Easyjet - A Lack of Respect for Customers
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I booked a return ticket to England with Easyjet a month or so ago. The ticket was for my wife. She flew to England without any problems, however she got to the airport for her return journey and was told that Easyjet had overbooked her flight and she could not fly. They advised her that they could not get her on another plane the same day. This happened to her, and 9 other people. Nothing more was said.
How to get home?
A little later she was told that she could possibly fly on the evening flight, 12 hours later, but they could not give any guarantee, as people could still book online and fill up the remaining seats. She could travel to one of the other London airports, but they could not give any guarantee that she would get a seat.
I checked online and there were still seats available, however Easyjet were not willing to give her any confirmation. They advised her that in order to guarantee a seat she should book and pay for a separate seat on the evening flight. This was the only way that she could guarantee travelling.
However it is clear that this is a lie as less than 30 minutes before Easyjet demonstrated that paying for a seat does NOT guarantee travel. Perhaps customers who pay twice are given greater priority over those who only pay once? Not quite sure how that works.
After deciding not to pay again, around 15 minutes later, they agreed to guarantee her a place on the evening flight. They offered no reimbursement, no meal voucher, no apology.
Personally I think it is an utter disgrace that this practice goes on, and I cannot believe their utter disrespect for paying customers.
One girl in the queue said that Easyjet have done this to her three times, and whilst they said they would reimburse her for paying for a second flight to get home, they never did. She has never got any money back from them for cancelled flights or cancelled seats.
So what is the problem?
Flight companies are under increasing pressure to make their millions, due to rising fuel prices and increasing airport taxes. Budget airlines now try to make their flights cheaper by charging you more if you want to take any bags with you.
I for one like to take some clothes with me, so I am at a disadvantage, but I agree that this makes me more expensive to transport so Ill have to accept that.
Another way costs can be cut, is that if a flight is not sufficiently full, it is not profitable to fly, therefore it makes more financial sense to cancel it. This leaves a problem of what you do with the paying customers who should have travelled. These need to be put on the next plane.
Of course this has a knock on effect, as people who should fly on that plane are then refused passage, and this domino effect continues until there is a plane which has enough seats to accommodate all of the excess passengers.
However, this shouldn't actually save money, as if the flight is cancelled, the compensation they have to pay is greater than the cost of the original flight. So how do they get around this problem?
With Easyjet it is simple. Easyjet have to issue €250 in compensation for not allowing you to travel, and they have to cover meal expenses whilst waiting for the next flight. However they do not issue vouchers for food, and they make the claiming process long and difficult (certainly longer than the 14 hour delay they make you endure)
How do they do this? Surely this is not legal?
The trick is to use another company to manage all of the airport duties. At London Gatwick Airport, they use a separate company to manage all of those tricky customer service duties. It is totally separate from Easyjet. Therefore all "Easyjet" airport staff are unauthorised to issue voucers, refunds, claim forms or any advice on getting money back. They are not Easyjet after all.
They have no authority and can do nothing. They wont even give you the phone number for Easyjet customer service to call and complain. Any delay is Easyjet's fault and not theirs, so when Easyjet cancel or delay a flight, they are just as annoyed as you are. This really shows when you ask them anything. They get annoyed. After all its not their problem.
If you want your meal voucher you have to go online and get the Easyjet phone number (try looking on the website, its almost impossible to find), call them to complain, and get your voucher. Of course a voucher cannot be given over the phone, so they tell you to pay and then claim back everything. Of course, tryng to get online at the airport is not easy, so most don't bother. Trying to get a refund and money paid back is very difficult too. By making the process long and difficult many give up when apathy sets in, and Easyjet don't then have to pay out.
Regular flyers who were told they couldn't get on the plane said this was a frequent practice and planes are often cancelled without warning. Heavy delays are to be expected, and claiming back is virtually impossible for anyone who is not a native English speaker.
