights the previous day from a different airport but was unable to request the change online without having to pay a fee.

However when I phoned up they made the change for me at no charge. Obviously overall it’s costing more as I’ve had to book an extra night at the hotel & will have train fares to the further away airport.

If you want the phone number I used, let me know.