Summer season travel disruption, flight cancellations and strikes were being at the forefront of issues requested by visitors through travel correspondent Simon Calder’s weekly ‘Request Me Anything’ on Friday.
The message of the day? Stay favourable. Simon urged audience to be optimistic when booking and reminded them of their rights really should their flights be cancelled.
Let’s dig in.
It appears to be easyJet are now cancelling some flights 20 times in progress. Do you have any insight into how conclusion of August is seeking ?
Several million men and women booked on easyJet in excess of the summer months will be wishing, as I am, that the airline could finalise all its cancellations as quickly as achievable. As you know, the provider promised a lot more flights than it has the means to deliver, particularly to and from London Gatwick, and is now trimming the routine by about 10 per cent. That indicates a important amount of people booked on July and August flights have been informed, or will shortly discover, that their first flight is cancelled. But even if it is, people fabulous European air passengers’ legal rights principles will stand you in superior stead by requiring the cancelling airline to give an substitute flight on the exact working day.
I am traveling to Malaga by easyJet on 2 July. How very likely is it that my flight will be cancelled if the Spanish strike goes forward?
The flight is pretty most likely to go in advance in spite of strike involving some easyJet staff in Spain. If it does not there will be many other choices to get you to Malaga.
Why is easyJet not clearer on presenting alternate flights/transportation to their destination in celebration of cancellation? Are buyers really receiving through to customer providers an now finding substitute flights?
I never consider any airline is doing what it is supposed to do under the air passenger legal rights policies in conditions of rebooking people today on the evident option flights. I hope I am wrong about that. I am, of system, holding information of when carriers have flatly refused to give travellers the choice flights that are most acceptable.
I am because of to lastly fly to San Diego on 16 August from Manchester through Heathrow on BA. How pessimistic ought to my hopes be?
Be more optimistic, people! Regardless of ground workers at BA’s Heathrow hub overwhelmingly backing a walkout in their combat to reverse pay out cuts and the prediction from their trade union that “holidaymakers experience huge disruption,” as somebody keeping 4 British Airways flights to and from Heathrow in July and August I am quite self-confident they will get off extra or significantly less as standard. But if I am incorrect, then European air passengers’ rights guidelines offer you strong shopper protection – in the variety of a requirement for the cancelling airline to supply flights on the similar working day, even if it usually means acquiring a ticket on another carrier.
I am intrigued, though, that you are flying from Manchester to Heathrow 1st to arrive at San Diego alternatively than connecting someplace in North The united states – these kinds of as New York, Atlanta or Toronto – which doesn’t entail any doubling again.
If a flight is cancelled more than 14 times in advance of the scheduled departure date, is the airline even now obliged to find travellers an choice flight on the scheduled day, or just supply a refund?
Yes, the only variance 14 days would make is to avoid owning to fork out payment. Duty to discover an substitute flight stays.
Any updates on the Ryanair strike across a amount of European countries this weekend and the likely effect on flights exterior of these nations around the world eg daughter traveling again to Stansted tomorrow from Agadir?
By cautiously studying the release that Ryanair has put out about its functions right now (Friday 24 June), it is attainable to recognize particularly exactly where the troubles are: Brussels (each the most important airport and Charleroi, recognised as “Brussels South”).
Much less than 150 flights have been cancelled all informed.
A few out of five of Ryanair’s scheduled flights to/from Brussels are working generally.
“There had been no flight disruptions in Italy, Spain, Portugal, United kingdom, France or Ireland as the large the vast majority of Ryanair crews are functioning typically,” an airline spokesperson mentioned.
The carrier thinks that a two-working day strike at a French Air Traffic Manage centre in Marseille will have additional effect.
There are some terrific promotions for vacation with Inghams and TUI to the Alps in early July. Although pretty tempted, I experienced the carnage of Manchester airport in mid-Could and a two day delay for TUI to get us dwelling from Kefalonia at the end. It hasn’t inspired me to head abroad in the around long run! But do you sense that Manchester/Birmingham are getting on top of factors? Am I getting way too pessimistic?
Yes, I imagine you could be much more optimistic. At moments in May well, Manchester airport was terrible in terms of prolonged delays and overstretched floor staff main to some incredibly shorter see cancellations of flights and whole holiday seasons. Birmingham airport experienced its moments as well, but I believe that they are now on a seem footing and I would guide with self esteem.
I viewed the recording of the Select Committee you attended and couldn’t imagine how the easyJet and BA reps acquired absent with their considerably less-than-truthful summaries of the refund encounter in excess of the previous few months. With a minister denying facts on decline of EU workforce and committee membership who appear to lack fundamental understanding of current problems, God assistance us all. Anyway, do you assume the airlines will develop up their schedules for July and August or is what we have now, the best we can hope?
Hello, as you point out I was warm-up act for the Enterprise Find Committee on 14 June, when reps of easyJet and British Airways had lots to say the link for the transcript is at the foot. The BA witness reported: “For a refund of your flight, that really should be done inside 7 times. We goal to do the EU261 compensation [for delayed or cancelled flights] inside of 14 times.” The easyJet witness said: “The clients acquire the email, which … claims, “You are entitled to rebook your flight. Here is a link to do that. You are entitled to a refund. Right here are the three clicks it will take to get your refund. You are entitled to a voucher if you prefer.
“Here are your rights for extra compensation.”
I am investigating that last line and trying to find clarification on exactly where just, on the cancellation e-mail, it suggests: “Here are your legal rights for supplemental payment.” Do enable me know if you have an e-mail stating that.
This 7 days finished with another slew of easyJet past-minute cancellations, most of them attributed to air-targeted visitors manage problems. Resilience still appears to be a enormous dilemma. But the large bulk of travellers will get where they want to be.
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