Compensate from one airport to the original within UK 7 June 2022 at 10:03AM in Flight delay compensation 12 replies 124 views

JAspn

I am disappointed that upon flight back to UK being cancelled and only option was to return to UK to alternative airport, that reimbursing fuel to travel to correct airport to collect car and get home is not being paid.  Is it correct that as long as the airline get you back to the right country, getting back to the right airport and your transport home is on the passenger.  And purchase of food - having not eaten all day, when stranded at wrong airport at 9pm at night 140 miles from vehicle to get home is also not covered "as it happened after the fact"?  
Can this be challenged?

Mary W

Westin

I think airlines are normally okay on making a ‘reasonable’ claim for expenses to get back to the original departure point.  BA I think goes up to £50 pp.  They will be looking for receipts of course.

No right to a meal once you have landed back in the U.K.

Hopefully your flight cancellation will fall into the EU261/UK261 category and your compensation payment from this will cover your additional costs.

JAspn

Thanks - unfortunately my airline, Easyjet declined my fuel receipt for reimbursement stating "Fuel Receipts costs are not included".  This is my main issue - I don't believe we should be out of pocket, purely asking for what we expended to get home, not looking for additional compensation - but they have presently declined. 
I wondered if anyone had challenged this situation before? 

JAspn

We had no compensation under EU261/UK261 as we took a flight back to the UK to a different airport under manage booking and I believe that they feel that was all they had to do - get us back to the UK. 

lisyloo

Did they cancel your flight?
do you know what the reason was?

JAspn

They cancelled it as we arrived at Lisbon airport to drop bags in - due to IT issues. 

eskbanker

JAspn said:
Is it correct that as long as the airline get you back to the right country, getting back to the right airport and your transport home is on the passenger.

No, their own website reiterates their obligations under EC261/2004 to get you all the way to your final destination (i.e. the airport to which the cancelled flight had been booked), in that they're required to offer you "re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to your final destination at the earliest opportunity":

Notice of your rights in case of flight delays, cancellations and denied boarding | easyJet

However, I suspect that the issue is the claim being for fuel rather than train/bus/taxi, i.e. the expectation would be that you'd use public transport rather than getting a lift from someone (?), despite the potential for the latter to be cheaper and/or more convenient.  It ought to be possible to construct an argument that it would be reasonable for them to reimburse that cost though - which UK airports did you travel between and how much did you claim?

lisyloo

Easyjet are terrible.
they once offered me compensation for losing a spare seat that we’d paid for and reserved.
i had a hand written offer with pilots/crew details and it was all authorised by their liaison team over the phone with the pilot.

i had to write them a letter before action to get what they had themselves offered in writing.

i would write to them a letter before action detail what you want I.e your compensation they are obliged to give you plus your expenses.
personally I would also justify the expenses (for example if the fuel was cheaper than 2 train tickets)
And personally I like to pay the extra quid or so for recorded delivery just to avoid any delays and “lost on the post” excuses. Other might tell you that’s not legally necessary but how much mucking around do you want.

unfortunately they are a pain to deal with and LBA giving them 14 days before court tends to get things moving

JAspn

eskbanker said:

JAspn said:
Is it correct that as long as the airline get you back to the right country, getting back to the right airport and your transport home is on the passenger.

No, their own website reiterates their obligations under EC261/2004 to get you all the way to your final destination (i.e. the airport to which the cancelled flight had been booked), in that they're required to offer you "re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to your final destination at the earliest opportunity":

Notice of your rights in case of flight delays, cancellations and denied boarding | easyJet

However, I suspect that the issue is the claim being for fuel rather than train/bus/taxi, i.e. the expectation would be that you'd use public transport rather than getting a lift from someone (?), despite the potential for the latter to be cheaper and/or more convenient.  It ought to be possible to construct an argument that it would be reasonable for them to reimburse that cost though - which UK airports did you travel between and how much did you claim?

On the Notice of your rights page i noticed the section where compensation was allowed EXCEPT when: 

• The cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, which may include (but not limited to) air traffic control, weather, civil unrest, terrorist alerts and security alerts, strike action and unexpected flight safety shortcomings

Funny that the alert/text and email notification of the cancellation I received stood in the airport stated the words "due to extraordinary circumstances" - I guess that was their get out of jail free card being played. 

I feel I will fight this on their not getting me to my final destination - next time I will take the most expensive option that WOULD be payable rather than the quickest, most convenient and cheaper to them option.  That said I can't see me booking with Easyjet again in the future. 

Appreciate all your advise and suggestions.

JAspn

lisyloo said:

Easyjet are terrible.
they once offered me compensation for losing a spare seat that we’d paid for and reserved.
i had a hand written offer with pilots/crew details and it was all authorised by their liaison team over the phone with the pilot.

i had to write them a letter before action to get what they had themselves offered in writing.

i would write to them a letter before action detail what you want I.e your compensation they are obliged to give you plus your expenses.
personally I would also justify the expenses (for example if the fuel was cheaper than 2 train tickets)
And personally I like to pay the extra quid or so for recorded delivery just to avoid any delays and “lost on the post” excuses. Other might tell you that’s not legally necessary but how much mucking around do you want.

unfortunately they are a pain to deal with and LBA giving them 14 days before court tends to get things moving

They truly are awful - I certainly intend to write and argue this one.  I fear it will fall into a hole with them - but I feel i have been unjustly treated and they have not followed through on the purchase I made, getting me A to B back to A again. 

eskbanker

JAspn said:

On the Notice of your rights page i noticed the section where compensation was allowed EXCEPT when: 

• The cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, which may include (but not limited to) air traffic control, weather, civil unrest, terrorist alerts and security alerts, strike action and unexpected flight safety shortcomings

Funny that the alert/text and email notification of the cancellation I received stood in the airport stated the words "due to extraordinary circumstances" - I guess that was their get out of jail free card being played.

It's important to understand the difference between compensation and reimbursement of expenses, and hence the three separate headings on that page (mirroring articles 7, 8 and 9 of the regulations), i.e.

1. Right to compensation [only if within the airline's control]

2. Right to reimbursement or re-routing [for any cancellation]

3. Right to care [for delays and cancellations]

so extraordinary circumstances gets them off the hook from paying the fixed compensation sums listed within section 1, but they still need to get you back to your final destination airport at no extra cost, as specified within section 2.