What to do? Unfortunately you have no choice but to accept this practice, as Easyjet's domination of European travel has made many of the routes unprofitable for the competition, so there is no other service.
So now the claim process begins. To make this easy for other I shall post to let you know how I get on, and the best way to get your money back. Any hurdles I come across, and I'l let you have the timescales etc.
Has this happened to you?
Has Easyjet refused you entry onto a plane when you had a valid ticket when you were in a fit state to travel? Has Easyjet promised to reimburse you for a late flight or cancellation and not done so?
I wonder just how prevalent it is. Let me know - post your comments!
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Question, Why do easy jet charge you £25 to cancel a reservation and dont give you a refund? All you are doing is confirming the seat is free and they will then sell it at a premium. An if Ive paid for the seat can lawfully have it as a spare seat so I can have more room?
I'm in exactly the same situation where the plane was overbooked as i went to check in. i was promised 250 Euros too. I'm very interested in how you manage. I don't know where to start!
1. RIGHT TO COMPENSATION:
If you are involuntarily denied boarding or your flight is cancelled (provided an exception specified above does not apply), you shall receive compensation amounting to the following:
•
EUR 250 for all flights 1 500 km or less;
•
EUR 400 for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 km, and all other flights between 1500 and 3500 km.
You need to call their customer service line to claim on 0871 244 2366 - It used to be possible to claim through the FAQ section on their website, or through the "manage my booking" section, however I think that this has recently been changed, as I could not find the claim form - Its very well hidden!!!
I called again today to check on my situation, and they said they are checking the records at London Gatwick regarding the claim, and it has not yet been processed. I have to wait to find out the outcome.
Good luck with your claim - don't hang around though, as I am not sure if there is a time frame in which you need to claim.
Easyjet denied boarding to me my three children(all under age of 10) nephew and 86 year old grandmother.trying to get compensation and money back from £3000 alternative flight. its been three weeks but still giving me sleepless nights
My family and I were booked on an easyjet flight last week from Stansted to Palma - to join a cruise ship. When we got to the front of the queue they told us it was overbooked and there were only 3 seats left. My children and I had to get on the plane and easyjet put my husband in a taxi to Liverpool airport and he managed to get a later flight from there (only just getting on the ship before it sailed). It completely ruined the start of our holiday but at least they got us there. Overbooking should not be allowed!
I paid 177 euro for a flight to Split which was eventually cancelled (by then we had been grounded in the plane for 3 hours without airco + spending 4 hrs on the airport before boarding). It was too late to book anything else (23.30 at night). So back at airport next morning at 05h30 to book only available flight with Austrian air via Vienna. Business Class. 523 Euros. Now trying to get that money back but they only want to refund "a full refund of this additional cost (OR of the difference paid) has been processed and €345.65 will be returned". So I paid 177 + 523=700 and they give me back half of that. It is their fault that I had to book such an expensive flight and I want my 523 back. I don't know if this is legally possible.
Yip.. canceled my flight, Lyon-Brussels 24th May, without notice. I had a business meeting and was obliged to take next available flight. As easyjet have 1 per day that meant next available airline.
Coat 614 euros.
I have been fighting for more than 2 months. New rules and regulations appear and even when you follow the request to the letter they will reject it automatically (As an error apparently) so that you have to go through the process again.
I would advise everyone to write a short letter of complaint to the CAA in london and the authority for wherever you had the problem or were supposed to fly to..
good luck
One of our employees had to stay in France yesterday because Easyjet overbooked her flight and told her at the airport she can't board the plane.
This is just crazy, We will certainly complain and write letters and spread the news. How does this airline think they can survive with such treatment to customers?
They are dead now.
If Easyjet cannot accommodate paying customers, then it is a corporate decision to overbook flights. If they lack the capacity to transport paying customers, then it is tantamount to theft to take money and fail to provide a service as paid for.
You arrive at the airport in plenty of time, looking forward to your holiday or getting home, and are made to watch your plane leave without you because Easyjet have purposely got their figures wrong. It makes me feel sick to the stomach.
