UKC

Anyone had any luck getting a refund from Easyjet for a cancelled flight? They seem to be making it easy enough to take vouchers and flight switches, but so far impossible to get through to their customer service by phone.

I managed to claim a refund online before they restricted them to calls. The email acknowledging the refund said I would have the money in seven days. But that was on March 18th and I still don't have the money. I've disputed the payment with my credit card company now. But that apparently still gives them up to 60 days.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-travel-help-and-...

This may be of help. I'm in the same boat (plane?), with one flight on Easyjet and one on Jet2, whose system no longer recognises my booking reference.

You’re right, they do make it really easy to swap. Austria in July changed to Iceland in October.

That’s not really the answer you needed but just thought I’d contribute to the thread.

 This may be of help. I'm in the same boat (plane?), with one flight on Easyjet and one on Jet2, whose system no longer recognises my booking reference.

Just checked my credit card statement and jet2 have already refunded my flight so credit to them, but it would have been nice to have been notified!

Holiday Autos offered a refund on my car hire or a voucher for the booking value plus 25%, valid for 2 years. The apartment I'd booked in Spain was paid in full with no refund for cancellation, but the guy who owns it has agreed to refund without charge, so I've promised to rebook in future as soon as the situation becomes clearer.

So there are differing levels of customer service out there, but the way Easyjet are behaving on refunds is at the bottom end of the scale.

Thanks, that's a useful link. Good luck with claiming by phone.

I will remember which companies have treated me well when the situation improves.

I had confirmation from Ryanair of a refund on the 28th March, saying they were "working through a backlog". Still no money, flight would have been yesterday.

The information I read said you can cancel on their website. I duly followed the instructions right up to the point where it said press the cancel flight button. Unfortunately, said button did not exist anywhere on the webpage.

So far I've had the same experience as others who've commented in that both Ryanair and Argus car rental (part of Holidayautos) keep repeating they have my claim in hand, each time encouraging me to switch from refund to exchange. Maybe one should in order to help 'em survive so they're there for next time and their staff will still have jobs? Yet another ethical dilemma.

As expected, though I offered to pay a cancellation fee, our hotel in Tafraout made no charge for cancelling our direct booking.

To look at it from the company's point of view, too many refunds and they will collapse entirely and nobody will get anything.

A better way, though, would be to offer a choice between a refund and a voucher for a higher value, say 25% uplift.  Many would choose the voucher.

Refunds from Ryanair and Whizz are in the pipeline for us, Ryanair say two weeks, Whizz 60 days. Whizz offered +20% to bank the money towards future flights 

Chris

I've been really impressed with jet2 and I hope they continue.  

Ditto. I wasn't expecting a refund (abandoned trip to Spain well before the lockdown happened) but had email from them saying "refund in 28 days" and had it in the bank in less than 2 weeks. Hope they survive.

Yes, I called them at bang on 8am when their lines opened. Was on hold for about 10 minutes before speaking to a very helpful rep. Got the money back in my account the next day.

Cautionary tale I had a British Airways flight booked for later this month. I originally could not get through to customer services but had lots of e-mails saying I could get a voucher and I would be able to change my flight for free any time up to 12 months after 1st flight. As the flight date was getting closer went with the voucher which took 5 minutes to sort on-line.
Ok so no worries but I was going to do the Pacific crest trail which is a 5 month hike. I have commitments booked for this time next year. 
I amazingly got through to BA today and said actually I would like a refund as you have cancelled the flight.
Ahar they said no we have not the flight is still going, (full of cargo? or empty?) the fact you can not get off at the other end is not our problem. You have also agreed to take the voucher and on page 47 of the small print it says we BA out of the goodness of our hearts will let you have another flight but not a refund.

Upshot is I still have the money for the original flight sat with airline and can use it up to mid April 2021.
In the grand scheme of things a first world problem of not having the time when things settle into the new normality. One thing I do think is that this new normality will look a very lot different to what it did in April 2019. 
 

I’ve had full refund for Easter flights.

BA are dreadful and I won't fly with them again. They refused to help me when  I couldn't get a connecting flight and they messed one of my friends around.  They also refused to change a name for a disabled woman who's carer quit the job for a new carer.  

TBH for many years I've thought BA were dross.  These days my first choice for a flight is easyJet, and only if they don't do it or it's prohibitively expensive do I bother looking at anyone else.  I've done about 200-250 flights with them and never had any major problems.

Full refund & in my account for 4 flights booked at the same time spread over 2 months as the first flight was cancelled on recommendation of the UK government. This was actioned online with no fuss or drama.

Yes, they cancelled my flight to Italy on the 14th of March, followed the instructions and got a refund a few days later but in two installments strangely.

This is handy info. I have return flights to Cham in September with EasyJet. I realise that's ages away but you never know!

I got a refund from EasyJet after being on hold for three hours.  When I got through it was quick and painless though.

Just watch for how long they plan to offer rescheduling for free. There’s usually a charge but given the circumstances they’re currently not charging for rescheduling. Obviously want to hold on to as much money as they can, rather than offering refunds. Works for me as I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland 😀

Easyjet are truly awful. Had email instructing me that I could claim refund. They got back saying Id receive it in 7 days - nothing has happened and its impossible to follow up other than the website says 28 days

Update - as from yesterday 17th April, Easyjet have created a form on their website to claim a refund, so no need to keep ringing the customer help line.

