EasyJet - are they actually flying?

Edinburghlawyer

So the coronavirus thing has meant I have been booking flights with, as it happens, EasyJet for say 6 months in the future, to give us something to look forward to and on the off chance that we’ll be able to travel come that point.  The flight costs are low enough that I’ve been happy to risk losing the whole ticket price for that chance of a trip.  Maybe it’s just bad luck on my part but not one of the flights I have booked or indeed rebooked has ever happened.  EasyJet has taken the money then changed the flight a few weeks later, whether moving them by 10 hours or a whole day, making the trip unviable.  So we’ve never even gotten close to knowing whether we’d have been able to go or not.

My question is: is my experience isolated or is this a pattern of behaviour that EasyJet is selling tickets using sales promotions with no intention of running many of the advertised flights, in order to create cash flow?  I’m not passing judgment on it if they are but it’s got to the stage that, for me, there’s no point my booking flights with EasyJet because in my experience the flight will never go ahead.  My evidence base is about 5 flights now: Berlin trip cancelled by them, Seville trip cancelled by them, several Gatwick flights cancelled.  Maybe this is standard across the short haul routes just now or maybe it’s a provincial issue?

Westin

Edinburghlawyer said:

So the coronavirus thing has meant I have been booking flights with, as it happens, EasyJet for say 6 months in the future, to give us something to look forward to and on the off chance that we’ll be able to travel come that point.  The flight costs are low enough that I’ve been happy to risk losing the whole ticket price for that chance of a trip.  Maybe it’s just bad luck on my part but not one of the flights I have booked or indeed rebooked has ever happened.  EasyJet has taken the money then changed the flight a few weeks later, whether moving them by 10 hours or a whole day, making the trip unviable.  So we’ve never even gotten close to knowing whether we’d have been able to go or not.

My question is: is my experience isolated or is this a pattern of behaviour that EasyJet is selling tickets using sales promotions with no intention of running many of the advertised flights, in order to create cash flow?  I’m not passing judgment on it if they are but it’s got to the stage that, for me, there’s no point my booking flights with EasyJet because in my experience the flight will never go ahead.  My evidence base is about 5 flights now: Berlin trip cancelled by them, Seville trip cancelled by them, several Gatwick flights cancelled.  Maybe this is standard across the short haul routes just now or maybe it’s a provincial issue?

I think that is wild speculation.  More a case that fleet and route planning, scheduling and all the other things required to forward plan an airline operation are being constantly changed and thwarted with ongoing volitivity with travel restrictions and passenger demand for flying.  If forward booking flights and travel during a worldwide pandemic I think you need to accept and expect a degree of change or cancellation.  If that doesn't suit - don't book anything at this time.

parcival

Governments cannot predict how the pandemic is progressing so how is an airline supposed to.......

bagand96

There's currently 9 easyJet aircraft airborne across Europe. They are operating an extremely limited schedule currently.

They need to keep some sort of schedule on sale but have no crystal ball to see how this will pan out. 

They could in theory take everything for the next 6 months off sale. But if restrictions then start to ease they'd be at a significant disadvantage vs their competitors. 

Thrugelmir

Edinburghlawyer said:

My question is: is my experience isolated or is this a pattern of behaviour that EasyJet is selling tickets using sales promotions with no intention of running many of the advertised flights, in order to create cash flow? 

In the middle of a global pandemic customers who book should be fully aware of the risks they are taking. The obvious answer is not to book in advance.

EasyJet schedule their operations months in advance. Be little point in selling tickets for flights at short notice once the flight is definitively confirmed. Be a detrimental way of conducting business. Likewise the pandemic is shifting customer behaviour. Frequent flyers may have disappeared from many routes, i.e. those that commute for work. Resulting in a far lower demand. 

Edinburghlawyer

Yep, I get all that and I did say I was aware of the risks.  I am willing to support, and actively investing in, the industry.  If none of us bought tickets for 6 months ahead then all the airlines would be in administration so if we want to avoid a future monopolistic market then we ought to be trying to buy tickets notwithstanding the volatility and risk.  My point is why sell a flight for 6 months’ time, take my money and then cancel it 3 weeks later.  Time after time.  Sure it could be volatility or bad luck on my part; my experience with BA has to my surprise been very different.  I was just curious if anyone else had had the same experience.

Nebulous2

I think sudden changes are going to apply to any company. I booked an internal flight with BA in April 2020 in the evening and received an email in the morning saying it was cancelled.

 I'm simply not booking, but I don't fly a great deal anyway. I got what would in normal times be a cracking offer to the Canaries last week, and didn't even read it properly. 

Any holidays for me this year will be booked at very short notice to reduce risk of them not happening.

Thrugelmir

Edinburghlawyer said:

  My point is why sell a flight for 6 months’ time, take my money and then cancel it 3 weeks later.  Time after time.

You bought the flight wasn't sold. No obligation to purchase.