Can anyone help with my EasyJet compensation claim? Won't pay for taxi, and lower than expected.

mickym

Hi,

Ill try not to waffle, here are facts of our claim.

• x2 adults / x2 children (children needing assistance as have learning challeneges) returning home flying from Ibiza to Luton.

• Original Flight Time 00.05

• Notified earlier in the day of estimated delayed take off at 02.42

• We recieved an app notification the flight was cancelled at 00:05 whilst we were waiting in departures (luggage already checked in).

• An EasyJet staff member offered us to transfer our booking to a flight to Gatwick that was leaving at 00:55. We had to check all our luggage in again.

• Landed in Gatwick at 02:30

• Once at Gatwick there were luggage delays, we didnt get our luggage until 04:45

• We booked a taxi with Airport Cars Gatwick (official Gatwick taxi service), this cost us £180 and we didnt reach our home until 07.30

Easy jet have agreed to pay us £220 each (£880 in total) for our cancelled flights, is this the correct amount we should recieve?

Also, they have refused to pay for the taxi (we included a businesscard type reciept the taxi driver gave us). EasyJet state "The receipts provided for your transfers is a private arrangement."  How can this be, wee were stranded at the airport and needed to get home. We live close to Luton hence why we originally booked it.

Could anyone offer some help on our case please? Big thanks.

onashoestring

Yes the amount of compensation is correct as the distance of the flight that was cancelled  is < 1500km .

You accepted the airlines offer of re- routing to a flight back to London ( albeit Gatwick not Luton ) and in addition EJ have agreed to pay the correct amount of compensation that you are entitled to ( which you can use to cover the taxi costs ).

Easyjet have complied with the regulations in your case . 

mickym

onashoestring said:

Yes the amount of compensation is corrects as the distance of the flight that was cancelled  is < 1500km .

You accepted the airlines offer of re- routing to a flight back to London ( albeit Gatwick not Luton ) and in addition EJ have agreed to pay the correct amount of compensation that you are entitled to ( which you can use to cover the taxi costs ).

Easyjet have complied with the regulations in your case . 

Thank you so much for your clear reply. 

I had some conflicting info, and what you say above corresponds with what an easyJet cabin crew briefly mentioned to me. (There was no ground staff to speak to at Gatwick).

eskbanker

onashoestring said:

Yes the amount of compensation is correct as the distance of the flight that was cancelled  is < 1500km .

You accepted the airlines offer of re- routing to a flight back to London ( albeit Gatwick not Luton ) and in addition EJ have agreed to pay the correct amount of compensation that you are entitled to ( which you can use to cover the taxi costs ).

Easyjet have complied with the regulations in your case . 

I disagree - as well as compensation, they should also cover the cost of transferring between arrival airports when rerouting, according to Article 8(3), which is invoked from the cancellation section of the regulations:

3. When, in the case where a town, city or region is served by several airports, an operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.

They might challenge the cost of a taxi, given that there are direct trains from Gatwick to Luton throughout the night, but the principle of reimbursing seems clear....

mickym

eskbanker said:

onashoestring said:

Yes the amount of compensation is correct as the distance of the flight that was cancelled  is < 1500km .

You accepted the airlines offer of re- routing to a flight back to London ( albeit Gatwick not Luton ) and in addition EJ have agreed to pay the correct amount of compensation that you are entitled to ( which you can use to cover the taxi costs ).

Easyjet have complied with the regulations in your case . 

I disagree - as well as compensation, they should also cover the cost of transferring between arrival airports when rerouting, according to Article 8(3), which is invoked from the cancellation section of the regulations:

3. When, in the case where a town, city or region is served by several airports, an operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.

They might challenge the cost of a taxi, given that there are direct trains from Gatwick to Luton throughout the night, but the principle of reimbursing seems clear....

Thank you for that! That is interesting.

We were stuck at Gatwick. Yes trains were an option, however after all the stress with delays and people arguing on the trip hoe (At Ibiza airport my children witnessed a irate passenger assult a easyjet rep) we presumed a train journy for the 4 of us was likely to be not far off a cab ride. Looking now at Rail Journey Planner it would have been at least £104.

Both our children have learning difficulties with issues that effect them day to day, my son especially with sensory issues etc, we just wanted to get home.

@eskb@eskbanker I will get in touch with them quoting the above and will see what they say.

lisyloo

Completely understand your reason but easyJet still might say they are only paying the train fare. Whilst I sympathise, the issues your children have are not easyJet’s liability and they might consider the train a perfectly good alternative (although I understand the issues with all the luggage etc.). It’s your decision to travel outside the uk rather than have a potentially less stressful holiday in the uk. I’m not suggesting anyone with any issues should never travel just that they have to accept the risks don’t always fall to someone else. £880 minus £180 that bad? Considering no one can turn back the clock. Having say that I’d fight for the travel if it’s due.

mickym

@lisyloo , thank you, and I know where you are coming from, we got home safe and are grateful for being able to get away where some people were so unfortunate not to.