Thanks for that, just in time.

Thanks Dave.

ryanair have been promising a refund, now i can have a voucher but if i dont want it ....

"You can request a cash refund however bear in mind we will place your request in the cash refund queue until the COVID-19 emergency has passed."

who gets to decide when that is - tw*ts

Worse and worse. Now says no record of my claim and indicating a 90 day wait if there was.

If they survive this I will be advising anyone I know to avoid using them at all cost.

Latest from Ryanair as of today 29th April: having first acknowledged we wanted a refund and not a voucher a month ago they subsequently sent 2 emails asking one to choose a voucher. Both were ignored. Then last week an email arrived which WAS a voucher. To be clear I engaged in an on-line chat, surprisingly without having to wait more than 10 minutes. This was most satisfactory in that I came away with an unambiguous agreement in a written transcript of the "chat", that I rejected the  voucher in favour of a refund, whilst understanding it may take "a while".

Today I received another email that yet again tells me I have a voucher but now goes on to say if it's not used by the time it expires in 12 months a refund will ensue, meaning, a sI read it, we won't get the refund for a year.

Anyone else in the same place with Ryanair?

Yes - had the same email today for EUR300 worth of flight that were cancelled this month.

I'm in two minds about this:

1. I don't want these airlines to go bust as my current work situation means I have to fly quite a lot.

2. Ryanair are happy to force their policies on us in the good times - you are 0.2kg over your weight limit so that will be 60 quid please. Oh - you haven't printed your own boarding pass - that'll be 10 quid please. Now you will have to wait for your money for 12 months, assuming they don't go bust in the meantime. Also, their constantly changing stance over the last 6 weeks means they are likely to come up with an excuse to not pay you the money in 12 months time anyway...

People may find this article useful:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52370158

It always helps to let them know that you know your rights so they can't fob you off.

On the advice of a friend, I've just told Ryanair that I will be charging 20% interest on this long-term loan I've given them...

They keep sending emails asking for £60 deposit to book late summer holidays.

Easy jet shares must be junk status, therefore, have sent emails to the junk folder. 

"12 European Countries have called on the European Commission to suspend rules meaning that airlines have to give a refund and allow them to only give a voucher."

So I guess the airlines may be trying to hold off.

This was on my trading news feed about an hour ago. I don't know further details (whether it includes the UK - doubtful) or is likely to happen or in what timeframe, sorry.  

On Tuesday the powerful Commons transport committee of MPs confirmed plans to investigate the issue in a series of hearings with aviation bosses next week.

The committee chairman, Tory MP Huw Merriman, said: 'Yes, airlines have a need for cash but this should be drawn from their lenders, not from passengers who are legally entitled to a refund. 

On 6 May we will look at aviation including:



the financial position of airlines and airports



passenger and consumer issues such as refunds



air travel as the restrictions are eased Find out more and submit your views:

Email  transcom@parliament.uk
Come on everyone email them.

Thanks Johnnyg, I hope something comes of it, but the airlines will be happy to let the clock run while committees talk. I filled in my claim for a refund from Easyjet on the 17th April, the law requires them to refund me within 7 days. Its 13 and counting, and I'm not holding my breath for a quick response. I'm going to email transcom@parliament now as you suggest and I hope everyone else waiting will do the same.

Dave

Thanks for the heads-up. I have written to the committee...

I am currently battling with KLM for a refund - they are even more blatant than Easyjet or Ryanair in that they don't even pretend to offer refunds. I have it in writing from them that I can complain, but there is no point because they will still only offer a voucher!

Mr Ryanair on the radio this morning saying the (only) reason for the refund delay is the sheer numbers involved and shortage of staff to process them!

Here's the automatic response from the transport committee. Hopefully lots of people writing will add to the pressure for some action. I have also taken their advice and asked my MP to take up my individual case. I don't know it will get me anywhere, but it's what a constituency MP is there for, and I don't want to let them off the hook.

Dave

Thank you for contacting the Transport Committee. Please consider this email response as confirmation that your correspondence has been received and will be dealt with as soon as possible. We aim to reply to any correspondence regarding the Committee's work or its inquiries as soon as we can. Please note that the Transport Committee is unable to investigate individual cases—in such cases you should contact your Member of Parliament.

I refuse to fly Ryanair. But it was interesting hearing his view of refunds.  Normally Ryanair process 10000 a month. Currently they have 25 million requests for refunds. Their office staff had been reduced to 25% following the crises. 
 

so it’s going to take time to process. 

an Interesting perspective , whether it’s true I do not know. 

This is how business to business normally operates, contract terms bent beyond breaking point and nothing you can do, only now extended to consumers. Paying in advance has always been a risk, now you are finding this out.

That's bollocks.  If anyone seriously thinks it is harder (administratively) to process a refund than a voucher then they are deluded.  If they can get the vouchers out they can process the refunds in the same time scale.

They are just hanging on to a free loan from the bank of hapless customers. I'm surprised they haven't tried charging £25 for an express refund yet.

Personally if O'Leary came asking me for an interest free loan of £100 to tide him over his cash flow problem I'd tell him where he should stick it. How he is allowed to get away with it I don't know.

Don't be fooled by the disingenuous bollocks - it's just a rip-off.