We (family of 4) were travelling home from Vienna on Sunday when our Easyjet flight was cancelled. The airport staff were useless, the only thing they could offer was a free transfer to the next available flight which wasn’t until Thursday! Obviously that didn’t suit, we had to return to work and school. We were told we could find our own alternative way home and claim it back from Easyjet. Due to it being the end of the school holidays I think, there were no other flights available back to anywhere in the UK from Vienna for at least 2 days (we would have gone to any airport by this point!) My DH figured out a way for us to get home on the train, via a sleeper and the Eurostar. It cost us £1400.
The flight cancellation (according to Easyjet) was due to ‘extraordinary circumstances’ (French air traffic failure) so we are not due the EU compensation from the airline. I do believe they are liable for the cost of our alternative transport home though, but it could take months to get that back. On the other hand, having spoken to our travel insurance this morning they will pay out pretty much straight away if we claim from them.
Do I pursue Easyjet first, or claim both Easyjet and the travel insurance incase Easyjet won’t pay out? I’m not sure you are even allowed to claim it from both sources, what if they both pay out? That doesn’t seem right.
I found this article www.fairplane.co.uk/dont-rely-on-your-travel-insurance which says it is entirely fine to claim compensation from both the airline and your travel insurance, however this isn’t really compensation but reimbursement so not sure if that is the same? Don’t want to unwittingly commit insurance fraud!