Arrival Airport Change with no Alternative. Help!

sophiamarcou

I recently travelled with Monarch to and From Cyprus. About a week before our departure flight I was informed that our return flight to Gatwick had been cancelled. They options they offered were partial/full refund or to go to Luton Airport instead. We chose to go to Luton even though it is so far away because holiday from work had been booked and activities in Cyprus so we could not change the dates of our flight.

When I asked how we were expected to get home from Luton I was told that a coach would be there to pick us and other effected passengers to take us to Gatwick and we would have to get home from there. I asked for a confirmation email which I did not receive. Because of this I call them again and they informed me that they were still in talks with coach companies and not to worry and there would be information for us at our departure airport.

From the title of my rant you can imagine that there was no coach provided for us, no information, nothing. We got a cab home but through all the stress we did not get a receipt. Through various emails with Monarch they have only offered us £50 in Monarch vouchers. The cab cost £80. As you can imagine I'm not impressed and I am really angry.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation or does anyone have any advice on how next to approach them.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

mgdavid

sophiamarcou wrote: »

...... We got a cab home but through all the stress we did not get a receipt. .......

I don't understand this; your inability to evidence your claim seems to be self-inflicted! In the circumstances I'd accept the 50 quid and move on.

sophiamarcou

Whilst I understand that, after a 5 hour flight and walking round Luton airport (an airport we've never been too and did not choose to go to) for over an hour to find a member of Monarchs team at 8pm when they promised transport and there being no help £50 of Monarch vouchers doesn't seem that fair. Especially when the cab cost £80.

Thanks anyway

lea2012

Did you not go to the monarch desk to ask them about the coach? Luton is monarchs main airport and they have a manned desk there who certainly would have helped you out, even at 8pm.

They could have probably booked and paid for you a taxi there and then or would have at least told you to make sure you get a receipt.

Double_V

Whatever the case was, you should have kept the receipt tight.

Voyager2002

You had a RIGHT to transport back to Gatwick: since this was not provided you have a right to reimbursement of the taxi fare. Pity that you don't have a receipt: do you remember which company you used? If so, contact them and ask if they can still provide a receipt, or at least a written 'quote' for the journey that you made and ideally confirmation that you used them on the date in question.

You could also make a complaint for poor service, and the offer of vouchers might be acceptable for this, but in addition to cash reimbursement of the cab fare.

leylandsunaddict

If the airport change had been a last minute change for operational/weather reasons then they would have had to get you back to LGW. As it was a notified change, and you accepted that change and also a reduction in the price, they fulfilled their contract. They do not then have to transport you, or pay for you to get to LGW because you chose to change your booking to LTN.

However, as your flight was cancelled within 2 weeks of departure you may be able to claim for EU261 compensation.

"Cancellation

(c) have the right to compensation by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 7, unless:

(i) they are informed of the cancellation at least two weeks before the scheduled time of departure; or


(ii) they are informed of the cancellation between two weeks and seven days before the scheduled time of departure and are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than two hours before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than four hours after the scheduled time of arrival; or

(iii) they are informed of the cancellation less than seven days before the scheduled time of departure and are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than one hour before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than two hours after the scheduled time of arrival."


If your rerouted flight was outside those parameters then you could lodge a claim with Monarch.

sophiamarcou

Thank you everyone for your help.

I'm beyond annoyed about not asking for a receipt and know that this would of been a lot easier if I had taken a deep breath and calmed down. But what is done is done.

I think I am going to go down the poor service road because I don't feel like a weeks notice of change of airport is not enough time to consider any other option but to accept it as we had booked holiday from work and things to do whilst on holiday. They only offered the coach back but no compensation or any reduction is price.

Thank you for all your help everybody.

spiro

For future reference you can get a direct train from Luton airport to Gatwick airport, this runs 24/7.