Easyjet con on changing flights 'free of charge'!!

[Deleted User]

Easyjet is stating on its website that if you wish to change flights they will not charge any fees. You only pay the difference if the new flights are more expensive. My husband and I were due to fly to Marseilles in September but due to the awkward timing, we decided to cancel our accommodation (no problem there) but knew that our flight would probably not be cancelled in September. So we decided to change our flight to Budapest next year. Before doing so, I checked how much a return flight for two people to Budapest would be in April. It was £189, only £1.00 more than we had paid for our flights to Marseilles. Therefore the only difference we should have paid would be £1.00. However, when we made the change through the 'Manage my booking' tab, we had to pay an extra £65 for flight costs. We had no choice as we had cancelled other components in our Province holiday. We paid the extra £65 but I did take a page snip of the original price of the return flights to Budapest and attached it to an email which I sent to Easyjet, asking why they had, in effect, charged me £265 for flights which should have cost £189. About three weeks later, I received a blanket email directing me to their website to look at the FAQ. This does not help me at all. I intend to report this to the Civil Aviation Authority. Has anyone else had this experience?

Galloglass

There appears to be a difference between changing flights that Easyjet have cancelled (for free), and changing flights that Easyjet have not cancelled yet for which they would charge their standard fee. 

Have you misread the terms of that "no fee" offer? They seem to make the "free change" offer as an alternative to refunds. 

[Deleted User]

That might be the case, and if it were, I wouldn't mind, but it would be helpful Easyjet could respond to me individually. I've just looked at their website again and it is quite confusing. It states that if you choose to change your flight (which has not been cancelled as it is too soon to tell), there are no change fees up to 14 days. A little ambiguous I think!! 14 days of what exactly???? In the end it is still preferable to losing £189 on a flight to Marseilles when I'm not going however.

diggingdude

bexoxo60 said:

That might be the case, and if it were, I wouldn't mind, but it would be helpful Easyjet could respond to me individually. I've just looked at their website again and it is quite confusing. It states that if you choose to change your flight (which has not been cancelled as it is too soon to tell), there are no change fees up to 14 days. A little ambiguous I think!! 14 days of what exactly???? In the end it is still preferable to losing £189 on a flight to Marseilles when I'm not going however.

They may well reply in time but flights in september or next year will not be a priority for responses with the summer holiday season on its way

ChrisAgain

We are experiencing exactly the same, our flight is due in August to Seville for 9 people. With 4 out of the 9 currently shielding and our accommodation cancelled on us we want to change our flights. I went through the manage booking to book for April next year the only option we have at the moment, they wanted another £254 due to increased flight costs. If i book this as a new customer, it's over £600 cheaper then my current bookings so they are asking for a total of £887 more than if i was a new customer. Bearing in mind they are not charging fees to change????

Dr_Crypto

It does seem a bit confusing. Looking on their website if YOU chose to change a flight (that is not cancelled by them) they say "We are currently reviewing our flying programme on a rolling basis. If you no longer intend to travel we encourage you to switch to any other flight, any time. For no change fees up to fourteen days." 
I don't know what 14 days means. Within 14 days of travel seems the most likely since if the flight is running and you are within 14 days then "If you have not heard from us we are planning to operate your flight as planned. If you no longer wish to travel you can transfer onto another flight by going to manage my bookings. Change fees will apply."

Dr_Crypto

Also if EZY cancel the flight then 
"Because your flight has been cancelled, you can transfer for free onto any other easyJet flight within Europe up until May 2021**. You won’t be charged a change fee or fare difference. This means that you can transfer onto flights to our most popular destinations during peak periods, free of charge. From Malaga in September to skiing in half-term or German Christmas markets…Change to any flight, any time, for free."

ChrisAgain

I spent 65 minutes on hold today only to get cut off at the end. I have nearly £2000 of flights booked and I can't speak to anyone. I'm happy to take a voucher as we do intent to travel (eventually) but no reply to emails, no chat on their website and unable to talk to anyone on any social media channel or the phone, no other business would get away with it. I know they are busy and yes after axing all those jobs it's not easy but I have £2000 invested and deserve a proper reply

Galloglass

Follow the instructions and wait until the time window applies. You will be given the choice to get a full refund if the flight is cancelled (takes about 120 days) or you can then use the rebook for free rather than take the flight (assuming the offer still stands).

The issue Easyjet have created for themselves is this strict adherence to the 14 day window but if you work to it, the switch/refund is simple.

ChrisAgain

Thanks Galloglass, I did go to switch flights but they want £887 more than anyone else for the same flights booked through their website it was an additional £254, i wouldn't mind if they just switched it and it cost no more. I emailed them screen shots of the cost of the booking on their website vs the cost of the booking through switching (with no fees) and all i got was an email saying read our FAQ's 2 weeks later!! I think i will have to wait it out a little and see what happens with my fingers crossed.

pdrman

I've just changed 2 Easyjet flights to next September. The new flights were within a couple of pounds of what I'd paid originally. The flights were moved 'free of charge' (even though I had to enter my credit card details for a £0.00 amount) and my prepaid baggage was carried forward. However, the seats that I'd prepaid originally were not carried forward and there was no warning given. Once the change was confirmed I then had to pay for the seats again so my 'free' flight change has actually added around £78 to my bill and no credit was given for the seats I'd originally paid for. Has anyone come across this? Obviously trying to speak to someone at Easyjet is virtually impossible.