Flybe flights cancelled *after* tickets purchased

cryptokit

Hi folks, just looking for some advice really -

Myself and my wife had booked onto a Flybe flight from Edinburgh to Newquay and back at the end of October. We paid for the flights on the 12th of June.

A few days ago we had an answerphone message from Flybe customer services informing us that they were no longer operating beyond the date of our flight south, so in effect they could take us but couldn't bring us back.

They asked us to contact them, and suggested it might be possible to route us via Gatwick to Inverness(!!) Inverness is 150 miles from home, so that won't be happening!

Anyway - I have had a read through the terms and conditions, and it seems like all that is mentioned is that they will refund the ticket if they cancel a flight. I can take a train up to Exeter, and presumably a bus from Exeter train station to the airport(?) or similar, and then fly up to Edinburgh from there, but that will add 4+ hours and at least £30 (or more) to our journey costs.

Does anyone here have any suggestion of my best negotiating strategy with Flybe? How much leeway does their CS team have? I have had many succesful flights on Flybe, don't bear them any ill-will over this (there is little point in running a flight you are sure is not cost effective, and I would rather the route ran at all than was removed...) I just suspect what they will offer me is a rebooking onto the Exeter flight and "thanks for calling", which seems a little short really.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully reply!

Kit

Quentin

cryptokit wrote: »

I have had a read through the terms and conditions, and it seems like all that is mentioned is that they will refund the ticket if they cancel a flight. ....Does anyone here have any suggestion of my best negotiating strategy with Flybe?

As their ts + cs allow them to cancel flights and give a full refund, then that is the best you can expect as their alternative flight is unnacceptable to you.

Point out the extra cost the land journey you are going to now have to take is going to put you to, you are a good customer etc etc, and see if they make a goodwill gesture (maybe a discount off a future flight?)

dzug1

I think that under the EU regs they don't have to pay compensation if they give two weeks notice of a canellation.

mark5

Something similar happened with my father in law about 4 years back with a trip to Paris with Air Wales.

Once an airline have accepted a reservation for a flight they should be forced to fly the route, ppl make other financial commitments based on the booking of the flight tickets.

WelshSun

mark5 wrote: »

Something similar happened with my father in law about 4 years back with a trip to Paris with Air Wales.

Once an airline have accepted a reservation for a flight they should be forced to fly the route, ppl make other financial commitments based on the booking of the flight tickets.

Didnt Air Wales go into administration over unprofitable flights to Paris and London.
(Intrestingly flybe now operate the Cardiff_paris route and have done for about 2 and a half years)

To the OP, the best you can do is negotiate with them, cant they swap your flight to Exeter-Edinburgh, that route maybe easier? Or Newquay to Gatwick to Newcastle if you live in South Edinburgh?
If your that regular a flyer im sure theyll give you somthing.
Good Luck