Easyjet cancellation - no rerouting!

GandalfG

Easyjet have cancelled our flights later this month from MAN to TLV. They are offering alternative flight from London but no alternative from Manchester. Am I correct that my rights include rerouting from Manchester? What can I do to receive flights from Manchester. Can I force them to provide me with transport to London for the alternative flights? Is there anything else I can do?

Caz3121

with Israel being on the advisory for "all but essential travel" a refund may be the best option, has that not been offered?

bradders1983

As far as I am aware, if they have cancelled the flights all they have to do is refund you and that is the end of the matter. 
If its within 14 days it may be a different matter, unsure. 

GandalfG

Have a look at
https://www.easyjet.com/en/terms-and-conditions/notice-of-rights-for-flight-delays-and-cancellations
where they explain my rights (these are the standard EU rules I think) in section 2 it says I am entitled to rerouting.
We are talking about essential travel obviously. Sorry for not making that clear to start with

GandalfG

They offer 3 options. A voucher, a different easyjet flight or to claim a refund through a claims process which is overly bureaucratic and complicated. see https://www.easyjet.com/en/policy/coronavirus/online-support/q3
However, as far as I understand the law, I am entitled to rerouting from Manchester which they do not offer.
How can I claim what is my right. These flights were booked in November last year, so they have been holding my money for almost 10 months

mattyprice4004

If it’s over 14 days away, you’re not entitled to rerouting 

GandalfG

In the EU law (see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1476179175834&uri=CELEX:32004R0261) it seems to me that I do have the right to be rerouted, just no right to compensation. Is my understanding incorrect?

silvercar

That link isn't working.
My understanding is that more than 14 days out, all you would be entitled to is a refund, with the pandemic, I don't think that 14 days applies.
The likely outcome is either you accept travel from London or accept a cancellation. 
If they were obliged to provide a re route to London, they may offer you a national express coach ticket!
May be worth looking to see if easyjet offer Tel Aviv from other locations. could they route you MAN-AMS, AMS-TLV?
-----
I don't know how essential your journey is, but have you seen the corona rates in Israel recently??? We were hoping to get there soon and were frustrated by their restrictions; now we would be wary, both of their increase in cases and that their lockdowns are very tight.

epm-84

GandalfG said:

In the EU law (see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1476179175834&uri=CELEX:32004R0261) it seems to me that I do have the right to be rerouted, just no right to compensation. Is my understanding incorrect?

The trouble and inconvenience to passengers caused by cancellation of flights should also be reduced. This should be achieved by inducing carriers to inform passengers of cancellations before the scheduled time of departure and in addition to offer them reasonable re-routing, so that the passengers can make other arrangements. Air carriers should compensate passengers if they fail to do this, except when the cancellation occurs in extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled should be able either to obtain reimbursement of their tickets or to obtain re-routing under satisfactory conditions, and should be adequately cared for while awaiting a later flight.

I'm not sure I read that as you have a right to re-routing, more that the airline should compensate you for failing to offer to re-route you (although that doesn't apply in exceptional circumstances!)

GandalfG

Sorry This https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261 is the correct link for the legal document.
I am also unsure and would like to know my rights before speaking to easyjet. Can anyone tell me what the legal position is with clarity?

GandalfG

These are the relevant pieces of the legal document.

The doubt lies into whether the condition made by the word "unless" at the end of 1(c) refers to 1(a) as well

Article 5

Cancellation

1. In case of cancellation of a flight, the passengers concerned shall:

(a) be offered assistance by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 8; and

(b) be offered assistance by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 9(1)(a) and 9(2), as well as, in event of re-routing when the reasonably expected time of departure of the new flight is at least the day after the departure as it was planned for the cancelled flight, the assistance specified in Article 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c); and

(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.

Article 8

Right to reimbursement or re-routing

1. Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered the choice between:

(a) - reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger's original travel plan, together with, when relevant,

- a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity;

(b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or

(c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger's convenience, subject to availability of seats.