Easyjet flight cancellation but only able to switch flight to alternative from same country

West_Country_Swing

Hi Forum Friends,
When we had a couple of Easyjet flights cancelled this year, I switched both flights to destinations that were different countries to the original bookings.  We've just had one of those switched flights now cancelled, too.  However, the switch option is now restricted to within the same country as the cancelled flight when using 'Manage Disruption'.  I had hoped to switch it to a different country again.  Did Easyjet announce and explain this change of policy?  Can it be challenged by contacting them directly?  I prefer to switch the flight rather than take a refund or voucher.
Thank you!

bagand96

It’s worth getting in touch with them if Manage my Booking won’t work.  The call centre are likely to have more options than the website.

I’ll ask the obvious, you obviously have your reason for not wanting a refund or voucher.  But if you’re going to rebook anyway why not just take the voucher option?

eskbanker

Which countries are you referring to?  Is it perhaps possible that there's an effect from the imminent end of the Brexit transition period later this week, which, for example, may impact on a (now) non-EU airline's rights to operate between EU countries?  At the risk of a particularly groansome pun, issues like that still seem to be up in the air just now, while the relevant bodies digest the 1,246 pages of the deal document....

[Deleted User]

Good points @eskbanker.  Fact is, with all the uncertainty, at moment re Virus and Brexit,  I think the option of a refund would appeal more to me. 

Westin

I wasn’t aware of an announcement on any policy change. Could be as @eskbanker suggests.

Other stab in the dark to the situation that springs to mind is if one part of a trip that has been cancelled and the ‘system’ therefore sees the OP in their booked destination and is limiting options for the now cancelled but required change to the return part of the journey.

E.g. OP (re)booked as Bristol - Alicante - Bristol. Timetable adjustments in summer 2021 changes the Alicante - Bristol return sector and this is no longer daily and cancelled on booked inbound date.  EZY system allows customer in Manage Booking to seek and book an alternative from Alicante or elsewhere in Spain to Bristol or elsewhere in the U.K. but not to change cancelled flight to now depart from a completely different location outside of Spain, where OP is hoping to now go to (example: Hurghada, Egypt) but can’t unless Bristol - Alicante is to be cancelled first.

Anyway, just hypothetical. Would be helpful if OP gave more details, countries and/or routing, dates...

West_Country_Swing

bagand96 said:

I’ll ask the obvious, you obviously have your reason for not wanting a refund or voucher.  But if you’re going to rebook anyway why not just take the voucher option?

Thanks, Everyone.  I should've added more context.

After I'd booked the 2 original flights, I contacted Easyjet through the Flight Club to get 'price promise' vouchers as the prices of the flights had dropped.  However, then the pandemic hit and it became really difficult to see any value in using the vouchers towards a further flight purchase so I didn't use them.  When the 2 flights were cancelled, I switched them to alternative destinations in different countries.  When the first of those switched flights was then cancelled, I decided to cash in on a refund, however, I hadn't realised that the refund would be the original price of the flight minus the value of the voucher.  Because I hadn't used the voucher, it hadn't occured to me that it would be a factor.  Knowing that refunds have the value of the voucher deducted, that's a big reason why I don't want to request a refund for my final switched flight (as the unused voucher was almost £300!) and would rather switch it a second time but to a different destination.  The problem I've discovered is that the switch is now restricted to the country of the current destination.  The email from Easyjet states: "1. You can switch to another easyJet flight for free. This includes the option to select a different arrival and departure airport within the same country of the original booking if you wish."  Perhaps this is because of the outbound and return flights only the return flight has been cancelled but the outbound one has been changed and we've been put on the changed outbound flight?  Or have Easyjet made a policy change only to allow flight switching within the destination country only?

I haven't yet contacted Easyjet to verify that a voucher would also be to the value of the original booking minus the voucher that was taken, but am assuming it would be?

Any further thoughts would be very welcome.

Westin

West_Country_Swing said:

bagand96 said:

I’ll ask the obvious, you obviously have your reason for not wanting a refund or voucher.  But if you’re going to rebook anyway why not just take the voucher option?

Thanks, Everyone.  I should've added more context.

After I'd booked the 2 original flights, I contacted Easyjet through the Flight Club to get 'price promise' vouchers as the prices of the flights had dropped.  However, then the pandemic hit and it became really difficult to see any value in using the vouchers towards a further flight purchase so I didn't use them.  When the 2 flights were cancelled, I switched them to alternative destinations in different countries.  When the first of those switched flights was then cancelled, I decided to cash in on a refund, however, I hadn't realised that the refund would be the original price of the flight minus the value of the voucher.  Because I hadn't used the voucher, it hadn't occured to me that it would be a factor.  Knowing that refunds have the value of the voucher deducted, that's a big reason why I don't want to request a refund for my final switched flight (as the unused voucher was almost £300!) and would rather switch it a second time but to a different destination.  The problem I've discovered is that the switch is now restricted to the country of the current destination.  The email from Easyjet states: "1. You can switch to another easyJet flight for free. This includes the option to select a different arrival and departure airport within the same country of the original booking if you wish."  Perhaps this is because of the outbound and return flights only the return flight has been cancelled but the outbound one has been changed and we've been put on the changed outbound flight?  Or have Easyjet made a policy change only to allow flight switching within the destination country only?

I haven't yet contacted Easyjet to verify that a voucher would also be to the value of the original booking minus the voucher that was taken, but am assuming it would be?

Any further thoughts would be very welcome.

Which is what I had suggested.  I think the system is restricting the change online as only the return flight is cancelled so it sees you in the country location you are booked and have a flight to. You may have luck if you call them and speak to a call centre representative.