EasyJet flight cancellations - Refunds & Compensation advice/howto?

fidgetbuzz

I have received the following e-mail from easyjet in response to filed court claim for compensation for cancellation of a Muncih flight on 30th may. They have separately advised that they will defend our claim.

Selected part of their e-mail

easyJet keep a daily operations report, which details all cancellations and delays.

This is the relevant section which covers your flight:

German radar failure (approx 1715z-2030z) – Technical failure EDUU ATC Karlsruhe 50% normal capacity due back up system. – EZY4639/40 SXF-BSL-SXF canx. EZY5385/6 LGW-MUC-LGW, EZY3415/6 STN-MUC-STN, EZY1887/8 MAN-MUC-MAN, EZY6915/6 EDI-MUC-EDI all canx due to the German radar failure and MUC not extending beyond 2200z.

Despite attempts to get the aircraft into Munich it became impossible to operate the flight you were booked on.


My first reaction (as they have offered to refund our £30 court fee if we drop the claim) is that they are still using obstructive tactics to avoid paying legal obligations.


I do hold a screen grab of Munich departures for the right day and time showing no other cancellations - but how can I get further support for my belief that this is just another Easyjet lie?

fidgetbuzz

Umm - could easyjet actually be telling the truth

Here is a copy of part of Munich arrivals board for 30th May - which does seem to suggest that incoming flights from UK at the same time were delayed substantially (208 minutes late). There are other examples eg Brussels flights landing 155 minutes late, amsterdam flights 207 minutes late, and Paris flight 114 mins late

MAN Manchester LH 4865
Lufthansa 8:15 PM 11:43 PM T-2 Landed
208 min 319
MAN Manchester BD 3335^
bmi 8:15 PM 11:43 PM T-2 Landed
208 min 319

richardw

Lufthansa may have been using a MUC based aircraft and wanted to get it back to base.

easyJet may have cancelled their MAN-MUC flight because they may have wanted the aircraft to remain at MAN ready for flying the next day, their commercial decision perhaps.

If MUC has a night curfew perhaps easyJet may not have been able to operate the return delayed MUC-MAN flight.

richardw

I've had a look at flightstats.

Looks like the revised planned timings were U2/EZY1887 MAN-MUC arrival 23.30

U2/EZY1888 MUC-MAN departure 23.55 arr 00.50am

The last departure at MUC was 23.20 to Moscow.

It appears easyJet may have decided not to operate these revised flights because of lack of standby crew or a possible night curfew at MUC risking the return MUC-MAN sector.

These are only suggestions for further research to assist you with your decision regarding your claim.

fidgetbuzz

The last flight to leave Munich that night is shown as departing 11.38 - and the next departure is 5.40am. So looks like no departures after midnight.

As no other incoming flights appear to have been cancelled ( although some arriving earlier had delays of up to 2 hours) - BUT actual timings for the arrivals due around 21.25 the scheduled arrival time show most planes on time - with the exception of a China flight coming in thru Amsterdam- which might well have been delayed for other reasons completely.
Then I am still inclined to my original belief that Easyjet saw an opportunity to rebalance their timetable for the next day - by cancelling all the outgoing Munich flights.

Inclined to press on with court case at the moment - but do have the opportunity to e-mail a specific name who is a Disruption Claims Administrator.
So i will point out the reality of the Munich arrivals - and enquire specifically why easyjet was the only company to cancel flights. Remind him of C Mccall CEO who is on record as stating " There isnt enough flexibility in our scheduling and crewing"

Any other advice appreciated

richardw

easyJet have also said

fidgetbuzz wrote: »

and MUC not extending beyond 2200z.

not sure what this means, but could be important.

fidgetbuzz

I read that as Munich not allowing outgoing flights after 22.00 - but that is not supported by the Katowice flight due to depart 21.30 which actually took off at 23.58. So i imagined that it was an easyjet log entry to support their position.
I think the key is to look at the arrivals due into Munich at about the time the incoming Stansted flight ( not Manchester ) was due ie 21.25 - I see the schedule as showing some late arrivals but nothing serious - and if there had been a 45 minute delay to the return flight due to leave at 22.00 - then this seems to be within the airport operating parameters

richardw

Which easyJet flight were you booked for?

fidgetbuzz

Stansted leaving at 22.00

fidgetbuzz

Here is a first draft of my intended reply to the letter quoted above

Thank you for contacting me by e-mail on XXXX

Before turning to the detail of your e-mail I would like you to find out for me why my 2 separate recorded delivery letters addressed to your Company secretary on 7th July and your Chief executive on 19th July remain unanswered.

I have studied the extract from the operating log that you have provided.

However it seems to bear no link with the reality of arrivals and departures from Munich on the evening in question. Flights due in between 21.00 (25 minutes before the incoming Stansted flight was due) and 22.00 were generally arriving on time – or with a slight delay. Similarly flight departures from 21.00 to 23.00 were departing on time.

Curiously the only cancellations for the evening of Sunday 30th May were all Easyjet flights.

This therefore appears to say that the Karlsruhe radar fault was not material enough to affect any airline other than Easyjet. I would be grateful if you can explain the reasons for this rather surprising fact.

In view of your Chief Executive being on record as stating that “there is not enough flexibility in our scheduling and crewing when things go wrong” it remains my view that you took the opportunity to rebalance your plane positions for the next day and trust that the cost of reimbursing your affected customers would not be material.

Certainly the responses and obfuscations from your Customer Experience team to my dozen or so e-mails would suggest that this is the Easyjet policy