Easyjet changed my flight day, but is not suitable...My rights?

cremegg

Hi all

I'm fuming with Easyjet.... :mad: I booked a long weekend to Istanbul, booked and paid in June for a trip in January 2010. It's my partner's 40th in Jan and he's always wanted to go to Istanbul... so I have this as a surprise for him. Booked a fantastic hotel right by the amazing sights in Istanbul, pictures look fantastic and reviews all say how great the place is...I got a fantastic deal on the hotel and was sure he would be blwon away by it all..

Anyway, I have now received an email from Easyjet saying:
"We are writing to let you know that we are making a small number of changes to our timetables.
Unfortunately, due to some alterations to the take off and landing slots allocated to us by
the Airport Authorities, we had no alternative but to slightly reschedule some of our flights"

This isn't a slight reschdule in my opinion...a slight reschdule is a few hours or even a day, not the entire weekend for a trip that was intended as a weekend break!! They've changed my flight from 07.50 on Thu 14th to 15.20 Sun 17th. My partner's birthday is the 15th, that's why I chose that weekend. So they've 'taken' a day by assigning a late flight (so we would not have as much time there) and have spoilt his big surprise - my plan was not to tell him what/where he was going...I was going to make out we were going to London to stay with a friend and catch a show...but then I was going to take him to Gatwick and let him find out where we were going when we checked in. Obviously that plan is out now!! And I'm not spending about £600 on this trip for it not to be on the day of his birthday!!! I know the point is that its a break away to see Istanbul, but its part of the celebration and I wanted the day to be special.

I understand that airlines can't help their slot times... but their flights are scheduled, and so one leaves most days, several times a day...how would that then mean they have to 'reschedule' my flight by 3/4 days?!? The way I see it is that they cancel the flight and pretend it's a reschedule so that people can't get a refund!!

Their email said I can transfer the flight but I don't want to do that - if they can't honour what I originally paid for, then I want my money back and I'll arrange something else for his birthday or see if I can fly with another company like turkish airlines.

Anyway, sorry for my rant (!), but before I phone them I want to find out my rights - am I entitle to a refund as I do not want to reschedule the flight due to the event i.e. it being his birthday present...or do I have to go down the rescheduling route or face losing my £150?? Their website doesn't exactly make it clear!!

Thanks x

alanrowell

You have three options

a) ask to be put on the Thursday or Saturday flight (if they are running)
b) accept the flight change
c) get a refund

Unfortunately the Easyjet website doesn't seem to hsve been updated yet with the new timetable so I can't say which flights are still valid

BTW you do know that the airport they use is on the Asian side of Istanbul, so you'll either get a taxi ride or a ferry across the Bosphorous

spiro

alanrowell wrote: »

You have three options

a) ask to be put on the Thursday or Saturday flight (if they are running)
b) accept the flight change
c) get a refund

Unfortunately the Easyjet website doesn't seem to hsve been updated yet with the new timetable so I can't say which flights are still valid

Agree they haven't bothered to change the website yet. Where are you travelling from to go to Gatwick as they also fly same date/time (Thurs @ 07:45) from Luton. Maybe you could get them to transfer you to that flight.

cremegg

sorry for the delay in replying, I lost this thread! Am new to the site :¬/

a) Thursday is good as that's the one I wanted, but Saturday not as it's after his birthday and defeats the point in why I booked this trip. b) no go due to work and other reasons i.e. after his birthday anyway
I think a refund is the way forward unless they can honour the day or even move it by one day, but not by the whole weekend. but I don't know if they will because according to them the flight is not cancelled is it.

that's a good idea re transfering to Luton, I din't think of that. I'm travelling up from Cornwall so to be honest any airport (aside from Scotland or right up at the top of England!) would be ok as I need to travel to get to any 'major' airport anyway.

thanks for your help, appreciated x

mad_rich

Technically, you have the choice between a refund and

re-routing to your final destination as soon as possible or, if you agree, at a later date. (If the airline flies you to another airport in your destination city then they must pay for the transfer to the airport you were booked for or to another close-by point of your choice.)

You can argue with easyJet that 'rerouting as soon as possible' means that they should put you on a Turkish Airlines flight for free, but I doubt you will be successful. No harm in trying.

How much will the refund be if you accept it? Perhaps we can come up with some alternatives.

Swiss have some excellent fares on at the moment. £122 return via Zurich (although availability isn't great on the inbound around your dates).

http://booking.swiss.com/web/bba.htm?i=cr3&g=2

budgetflyer

Depending what you paid, either get refund and rebook via Luton out on Thurs 14th £33.99 back on Mon 18th 24.99 - a total of £58.98 exc baggage booking fees etc.
If you paid less than this then Id be requesting a reroute on those dates via Luton