They then have the nerve to delay compensation for months.
I am still waiting for compensation, and it has now been 2 months since this flight. I called their premium rate customer service line and the matter is still being checked with the airport records.
Time to step up the complaints I think.
Five of us were unable to fly due to overbooking from Herkalion last Monday. My wife and very distressed Daughter managed to get on the flight, I was advised that there were no more flights for a week! I managed to return the following day via Geneva (5 hours in Geneva before connecting flight to LGW). This situation with overbooking is appalling. I have asked my credit card company to stop payment to them for misrepresentation whilst I engage them in correspondence, I will be copying CAA into the letters in the hope that 'people power' might prevail and would encourage others to do the same. It totally ruined our holiday.
Good luck with the claim james - its shocking how they can treat customers. Ill forward my complaint letter to the CAA as well, as despite asking for a response to my complaint letter I have heard nothing. I have called their premium rate number, waited whilst my call was held in a queue, to be told, to maybe call back in a couple of days, as the claim is still being checked with the airport records.
The police can get a flight list in seconds, yet it has taken over 2 months so far for Easyjet to confirm that they overbooked the plane, and they still do not seem any closer to admitting it.
On the 11th of July Easyjet cancelled a flight from Gatwick to Toulouse due to "Non availability of Crew". The Airport staff (working for easyjet, not easyjet" told us that there was no alternate flight for at least 3 days. They offered to fly to Bordeaux and refund the landtransportation from Bordeaux to Toulouse. Around 20 people chose that option. When the costs are submitted to easyjet, they simply say "if you accepted to fly elsewhere we do not cover any additional costs, the information you were given is wrong".
Completely unacceptable - the only solution is to take them to court.
Good luck to all with easyJet problems
After 6 attempts yesterday I got through to the customer service number and the rep authorised my claim (well, passed it to his manager to authorise)
They have agreed to pay the €250 compensation, although it took 16 minutes on a premium rate phone number to get that far. The money will be paid in the next 15 days.
However, expense claims will not be covered, neither the cost of the phone calls trying to get my compensation.
It would appear that you need to get the Customer Service team to authorise the payment on the phone, and that if you complain and do not follow it up, you can forget about getting any money back.
Of course, this was only a 13 hour delay. For the others who have left comments of their horrors I really do feel for you.
Surely selling the same seat twice is fraud? How can they get away with that and not be up in court? Sounds crazy to me.
I know not. The reason given for refusing flights is overbooking, and I still cant get my head around how you can overbook a plane - the number of seats = number of tickets available to sell. Its not complicated maths.
My friend checked in at Palma for his flight to Liverpool, lugagge taken, then refused boarding at gate due to overbooking. Luggage was off-loaded and he was told to return to Easyjet desk. There he was told he would be put on standby for the next flight (8 hrs later),but couldn't guarantee a seat. The next seat they could guarantee was Wednesday (4 days later) They offered a flight to Newcastle, which he refused as his car was at Liverpool. He managed to get a flight with Jet2 to Leeds within an hour - they we brilliant, but it cost him 200 euros.
I than had to drive to Leeds and collect him, and then go to Liverpool for the car the following day - completely ruined his holiday. OK Easyjet offer compensation, but they are not helpful and just washed their hands of him. IS THIS LEGAL ??? They are taking money for more passsengers than they have seats for !!!
I was bumped from Easyjet flight 8830 on October 9th 2010, Bodrum to Gatwick for the reason that the incoming aeroplane was one seat short of the required capacity. This was despite the fact that I was at the gate with my boarding pass having arrived at the airport two hours before the flight. I was informed that I would be delayed by 8 hours for the corresponding flight to Stansted, which arrives at 11:15 pm and that I would be taken to a hotel in the meantime.
It took more than 2 hours after the Gatwick plane left before I was informed what would be happening and taken to a hotel. Clearly, the staff at Bodrum, who were all charming, did not have a clear procedure in place as to how to handle such an issue, which I suspect is by no means a one off.
