Flight cancelled + Car Hire

tbkbt

Hi, i was recently doing some work in London, I’m from Scotland so i took a flight to Gatwick through easyjet, this leg of the journey was fine.
On the way back (still with easyjet), 23 May 2011, due to high winds at Edinburgh airport (all over Scotland really) my flight was cancelled. we were all asked to go back through to check in area and get our bags etc. when we were queuing up to re-book flights we could hear from the people in front that the only available flight to Scotland on Tuesday was to Glasgow. This was also the day the ash cloud was due to hit Scotland.
Since i am self employed and cannot take holiday days i would lose out a lot of money through work if this cloud of ash went on as aslong as the first one.
I asked the woman at the check in desk specifically if i could hire a car and would that be covered. She said it would be as long as i kept all the receipts for fuel and the car. So i got my invoice from europcar and sent i along to easyjet. They are now claiming that i can’t do this because under their interpretation of article 8 of eu regulation 261, the re-routing must be done through their network, i.e. a flight from easyjet.
As you may all know Scottish airspace opened again on wed so i could have gotten a flight sometime then. But since we had no idea when the airspace would open i took my hire car, i am wondering basically if i entitled to a refund of my car hire from easyjet?
Thanks, Tom

Alan_Bowen

EU261 gives you two options, the first available flight and care until its available or a full refund. There is now a decided case in English law, Marshall -v- Iberia which states that there is no entitlement to make your own arrangements and claim whatever costs are incurred. I think the only way around that would be if you had something in writing from the Easyjet staff at the time, I am assuming you haven't?

tbkbt

Thanks for the replies, so im now wondering what is the next step, i have travell insurance which i could claim the hire car on but id rather get easyjet to as it is their problem really i think.
i have seen some documents where they want to update this regulation because airlines are doing this.
should i keep pestering easyjet for the time being?

Thanks again