Manchester airport flight cancellations

ads_2

Hi, I have a rather complicated set of circumstances that led to a significant delay for my daughter's trip to Europe about a month ago.

My daughter was due to fly from Manchester to Geneva on 23rd June with Easyjet. This was the day of the power spike that affected huge amounts of flights. My daughters flight was cancelled. We have since received a full refund from Easyjet. Not sure if any compensation is due.

My daughter then tried to reschedule and found a flight in the evening of the 23rd June with Ethiopian airlines which stops in Geneva on it's way to Addis Ababa (I know it sounds weird but it's a real thing). She was about to board only to be told that the flight was no longer stopping in Geneva and she was pulled from the flight, along with other passengers. A hotel was provided. The airline then put my daughter on the next day's flight which was a full 24hrs later.

I've asked for compensation from Ethiopian Airlines but they have told me that because of the bad weather (it was actually a power spike but I'll correct them later), they do not have to pay any compensation.

I'm wondering what to do next as Ethiopian Airlines do not want to play ball. Any thoughts on who to raise this issue with next?

Thanks

eskbanker

ads_2 said:

My daughter then tried to reschedule and found a flight in the evening of the 23rd June with Ethiopian airlines which stops in Geneva on it's way to Addis Ababa (I know it sounds weird but it's a real thing). She was about to board only to be told that the flight was no longer stopping in Geneva and she was pulled from the flight, along with other passengers. A hotel was provided. The airline then put my daughter on the next day's flight which was a full 24hrs later.

I've asked for compensation from Ethiopian Airlines but they have told me that because of the bad weather (it was actually a power spike but I'll correct them later), they do not have to pay any compensation.

I'm wondering what to do next as Ethiopian Airlines do not want to play ball. Any thoughts on who to raise this issue with next?

It sounds like they're blaming adverse weather conditions somewhere, as a completely separate issue from the power spike at Manchester airport?  What makes you believe that this wasn't true?

LinLui

I've asked for compensation from Ethiopian Airlines but they have told me that because of the bad weather (it was actually a power spike but I'll correct them later), they do not have to pay any compensation.

Before you "correct" them you might want to check what the weather conditions for most of June in Switzerland. For much of that month the country was subject to horrendous storms leading to major flooding, and several days over the month planes were being redirected. In fact, on 25/26th the entire of Swiss airspace was closed for a time after flooding at Geneva's air traffic control. There was amjor damage throughout the country and there was loss of life. I don't think they are lying.

ads_2

There are 2 reasons why I doubt the weather being to blame. Firstly, the Ethiopian Airlines staff at the airport told my daughter the change of route was due to delays in the flight leaving Manchester. Secondly, I can only find evidence of storms causing problems at Geneva airport from 25th June.

Can they blame bad weather and therefore no one is liable to provide compensation?

eskbanker

ads_2 said:

There are 2 reasons why I doubt the weather being to blame. Firstly, the Ethiopian Airlines staff at the airport told my daughter the change of route was due to delays in the flight leaving Manchester. Secondly, I can only find evidence of storms causing problems at Geneva airport from 25th June.

Can they blame bad weather and therefore no one is liable to provide compensation?

If the Geneva stop was dropped either for Manchester airport power spikes or particularly bad weather (not necessarily at an airport) then these would both typically be seen as extraordinary circumstances that would negate any liability to pay compensation, although the burden of proof rests with the airline.

An operating air carrier shall not be obliged to pay compensation in accordance with Article 7, if it can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Such circumstances may, in particular, occur in cases of political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes that affect the operation of an operating air carrier.

(15)

Extraordinary circumstances should be deemed to exist where the impact of an air traffic management decision in relation to a particular aircraft on a particular day gives rise to a long delay, an overnight delay, or the cancellation of one or more flights by that aircraft, even though all reasonable measures had been taken by the air carrier concerned to avoid the delays or cancellations.

LinLui

ads_2 said:

There are 2 reasons why I doubt the weather being to blame. Firstly, the Ethiopian Airlines staff at the airport told my daughter the change of route was due to delays in the flight leaving Manchester. Secondly, I can only find evidence of storms causing problems at Geneva airport from 25th June.

Can they blame bad weather and therefore no one is liable to provide compensation?

There were major storms affecting air traffic (amongst other things) through the month. Geneva airport doesn't have to be the site of the problem - Switzerland isn't that big and a storm anywhere affects air traffic to some extent. And it is just possible that the delay leaving Manchester was what put the plane in the path of storms. I know how bad it all was as I have a friend who lives there. There were many planes diverted to other airports due to the airspace not being safe rather than because Geneva wasn't operating.

I'm not saying that is true. But you are saying it isn't, so you will need to bear in mind that your version may not be correct. And what staff say isn't always true or the full explanation either - I recall being told that my missing plane was due to a "mechanical fault" in the originating airport in the Canaries. The plane I was waiting for was never coming from the Canaries, ever! It was coming from Dusseldorf to Manchester and then to Madrid. It simply never took off because the airline had miscalculated the number of planes they needed for the season and were cancelling planes left right and centre. 

Voyager2002

ads_2 said:

Hi, I have a rather complicated set of circumstances that led to a significant delay for my daughter's trip to Europe about a month ago.

My daughter was due to fly from Manchester to Geneva on 23rd June with Easyjet. This was the day of the power spike that affected huge amounts of flights. My daughters flight was cancelled. We have since received a full refund from Easyjet. Not sure if any compensation is due.

If the original cancellation was due to "extraordinary circumstances" then no compensation is payable. Possibly insurance would come into play?

Easyjet should have rebooked your daughter on another flight: she should have been offered the choice between rerouting or a refund. She would then have been entitled to "care" (food and if necessary accommodation) while waiting for departure, and of course EJ would have been responsible for any price difference.

Did she ask EJ for a refund, and has she accepted the money they sent her? If not, she could still pursue them.