Flight time change

Chaz1958

Hi we booked a jet Jet2 flight in February for the 29th December from Glasgow to Alicante at 11am as I am disabled the flight time is the most important thing for me, we booked early and paid £171 p.p much more than we normally pay because of the time.
Last month Jet2 changed the time by nearly 5 hours to 6am my worst nightmare as a 2 am rise is horrendous for me. I phoned customer service immediately and they point blank refused to give us a refund even under the circumstances of my disability. All they would offer was a flight the day before at the cost of £116 and we would also have to pay for another nights accommodation which we cannot afford. I was wondering if there is anything at all we can do about this predicament we find ourselves in, can they really refuse a refund since it was them that changed the time. I would be so grateful for any advice you can offer.
 Charmaine Bishop 

MSE_Oliver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBQcqv-bUPY

Transcript of the video above:

It's a big annoyance, but unfortunately, in most cases, airlines can change the time of your flight and even the date of your flight, it’s what's known as a ‘schedule change’. It's not covered by law; it's based on what's in the airline's terms and conditions. And on most occasions, they're going to say that your flight time is not guaranteed.

Now, if it's a significant change, then you can be entitled to a refund or an alternative option.  But again, what is defined as a significant change is what's in the airline's terms and conditions. It's worthwhile contacting the airline to put forward why you think that it's a significant change, but sadly, the significance isn't defined in law.

Now, if you've been given a different flight - so you've got a different flight number - that effectively means that your previous flight has actually been cancelled. So in that case, you would be entitled to a refund or another flight or in some cases compensation on top,  depending on when you were notified.

Oli Townsend - MSE Deals Expert

This question and answer came about during the MSE Forum 'Ask An Expert' event. It won't be updated so may no longer be correct at time of reading. This info does not constitute financial advice: always do your own research on top to make sure it's right for your circumstances

Ask an Expert: Travel & Holidays (Jul 2023)