Help anyone know about flight cancellation rights?

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Awful travel experience yesterday. We were booked on an easyjet flight which was delayed by a few hours, then cancelled just as the last few passengers had boarded.

We then waited a few hours to be offered a hotel and told to call a number at 8am to get on new flights with a other airline as none with easyjet were available for next few days.

We were told that easyjet would reimburse the difference when booking new flights, as they were going rapidly we didnt want to wait till the morning and therefore did it ourselves.

My question is - will they pay for new flights even though we booked for neighbouring city in the same country, not the same city as planned? We will be taking train to final destination, and can prove this.

Thanks if you read this far!

easyJet flight cancellations and delays

British airways

flight cancellation info -legal rights

Legally yes, they should, under EC /UK 261 you can ask for alternatives within 300km. It will be a battle though, you will probably need to quote legislation. You are also legally entitled for a rebook on another carrier, but again you will have to be very persistent as easyJet doesn't like to do this and will make excuses.

As this is less than 14 days, you should be also eligible for compensation. Staffing issues is not an acceptable reasons to get out of paying.

Search, find the flights you do want with availability and call with the details.

Get the reps name, and time and if they fob you off, ask to escalate.

Worst case, you will need to book your own flights and claim back via the arbitration service or mcol (online claims court).

Thanks, thats what i was asking - about rebooking with another airline. CN i do this even before speaking to their customer services? There is no desk anymorw so no rep, but did speak to an easyjet staff member at airport. This was the mentioned in the easyjet cancellation terms and conditions, so wanted impartial information.

We didn't want to wait for the morning to wait to rebook as the last few remaining seats were going fast and waiting for them to do it could've meant getting a flight 5 days later.

Will updste when i have some clarity with my claim with easyjet. Have kept receipts and aim to get compensation as well as flight costs back!

We had a similar situation and, like you, booked our own alternative flight as if we'd have waited for Easyjet to offer us a solution, it would have been days before there was availability to get home. We ended up flying into a different UK airport and getting a train home.

Easyjet basically washed their hands of us. The only thing they would do was refund the original flight, but wouldn't pay for the new flight. They also wriggled out of paying us through the EU delay scheme. I can't remember the details, some loophole. Their answer was that we needed to claim on our travel insurance.

We ended up claiming for new flight and trains on travel insurance and they paid out.

Have you got insurance?

Legally, easyJet should be re booking you. In reality they will be arseholes... you need to stay in limbo when you speak to customer service and tell them you are not accepting nor declining the new flight, but want it noted on your notes / file that you are being denied your right to a rebook / re route under 261. Under UK 261 you are entitled to same day flights if available on other carriers. It's all about reasonableness to win at arbitration / small claims court. It isn't reasonable to wait 5 days for a flight when there are seats available the day you were travelling.

If you cancel the easy jet re book, they will wash their hands of you and claim that any duty of care ended there.

Remember to claim for all meals as well plus any travel / hotel costs. These are separate to compensation. Take pictures of all receipts.

However, If you can find flights that are cheaper than your original, then win win. Book and cancel/ decline the shitty alternative flights! You can still claim for your compensation.

Similar thing happened to us.

we rebooked flights with another cheap airline. You must book economy or similar.
after a month, we have been refunded.
make sure you get an invoice with the date, route, flight, names of passengers and class.

they will not pay for the train, just the flight.

if you have a meal, ask for a separate bill for the alcohol, so you have an invoice detailing the meal, without alcohol. This can be claimed too.

I’m still waiting for my EC261 claim for the cancelled flights. This should be on top of the cost of your new flight + a refund of your old flight.

please be careful that if there was a return leg to your original ticket, it is changed to a one way flight. If the outward flight is not used, the return is often cancelled too.

good luck