Thanks for your reporting on easyJet’s poor customer service this summer. Our flight from Rome Fiumicino to London Gatwick was scheduled to depart on 3 July at 10.55am. At 6pm the night before we were notified that it was cancelled. The next available flight did not depart until more than 24 hours later.
Given this, we feel we are eligible for the €250 compensation as per the EU rules on this matter, but easyJet has twice told me that we are not entitled to compensation because the airline claims “extraordinary” circumstances.
There was a fire at the Rome airport on 7 May – so it’s hard to imagine how this would justify a cancellation within 24 hours of the flight.
As you reported, Rome Fiumcino said the decision about which flights were cancelled was very much that of the airline, and was not dictated by the airport. EasyJet then admitted that it gets at least five days’ notice of required cancellations. So should I be pressing them again for compensation? KC, London
Don’t waste any more time talking to easyJet; simply file a claim with airline compensation solicitors Bott & Co. It will take €25 and subtract 27% of the total compensation amount following payment from the airline – but we’d be very surprised if it didn’t pay up. You could take the case yourself and keep all the money, but we’d use Bott on its no-win no-fee basis.
The Civil Aviation Authority should force easyJet to pay claims like yours, but has chosen not to get involved.
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