Flight changed and now not direct flight - via another airport

SMarg

Not sure if this is the right forum but couldn't find anything else appropriate

I had a flight booked with Vueling -Spanish airline
9th February LGW to Alicante 1300 arriving 1630
8 January (outside of 14 days) the flight changed to:
1010 arriving Barcelona 1320 leaving Barcelona 1535 arriving Alicante 1645

I was given the option to change to another flight but all other options are generally longer and all appear to be going via Barcelona!

I'm concerned they may do the same for my return on 15th

Luckily it wasn't an expensive flight so I have now booked one with Ryanair  
I am unable to get to the airport for the departure time and considered that flying via Barcelona made a significant change to my booking so requested refund,  Vueling has not accepted that I am due a refund quoting UK/EU rules

I'd be interested in knowing if I am due anything except maybe airport tax? 

Thanks

eskbanker

SMarg said:

I had a flight booked with Vueling -Spanish airline
9th February LGW to Alicante 1300 arriving 1630
8 January (outside of 14 days) the flight changed to:
1010 arriving Barcelona 1320 leaving Barcelona 1535 arriving Alicante 1645

[...]

Vueling has not accepted that I am due a refund quoting UK/EU rules

On their site, they're still selling tickets for the 13:10 direct flight (VY9601), so I'd have insisted on that, but if you've already gone ahead and booked elsewhere then that's perhaps academic.

Exactly which regulations and clauses are they seeking to rely on?  If they cancel your flight (or deny your booking on it) then they're obliged to offer you the (unfettered) choice between a refund or rebooking on an alternative flight under comparable transport conditions, i.e. direct flights where available.

Woodstok2000

You need confirmation of what's happened to the original flight. If its been cancelled, they have to give you the choice of a refund or alternative routing.

SMarg

eskbanker said:

SMarg said:

I had a flight booked with Vueling -Spanish airline
9th February LGW to Alicante 1300 arriving 1630
8 January (outside of 14 days) the flight changed to:
1010 arriving Barcelona 1320 leaving Barcelona 1535 arriving Alicante 1645

[...]

Vueling has not accepted that I am due a refund quoting UK/EU rules

On their site, they're still selling tickets for the 13:10 direct flight (VY9601), so I'd have insisted on that, but if you've already gone ahead and booked elsewhere then that's perhaps academic.

Exactly which regulations and clauses are they seeking to rely on?  If they cancel your flight (or deny your booking on it) then they're obliged to offer you the (unfettered) choice between a refund or rebooking on an alternative flight under comparable transport conditions, i.e. direct flights where available.

That was not an option that came up -every flight all day came up via Barcelona.  The BA option wasn´t given and I was unable to select it.  I just want a refund now ut to keep my treturn flight.

This was their reply : 

Changing the date of your flight was never our intention, but due to airport logistics (which are alien to Vueling and affect various airlines) we were obligated to apply this change.

According to the Regulations of the European Council, the airlines are obligated to inform the passengers with at least two weeks in advance. We have complied with this obligation by sending you an e-mail on 08/01/2026 to the e-mail address indicated in your booking.

For the reasons indicted above, we have to inform you that we can not resolve your claim to your satisfaction.

SMarg

Woodstok2000 said:

You need confirmation of what's happened to the original flight. If its been cancelled, they have to give you the choice of a refund or alternative routing.

It's not showing on that day now.  I outlined above their reply and they only mention changing the date and airport logistics

eskbanker

Their own Ts & Cs (section 7) clarify that a schedule change of more than five hours entitles you to a refund if you don't consider the proposed alternative acceptable:

If, after issuing your ticket, we change the scheduled departure time, we will notify you if you have given us or our authorised agents your contact information.

You will be entitled to a full refund of all amounts you have paid in connection with the changed flight, if, before the date of travel:

(i) we change the scheduled departure time by more than five hours;

(ii) this is unacceptable to you; and

(iii) we cannot book you on an alternative flight which is acceptable to you;

This clause applies in respect of schedule changes as distinct from EU Regulation 261/2004. For cancellations and delays your rights and remedies are provided for in EU Regulation 261/2004 or Montreal Convention 1999.

https://www.vueling.com/en/customer-services/conditions-of-carriage

However, depending on how they arrange ticketing, it may be that cancelling your booking for the outbound leg also cancels the inbound one - is it viable and cost-effective to rebook the inbound leg if that was the case?

