Airline compensation?

[Piff]

Number one son has been away with a mate to Munich for a few days and is due to fly home tonight with Easy Jet, arriving at Gatwick at 10:15.
Apparently Easy Jet have cancelled his flight due to fog delays at Gatwick, flights backing up all day so they cancelled the last flight.

He has been offered 2 options:-

1. Alternative flight to Manchester tonight arriving at 22:50 (if not delayed)
2. Flight to Gatwick in 3 days time

They have taken the first option but now need to get from Manchester to Gatwick to collect his car, drive home to Suffolk all to get to work tomorrow

Does EasyJet have any duty to get passengers back to their ticketed destination?

They are currently claiming no responsibility as it is due to the weather.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Do you expect the airline to control the weather?

 

[flango]

They have a duty to get you back to your home country and if you are insistent, your point of departure. However I don't think there is a specified time in which they have to do this.

That's why I only fly flag carriers which actually are usually as cheap as the budget airlines then when it goes wrong they usually put it right and pull out all the stops to get you home.

 

[Piff]

Do you expect the airline to control the weather?

No - but I would expect them to get me to my ticketed destination within a reasonable time.

 

[HughJarse]

To give you a helpful answer: I think yes. Civil Aviation is covered by Regulation EU261/2004. I think I'm right in saying they have to get him back to his original airport. Has he checked they haven't put a coach on?

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

If anything it would be coach transportation that will be arranged for everyone on that flight from the new destination to the original destination. Like if trains are cancelled, have they not given any more information other than that the destination airport has been changed?

 

[Deleted member 65149]

They have a duty to get you back to your home country and if you are insistent, your point of departure. However I don't think there is a specified time in which they have to do this. That's why I only fly flag carriers which actually are usually as cheap as the budget airlines then when it goes wrong they usually put it right and pull out all the stops to get you home.

I wish. Nearly ten years ago our BA flight from Berlin back to Heathrow was cancelled while we stood in the check-in queue. It was because of an incident (foiled terror plot) so we just had to shrug our shoulders and accept it. Unfortunately that appeared to be the attitude of the BA check-in staff who were making little or no effort to find alternatives. Rather than just stand and wait, I nipped over to the Air Berlin desk and found out that there were a dozen seats available on their next flight to Stansted. I asked them to hold four seats for our group and they were more than happy to do so. The BA desk were still insisting that there were no alternative flights that day. I had a quiet word and finally got them to give me the needed transfer slip so we could take the four Air Berlin seats. As I walked away I loudly announced to the people who were in front of us in the queue that there were 8 seats available to Stansted. The Rush was amusing.

(Our friends who lived close to Stansted weren't too happy that I'd talked them into flying with the "more reliable" BA. Public transport from Stansted to Heathrow to get to their car was no fun with all the cases!)

 

[Piff]

If anything it would be coach transportation that will be arranged for everyone on that flight from the new destination to the original destination. Like if trains are cancelled, have they not given any more information other than that the destination airport has been changed?

nothing advised or offered

 

[flango]

I wish. Nearly ten years ago our BA flight from Berlin back to Heathrow was cancelled while we stood in the check-in queue. It was because of an incident (foiled terror plot) so we just had to shrug our shoulders and accept it. Unfortunately that appeared to be the attitude of the BA check-in staff who were making little or no effort to find alternatives. Rather than just stand and wait, I nipped over to the Air Berlin desk and found out that there were a dozen seats available on their next flight to Stansted. I asked them to hold four seats for our group and they were more than happy to do so. The BA desk were still insisting that there were no alternative flights that day. I had a quiet word and finally got them to give me the needed transfer slip so we could take the four Air Berlin seats. As I walked away I loudly announced to the people who were in front of us in the queue that there were 8 seats available to Stansted. The Rush was amusing.

(Our friends who lived close to Stansted weren't too happy that I'd talked them into flying with the "more reliable" BA. Public transport from Stansted to Heathrow to get to their car was no fun with all the cases!)

That wad ten years ago times change

BA couldn't get me back into Manchester for fog so flew me to Glasgow and sent me home 250 miles in an exec taxi.

Another time they were late getting me into Houston so missed my connection they put me up in the Hilton overnight including meals and reasonable drink expenses provided a limo both ways then flew me out next morning

Had similar experiences with Lufthansa and United its how you approach them to handle the situation that is critical

But then again I do fly more than 500,000 miles a year

 

[Piff]

To give you a helpful answer: I think yes. Civil Aviation is covered by Regulation EU261/2004. I think I'm right in saying they have to get him back to his original airport. Has he checked they haven't put a coach on?

I've suggested he double checks with easyjet staff at Munich.

At the moment he has booked a hire car but it's going to be no fun driving home from Manchester via Gatwick (to pick up his own car) in the fog - approx 360 miles

 

[Dryce]

Unfortunately that appeared to be the attitude of the BA check-in staff who were making little or no effort to find alternatives. Rather than just stand and wait, I nipped over to the Air Berlin desk and found out that there were a dozen seats available on their next flight to Stansted.

