I recently booked a flight which was changed without notice, so when I arrived at the airport, it had just left. I had to take a plane the following day at 6:00am and change for another to Gatwick. I was offered a bottle of champagne with some chocolate as compensation. I fly regularly and find the flight times are changed at least once a month. In my experience, 75% of flights are delayed, and the airport staff always blame it on the other end.
On Dec 24, I got an email informing me of a time change on an inbound flight; I then received one cancelling my outbound flight. The airline phoned to offer the solutions: flying to a different destination (making my own arrangements for the three hour detour) on the original flight date or changing the date of departure to two days later. When I asked for the reason of the cancellation, they said they had to readjust timetables. Am I allowed any compensation? Should I switch airlines?
JC
Since your flight between the UK and Spain was cancelled you can rely upon EU Regulations to demand compensation from the airline. The airline is obliged to give you a summary of your rights to help you to work out how the compensation is calculated. The amount you are entitled to claim depends on how much notice you are given and the length of the flight.
If, as seems likely, your flight was cancelled within seven days of departure and you choose not to take up the airline's offer of an alternative flight to Alicante, you're entitled to a refund of the cost of the ticket. On top of this, you're entitled to compensation ranging from €125 to €600 depending on the length of your flight and the severity of the delay. Airlines can avoid paying this only if they can show the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances. But this excuse does not extend to timetable adjustments so you can claim your compensation with confidence.