MyRealNameToo

They have cancelled your flight you should be entitled to a refund as an option but it should be for both legs not just the outward leg. This may be the stumbling block because you want to keep the return leg. 

Dont know Vueling well, do they sell true return tickets or is it effectively two singles? If it is a true return then you may have issues with having a return with no flown outward leg. 

Have you investigated the cost of coming back on a different ticket and how it'd compare to a full refund? 

SMarg

eskbanker said:

Their own Ts & Cs (section 7) clarify that a schedule change of more than five hours entitles you to a refund if you don't consider the proposed alternative acceptable:

If, after issuing your ticket, we change the scheduled departure time, we will notify you if you have given us or our authorised agents your contact information.

You will be entitled to a full refund of all amounts you have paid in connection with the changed flight, if, before the date of travel:

(i) we change the scheduled departure time by more than five hours;

(ii) this is unacceptable to you; and

(iii) we cannot book you on an alternative flight which is acceptable to you;

This clause applies in respect of schedule changes as distinct from EU Regulation 261/2004. For cancellations and delays your rights and remedies are provided for in EU Regulation 261/2004 or Montreal Convention 1999.

https://www.vueling.com/en/customer-services/conditions-of-carriage

However, depending on how they arrange ticketing, it may be that cancelling your booking for the outbound leg also cancels the inbound one - is it viable and cost-effective to rebook the inbound leg if that was the case?

The original flight was 13.00 and the new one via Barcelona is 10.10 so the 5 hour time doesn't apply unfortunately.  Their own website says that if I don;t take the outbound I can still take the inbound

"With Vueling, if you buy a return ticket and cannot take the outbound flight for any reason, you can use your return flight without any problem and without having to make any changes. Remember that, if you need to, you can do a Change of flight."

SMarg

MyRealNameToo said:

They have cancelled your flight you should be entitled to a refund as an option but it should be for both legs not just the outward leg. This may be the stumbling block because you want to keep the return leg. 

Dont know Vueling well, do they sell true return tickets or is it effectively two singles? If it is a true return then you may have issues with having a return with no flown outward leg. 

Have you investigated the cost of coming back on a different ticket and how it'd compare to a full refund? 

With Vueling even if I don't take the outbound it doesn't affect me taking the inbound. I have to provide a reason for the refund as it is under 5 hours difference but I consder diverting via Barcelona a significant change.  Need to know if I'm correct on that

eskbanker

SMarg said:

The original flight was 13.00 and the new one via Barcelona is 10.10 so the 5 hour time doesn't apply unfortunately.

Ah right, I was just reading their reference to 'changing the date'.

SMarg said:
I have to provide a reason for the refund as it is under 5 hours difference but I consder diverting via Barcelona a significant change.  Need to know if I'm correct on that

I don't believe there's a regulatory definition of significant schedule change, so if their position is five hours then you're likely to have a challenge with that line of argument.  However, if they are no longer operating the flight you booked (as indicated by flight number), then that would be considered a cancellation, which does grant refund rights.

SMarg

eskbanker said:

SMarg said:

The original flight was 13.00 and the new one via Barcelona is 10.10 so the 5 hour time doesn't apply unfortunately.

Ah right, I was just reading their reference to 'changing the date'.

SMarg said:
I have to provide a reason for the refund as it is under 5 hours difference but I consder diverting via Barcelona a significant change.  Need to know if I'm correct on that

I don't believe there's a regulatory definition of significant schedule change, so if their position is five hours then you're likely to have a challenge with that line of argument.  However, if they are no longer operating the flight you booked (as indicated by flight number), then that would be considered a cancellation, which does grant refund rights.

There is no flight number the same throughout the 9th.  I can see that flight has been running up until 7th February at different times to mine. I have been unable to find any wording that allows me to have a refund when I have been notified more than the statutory 14 days. If I am going to challengeit further I need to find some wording to quote