I had a similar situation with KLM - basically a shrug and I was on my own. Full priced ticket too. I got back home using a low cost airline.

Since the mid eighties I always travel with a spare credit card - it's the backup 'get me home' ticket - by whatever means.

 

[Piff]

He has confirmed that Easy Jet are not offering any transport between Manchester & Gatwick.
And, the Manchester flight is now delayed by 50 minutes........................

 

[flango]

He has confirmed that Easy Jet are not offering any transport between Manchester & Gatwick.
And, the Manchester flight is now delayed by 50 minutes........................

That might make it interesting as the car rental centre at Manchester closes at midnight. Its off site with a shuttle bus so you need at least 20 mins after clearing Immigration preferably 30 mins

 

[Meldrew2]

Stop overnight in hotel, then there is a BA shuttle to Gatwick in the morning.

If no seats, there is train service with main line station at airport.

 

[def90cars]

I find in these circumstances you do get what you pay for. Cheap flight is usually cheap service. I once was flying back from Gothenburg to Stansted. The had us in the departure lounge with 20 mins until fly due to leave when they announced actually the plane had never left Stansted. 5.5 hours delay - no help - no reason.
Flying to Stuttgart on BA - delayed arrival of 3 hours (I think) - given 250€ on a debit card as compensation even before we left Brum'ham.

Hope it all works out OK. I once arrive at BHX 24 hours late from Brisbane due to plane breakdown... got nothing - unless a free night in a Brisbane hotel I didn't want counts??

 

[Rory]

He has confirmed that Easy Jet are not offering any transport between Manchester & Gatwick.
And, the Manchester flight is now delayed by 50 minutes........................

My reading is that they're supposed to get you to your original destination - not just somewhere randomly in the same country.

I can't for the life of me think that dumping people who are supposed to be at Gatwick in Manchester at midnight and then abondoning them could be considered reasonable.

However maybe they offered an overnight stay in Munich and a flight back to Gatwick today? That would probably be considered OK.

 

[Dryce]

My reading is that they're supposed to get you to your original destination - not just somewhere randomly in the same country.

I can't for the life of me think that dumping people who are supposed to be at Gatwick in Manchester at midnight and then abondoning them could be considered reasonable.

However maybe they offered an overnight stay in Munich and a flight back to Gatwick today? That would probably be considered OK.

The 'dumping' depends on circumstances.

If - because of weather - they offer to get you back to your actual intended destination airport via routing / schedule that you turn down in preference for what you think is a better routing / schedule to an alternative airport then arguably they have done enough by offering the first option and you have chosen the alternative destination and take responsibility thereafter.

When I've been dumped off a return flight by an airline due to weather with no options then I've been able to get things sorted myself - as much down to the location / timing of the place where I've been dumped. On each occasion I've dug myself out of trouble with an alternative route and sorted out transport at the far end - and then been left to claim back a fare refund which has taken a few weeks. (Airlines? well it includes BA and KLM as well as EasyJet).

 

[st13phil]

If - because of weather - they offer to get you back to your actual intended destination airport via routing / schedule that you turn down in preference for what you think is a better routing / schedule to an alternative airport then arguably they have done enough by offering the first option and you have chosen the alternative destination and take responsibility thereafter.

I suspect this is pretty much on the button, but the airline still has a "duty of care" responsibility which may mean that they still need to do something more than shrug.

There's a pretty good article that summarises what you're entitled to and under what circumstances here.

In the particular instance of the OP's son, the airline would justifiably claim 'extraordinary circumstances', so under the provisions of Regulation (EC) 261/2004, they can refuse to pay compensation. However, the 'extraordinary circumstances' clause does not apply to the entitlement to assistance under Article 9 of that regulation which mandates that they must still offer assistance including accommodation, meals and transport. All the examples I can find relate to the need to do this prior to a departure which ultimately arrives at the booked destination point, but I don't see why you couldn't argue - especially when they've offered a more timely flight to another airport in the destination country - that ground transportation to the booked destination point shouldn't be provided at the carrier's expense.

Hopefully the OP's son has now made it home safely and has kept receipts for his additional expenses incurred.

 

[Piff]

He arrived home at about 8:00am after landing at Manchester at about 12:30am
£20 hire car
£28 supplement for young drivers insurance
£30 petrol
£10 extra for the Gatwick parking

Turns out he didn't give me all the info on the phone last night - they were offered flight to Gatwick on Wednesday plus accomodation while waiting or the flight to Manchester.
As they were both due back at work today they took the Manchester flight option.
So on the basis of the Gatwick flight & accomodation offer I can't see grounds for a compensation claim.

 

[Rory]

Thanks for the update - the drive to Gatwick, then home must have been tough. Doubt I could have done that.

He probably wouldn't bother claiming anyway but it would be logical to reimburse him as what he did must have been a lot cheaper than having to look after him for 3 days in Germany.

Plus wouldn't the EU compo rules cover him anyway? I've never looked in detail but some people have had chucky amounts for what appear to be much more minor inconvenience that your son suffered. Or does the fog render all that null and void?