Jet2 Catania problems

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Flight delay compensation successes.

Susanfairweather

I am spending an exhausting amount of time fighting for my rights against Jet 2   
   On Sunday ; a fire occurred inside Catania airport. On Tuesday  Jet 2 informed us that our expected flight to Sicily on Wednesday  would be Thursday  i.e.  a 24 hour delay.Not until 20.30.Wednesday night i.e not even 12 hours notice before expecting to leave the house  were  we informed that the flight was cancelled.!  
No re_ routing with them or an alternative airline offerd I.e we were given no choice 
Later discovered Jet 2 did fly to Catania on Thursday  but not with us on board!
Missed out on a significant event as a consequence of Jet 2's apalling management 
CAA.so far not been supportive 

Westin

Catania Airport did not fully reopen to international arrivals for around two and a half weeks.

Initially no flights, then after a few days just a handful of Italian domestics, then gradually some Schengen area flights.  There were no/limited immigration services for a while.

If the Jet2 flight did operate on the Thursday (not convinced but perhaps someone with a full Flight24 subscription can check for you) perhaps it flew empty outbound and was just collecting stranded holiday makers.

eskbanker

Susanfairweather said:

Later discovered Jet 2 did fly to Catania on Thursday  but not with us on board!

Westin said:

If the Jet2 flight did operate on the Thursday (not convinced but perhaps someone with a full Flight24 subscription can check for you) perhaps it flew empty outbound and was just collecting stranded holiday makers.

https://www.flightera.net/en/airport/Catania/LICC/arrival/2023-07-20 12_00? is a handy public domain site, showing all arrivals at Catania that day (by scrolling backwards and forwards) - as above, there were no flights arriving from the UK....

Susanfairweather

Sorry my mistake  meant to say flight flew to Trapani Sicily  I e an alternative airport

eskbanker

Susanfairweather said:

Sorry my mistake  meant to say flight flew to Trapani Sicily  I e an alternative airport

As suspected by @Westin above, it sounds like they flew out empty to Trapani to collect those needing to return:

In an update to passengers on Wednesday (19 July), Jet2 said it has been left with “no option” but to withdraw and cancel all its flights to Catania until Thursday 3 August. Passengers affected by the cancellations will be issued with a refund.

[...]

The airline will be operating return flights that were due to leave Catania between 19 July to 25 July from Trapani Airport.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/jet2-flight-cancellation-warning-uk-103143952.html

Edit: did they issue the refund you're entitled to in this situation?  Technically they would have been required to offer you the choice of rerouting instead, were you aware of any suitable alternative that would have been acceptable (assuming that they weren't able to carry outbound passengers on the Trapani flights)?

Susanfairweather

My daughter's got there 1.  BA  RE ROUTED ON Monday to Palmero  and as she had a 6 month old with her was given accommodation and tacken to Catania Thursday  In view of what happened she could have been alone in the villa we had booked.  
My other daughter  ,whose significant birthday it was and   also on Jet 2 , had to.get a taxi to Manchester late on Wed. night  remember we were not cancelled until 8 .30 pm and managed to get a seat with Ryanair 
Without a lot of effort she could have been absent from.her own celebrations!Other guests arrived with Easy Jet 
So to answer your query  yes there were options 
Of course  by cancelling Jet 2 has avoided delay compensation 

eskbanker

Susanfairweather said:

Of course  by cancelling Jet 2 has avoided delay compensation 

No, if there were extraordinary circumstances beyond their control, as there clearly were, then the airline has no liability to pay compensation, whether that's for delays or cancellations.

They are obliged to refund or reroute though - did they refund you, even though you'd presumably have preferred to be rerouted?

Susanfairweather

Yes repaid  but  no  i no rerouting  offered either with Jet 2 0r  another airline
I understand the extraordinary circumstances situation
My gripe is with the apalling management of the occurrence   
Information  provided late   with promised reschedule for the next day    A promised update that  did no transpire  
Eventual cancellation less than  12 hours before we were still expecting to go to the airport
Absolutely shambolic  service  with seriously negative effects for  me and my family. 
No  acceptance by Jet 2 that they failed to meet their obligations  I e.  to get  their passengers to their  destination  consequently no  compensation offered .

eskbanker

Susanfairweather said:

Yes repaid  but  no  i no rerouting  offered either with Jet 2 0r  another airline
I understand the extraordinary circumstances situation
My gripe is with the apalling management of the occurrence   
Information  provided late   with promised reschedule for the next day    A promised update that  did no transpire  
Eventual cancellation less than  12 hours before we were still expecting to go to the airport
Absolutely shambolic  service  with seriously negative effects for  me and my family. 
No  acceptance by Jet 2 that they failed to meet their obligations  I e.  to get  their passengers to their  destination  consequently no  compensation offered .

I completely get why you're aggrieved about the way they handled the situation, so it's understandable that you wished to complain to them about poor customer service, etc.

However, there's a difference between seeking some sort of goodwill gesture to recognise poor customer service and being legally entitled to compensation under the regulations - the former can only be addressed with Jet2 themselves, whereas the latter, if applicable, could be escalated to other bodies such as CAA or courts.

Having said that, the regulations are clear that Jet2 should have offered rerouting options, but there isn't much that can be done about that after the event, especially once the refund alternative has been accepted.  If you find yourself in that situation again in future, then if the airline isn't being proactive about identifying rerouting options, you can take matters into your own hands and book something else yourself, reclaiming the costs - of course, you shouldn't have to do this, but it'll sometimes be the most pragmatic response, especially for an important event.

Re-routing in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 261/2004 (caa.co.uk)

Susanfairweather

Never accepted a refund  ,  transaction.just done  At 81 and 89 we were not about to.go shopping round the country in hope of getting a flight quickly.    See above for the nightmare my daughter had to go through to attend her own  celebration!