Which one? he says he has informed easyJet to the Civil Aviation Authority, asking the regulator to investigate the airline’s treatment of passengers whose flights have been canceled.
The consumer watchdog said it had heard from passengers who were not informed about their legal right to compensation of hundreds of pounds and the possibility of being redirected with other airlines.
Some families fell asleep on the airport floor or bought new flights home after canceling their original plans, which made them feel “abandoned”. dit.
Among the stories shared by the consumer group was that of Damian McConville, a 33-year-old who slept on the ground in Gatwick with his wife because there were no hotels available and easyJet had canceled its connecting flight .
They had woken up at 3am to find that their rescheduled flight had also been canceled, but the airline did not tell them they were entitled to compensation which could amount to £ 880.
Alexia Kaloudis, 24, said easyJet had not reimbursed her for an alternative flight she was forced to buy after the cancellation of her flight home from Budapest.
He made three claims for £ 305, but only recovered his money after publishing his story, What? dit.
Airlines should offer passengers of canceled flights the option to re-book another flight to their destination “as soon as possible,” even if it is at another airline.
Read more: What are my rights if strikes come on summer holidays at Heathrow? Airlines and airports can’t say when the threat of summer vacation getaways will end The head of EasyJet resigns amid growing anger over flight cancellations
But which one? said easyJet, instead, directed passengers to the “Manage My Booking” section of its app and website, which only allows passengers to re-book another easyJet flight.
Last month, the Civil Aviation Authority promised to take action against airlines that were found to “systematically defraud consumers.”
But which one? he said airlines ’disregard for consumer rights has become routine, and the CAA seems powerless to intervene.
Which one? previously reported British Airways to the CAA after failing to inform passengers of their compensation rights and not reorienting them at the first opportunity with rival airlines.
But he said no action had been taken against the airline three months later.
Image: Gatwick, one of the bases of easyJet, has been affected by flight cancellations. Photo: Diego Garcia Rodríguez via PA
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “EasyJet has treated its passengers terribly, but this is just the latest example of a systemic problem in the aviation industry: some airlines routinely ignore their legal obligations because they know they don’t they will face no consequences.
“With thousands of potential flight cancellations to come, passengers face a miserable summer unless the CAA and the government act on their promises to eliminate abuses of consumer rights.
“A major overhaul is desperately needed, so the government needs to give stronger powers to the CAA, so that it can hit operators with heavy fines when necessary. Ministers should also abandon their ill-conceived plans to reduce the compensation rates for domestic flights “.
An easyJet spokesman told Travel Weekly: “We offer customers a leading self-service tool that allows them to redirect quickly and easily on alternative flights where their flight is canceled. This includes the option to fly to at different airports in the same country., if they want.
“When we are unable to offer a direct flight with easyJet within 24 hours, customers can secure flights from alternative airlines through our customer contact centers, but we generally advise passengers to book these flights themselves , as this offers more flexibility and is the fastest way to secure a seat in alternate flight.
“In these circumstances, we reimburse customers for the full cost of alternative transportation. This information is clearly displayed on our help page for delays and cancellations.”
The company said it clearly informs passengers that if there are no easyJet alternative flights within 24 hours, they can get a full refund or book flights through an alternative carrier and easyJet will reimburse them in full.