I just want to make sure we are compensated for what we are entitled to, and felt their reasoning of "The receipts provided for your transfers is a private arrangement." was unfair, as surely a train would have been a private arrangement too, and there were no stipulations that we had to get a train that I could see. 

. @eskbanker I thought raised a good point. Will see how it goes!

Thanks again to you all replying and providing info.

lisyloo

I don’t really understand what they mean by “private arrangement”
are they implying you paid a mate because it’s not on headed paper?

easyjet are c*nts quite frankly and will try anything
i was offered compensation in writing on a plane (before giving up a seat we reserved) and they tried to get out of it.
every excuse in the book including its not signed despite being agreed between the pilots and liaison officer who was authorised to make the offer.
if you’re due whether it’s £104 for the train or £180 for the taxi then send them a letter before action.
i send them recorded delivery for an extra quid or so to avoid “lost in the post” chenanigans but it’s not legally necessary.
if you have legal insurance on your household policy you might get some phone help from a solicitor.

im not sure how strong the case is for taxi vs train where there is a regular frequent service but I appreciate what it’s like being somewhere you don’t know where the options aren’t readily apparent and you don’t want to walk half a mile with screaming kids to find out.
thats the kind of opinion you’d get advice from a solicitor on.
Whether you’d be better off accepting the train fair and getting it over with than a long drawn out battle over the taxi fare.

id call my legal insurer but one option is to say you spent £180 for comfort but would accept £104, that way you’d look very reasonable.
people are expected to be tired, hot, inconvieninced, uncomfortable and squashed on flights so my feeling is that easyJet would expect your family to take the train - but I am not a lawyer.

as an aside I get my legal cover standalone (so that if necessary I can sue my home/motor insurer), but I get it for both house and motor.

saajan_12

eskbanker said:

onashoestring said:

Yes the amount of compensation is correct as the distance of the flight that was cancelled  is < 1500km .

You accepted the airlines offer of re- routing to a flight back to London ( albeit Gatwick not Luton ) and in addition EJ have agreed to pay the correct amount of compensation that you are entitled to ( which you can use to cover the taxi costs ).

Easyjet have complied with the regulations in your case . 

I disagree - as well as compensation, they should also cover the cost of transferring between arrival airports when rerouting, according to Article 8(3), which is invoked from the cancellation section of the regulations:

3. When, in the case where a town, city or region is served by several airports, an operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.

They might challenge the cost of a taxi, given that there are direct trains from Gatwick to Luton throughout the night, but the principle of reimbursing seems clear....

Perhaps they could argue they had to cover their costs to transfer you and should have had the opportunity using their services (EasyTaxi?) which may be cheaper for them than you making a 'private arrangement' and expecting a  reimbursement..

If that's teh case, then maybe find out what they would have done if you asked to be transferred, and what that would have cost - agree they should cover something.. 

lisyloo

saajan_12 said:

eskbanker said:

onashoestring said:

Yes the amount of compensation is correct as the distance of the flight that was cancelled  is < 1500km .

You accepted the airlines offer of re- routing to a flight back to London ( albeit Gatwick not Luton ) and in addition EJ have agreed to pay the correct amount of compensation that you are entitled to ( which you can use to cover the taxi costs ).

Easyjet have complied with the regulations in your case . 

I disagree - as well as compensation, they should also cover the cost of transferring between arrival airports when rerouting, according to Article 8(3), which is invoked from the cancellation section of the regulations:

3. When, in the case where a town, city or region is served by several airports, an operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.

They might challenge the cost of a taxi, given that there are direct trains from Gatwick to Luton throughout the night, but the principle of reimbursing seems clear....

Perhaps they could argue they had to cover their costs to transfer you and should have had the opportunity using their services (EasyTaxi?) which may be cheaper for them than you making a 'private arrangement' and expecting a  reimbursement..

If that's teh case, then maybe find out what they would have done if you asked to be transferred, and what that would have cost - agree they should cover something.. 

They can argue that but only if they provide someone to contact somehow at the time.
quite often people are left with no one to contact by any method and are left to sort themselves out.
there is a general duty to mitigate losses but they can only Argue about the options that were available at the time whatever time of night that was.

personally I think the train is a reasonable expectation and if the OP wanted a taxi for ease and comfort (which is not included on cheap flights) then that’s at their personal cost.

Sandtree

lisyloo said:

I don’t really understand what they mean by “private arrangement”
are they implying you paid a mate because it’s not on headed paper?

I'd certainly be questioning it too

In very different circumstances I know a case where the company put on a bus to transfer people to their original destination but a friend decided to get a taxi directly to where they were going as there was little value to them in going to the original destination... their claim was rejected as they'd made private arrangements when the company had already provided a solution. 

I doubt easyJet would have laid on anything but that's really the only circumstance in which the term makes sense to me (that I can think of anyway)