Flight cancellation and reinstatement

Mixter

Hi all,
my partner and I were on holiday in Mykonos Greece in October and due to return home on 09/10/16 at 13:05 with EasyJet.
At 02:00 local hrs on 08/10/16 I had a text from EasyJet saying that our flight had been cancelled due to a Greek Air Traffic Controllers strike and to either rebook or get a refund.
The strike was due to be 2x48hrs. As far as we were concerned, we would have been stuck there until 13/10/16.
We tried to rebook a flight direct to any UK airport but all were full, so we booked on EasyJet from Mykonos to Geneva then Geneva to Gatwick, it was the only way to return home on that day 08/10/16. Thus, losing a days holiday and accommodation and meal. I had more texts from EasyJet but all of no significance to our original flight.
Upon return I registered for a refund for our return flights only to be told by EasyJet that the original flight had been reinstated and that we are not entitled to a refund. But at no time were we informed of this from EasyJet while we were trying to get home.
I have written to them several times but with no joy.
At suggestions please?


Hi again all,
Please be aware when booking with the airline
I have had this reply from flightdelays.com:
Regarding : Flight Cancellation on 09/10/2016

We note that the airline responsible for your flight delay was EasyJet Switzerland. Unfortunately we are encountering some difficulties with EasyJet Switzerland. We have presented a number of claims against them previously which have been ignored by the airline. Ordinarily we would issue court proceedings in order to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, however, our understanding is that unlike most airlines EasyJet Switzerland do not have an address in England or Wales, nor do they have a head office in a Member State of the European Union. It therefore becomes difficult to serve court proceedings against them. To do so, in addition to issuing court proceedings you would need to:

a) Make an application to the court to obtain permission to serve proceedings (a court fee would need to be paid).

b) If EasyJet Switzerland are from a country where English is not one of the official languages, a translated copy of the court proceedings would be needed (the cost of which would not be recoverable even if you win the claim).

c) In some cases, instruct solicitors/agents in the country where EasyJet Switzerland are based in order to serve proceedings and, thereafter, to enforce payment of any Judgment obtained against them.

The bottom line, unfortunately, is that it is not economical to pursue a claim against EasyJet Switzerland in light of the costs involved in doing so. Flight Delays are not therefore able to fund your legal fees on this occasion.

Obviously it is totally unacceptable that an airline would give such flagrant disregard to Regulation 261/2004 and for them to think that they can avoid their liability pay passengers by simply ignoring all correspondence sent to them (Regulation 261/2004 is the EU Regulation that obliges airlines to compensate passengers for delayed/cancelled flights). We would therefore advise you to lodge a complaint against the airline via the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who we understand have the power to make 'sanctions' against airlines that do not co-operate with the Regulation.

Regrettably, we are unable to assist you on this occasion and we will now close our file. Do, however, please bear us in mind should you or anyone you know ever wish to make a claim for compensation with a different airline in the future.

Kind regards,

Flight Delays.
!

richardw

easyJet should've re-routed you as Article 8 of EU regulation 261:2004, so send a recorded delivery letter to them asking them why they didn't and asking for your refund.

Advise them that you'll start a claim in the small claims court if they don't respond within 14 days.

Mixter

Thanks for advice richardw.