On leaving the hotel there was no certainty as to who should pay the bill. At first it was to be me, then it was Easyjet and then half way back to the airport a call came in to return to the hotel so that I should pay the bill, to be reimbursed at Bodrum. At the airport I was told that London would make the refund.
I was also advised that my onward transit from Stansted would be handled at the airport. The Bodrum staff insisted that I would be sent to Gatwick but, since I live in central London, that was clearly not my preferred choice at that time of night. However, I did not pursue the issue with the Bodrum staff because understandably they did not appreciate the geography and I expected to be able to sort it out with Customer Services at Stansted.
But EasyJet CUSTOMER SERVICES AT STANSTED IS NOT OPEN AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT, a quite incredible oversight which even the most second rate rail franchise does not make. Even the Stansted Express have platform staff on duty at 12:45 but Easyjet do not staff their desk at 11:45pm, at a time when they have a number of incoming flights.
The compensation regulations governing an incident such as this to an airport which is 2680km distant from Gatwick and for a delay of 8 hours 15 minutes require a payment of 400 Euro. I have contacted Easyjet twice on the matter but three weeks later they have refused to even reply. It would appear that I have to sue them in the County Court to comply with their legal obligations, which I am now doing. If they are this cavalier about one regulation how about more important safety concerns.
Sounds about par for the course - Did you try their customer service number to call and see if you can get authorization over the phone?
It took me a few attempts, but I got my compensation in the end. It is worthwhile sending an email to put the claim in writing so there is a record of he complaint, but don't expect a reply.
My email complaint was on file, and the customer service agent read it whilst on the phone. Maybe I should have kept it a little more succinct, as it took 16 minute premium rate number from abroad. Trust me to get a slow reader. He gave it the OK, passed it to his boss to OK, and I had the money paid within a week.
Try calling the customer service line to claim - you can get them on 0871 244 2366 or 0871 244 2367 and see how you get on. Best of luck getting your money back from those double booking a*******s
same thing happened to us, bumped off a flight and told they would bring us back 8 days later. Still trying to figure out how to claim the compensation they promised. Has anyone got any advice on getting through their website to achieve this?
you cant do it through the website, you need to call them - try 0871 244 2366 or 0871 244 2367.
Bear in mind that these are premium rate numbers
Hi, I was also denied a flight from Gatwick to Cologne despite being well on time at the check in desk due to overbooking. The sales manager told me the next available flight with Easyjet is in 2 days, and suggested that if it is not satisfactory I should book a flight with another carrier and claim the cost from Easyjet customer service later. It was 7pm and no other flights to Germany were available at all from London, she also told me to keep all receipts for meals, transfers, hotel (as Easyjet wouldn't provide a hotel unless one is flying on their other flight). I booked a flight with BA via Frankfurt which cost me the total of GBP 325 and stayed in London hotel overnight for GBP 150 and had meals for GBP 35. Now easyjet customer service informed me that only refund of the unused flight of GBP 80, the meals, and the 250 EUR compensation will be paid. Not only I missed my lectures and had to reschedule appointments and was exhausted by the deviating route with many trains, but while communicating with easyjet customer service they claimed not to have received my numerous emails with receipts copies attached and were unable to coordinate the issue between their call centers in poland and belfast... I don't know if going to a lawyer would help? or just boykotting Easyjet in the future?
This hasn't happened to me yet but I have friends who have been told flights are overbooked.
This also happened to my family yesterday with Air France, they were trying to get back from Paris with a disabled child and a three year old.and were told to come back later. My son in law was offered a flight which he would have been forced to take or lose his seat completely. This would have left my daughter alone to cope with the children. I find this practice absolutely appalling the airlines treat passengers with contempt and something should be done to stop them.
michifus Hub Author 23 months ago
I'm fuming about this! It is absolutely outrageous!