EasyJet summer chaos: what to do if your flight is cancelled

Hundreds of thousands of passengers have had their summer holiday plans thrown into chaos after EasyJet cancelled 1,700 flights.

The budget airline has axed around 20 flights per day to and from Gatwick during July, August and September. It says it has taken pre-emptive action to avoid last-minute cancellations during the peak summer season - and says the closure of Ukranian airspace and air traffic control delays are responsible. 

All customers must be given the option to rebook or receive a refund. While 95% of customers affected have been offered the option to rebook onto other EasyJet flights, around 9,000 people will need to make their own alternative arrangements. If you are one of them, you are entitled to book with any rival carrier on your original day of departure - and EasyJet must pay the difference in cost.

Unless EasyJet informed you less than two weeks before your departure date, you cannot claim compensation because air traffic control (ATC) issues are considered outside of the airline's control.

Here’s everything you need to know if your flight has been cancelled.

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My flight has been cancelled - what are my rights?

Under the Denied Boarding Regulation, your airline has an obligation to reroute you or refund you if one of the following applies:

• Your flight departs from the UK or EU (no matter what airline) 
• Your flight lands in the UK - if you’re flying with a UK airline 
• Your flight lands in the EU - if you’re flying with UK or EU airline

If you opt for an alternative flight, you are entitled to be rerouted to your final destination at the earliest opportunity or on an agreed date. Crucially, this can include being booked onto a flight with a rival airline. 

For example, if your EasyJet flight is cancelled, you’re entitled to book with British Airways if that’s the only suitable flight available. First, contact the airline directly and inform them that you want to be rerouted.

If your flight is cancelled at the last minute, you are also entitled to assistance: free meals and refreshments, and free hotel accommodation and transfers if an overnight stay is necessary. Any expenses need to be ‘reasonable’, so it’s best not to order a three-course meal with champagne or book a room in a five-star hotel. And keep receipts for everything so you can claim when you get home.

When an airline offers you an alternative flight, check the details carefully before accepting. Instead of a direct flight from London to Rome, you could be offered connecting flights with a six-hour stopover in Madrid - which may not be suitable.

If the Denied Boarding Regulation doesn’t apply, check your airline’s Conditions of Carriage to find out their policy on cancellations.

See our guide to passenger rights under the Denied Boarding Regulation

My airline hasn’t offered me an alternative flight. Should I take a refund?

Before opting for a refund, remember that booking a new flight at the last minute can be expensive. Once you take a refund, the airline no longer has a duty of care towards you and you can’t claim any additional expenses. 

If you choose a refund, the full cost of your flight must be reimbursed within seven days.

Find out how to get your refund or rebook your flight on EasyJet's website.

What if my airline won’t book me onto a suitable alternative flight?

EasyJet says that it has rebooked 95% of customers onto alternative flights and provided all customers with the option to rebook or receive a refund.

If however you haven't been offered rerouting, or you can't get through to the airline to discuss options, you may want to book an alternative flight yourself and claim back the money from the airline as an expense. We’d only recommend this as a last resort as it’s risky. In the past some airlines have tried to avoid paying, so you may have to fight to get your money back. 

To support your claim, gather evidence to show that you had no other option. These could include screenshots or photos showing that there were no seats on the airline’s flights, or limited availability with the alternative carrier (make sure the image includes the time and date). Keep all emails or texts from the airline informing you of the cancellation and your replies, and make a record of conversations with their customer service team - or when you tried to contact them.

Importantly, don’t take a refund for your original flight. You’re very unlikely to be reimbursed for the alternative flight if you do.

If your outbound flight is cancelled but you still plan to use your return flight, you’ll need to inform the airline. If a passenger doesn’t cancel their booking, airlines will sometimes class this as a ‘no-show’ and cancel both portions of your ticket.

Can I claim compensation?

You’re entitled to compensation of between €125 and €600 euros under the Denied Boarding regulation, unless:

• You’re informed of the cancellation more than 14 days before you’re due to fly
• You’re informed between one and two weeks before departure, and your alternative flight gets you to your final destination no more than four hours late
• Your alternative flight gets you to your destination no more than two hours late
• The airline can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances and is out of the airline’s control, such as extreme weather

In the case of this EasyJet cancellation - which was outside of the airline's control - you are not entitled to compensation, unless you were notified less than two weeks before departure.

If your flight is cancelled because of a strike, you are only entitled to compensation if the walkout was within the airline’s control. If airline staff walkout, you are due compensation. However, cancellations caused by Border Force for instance are likely to be classed as ‘extraordinary circumstances’. 

If you travelled to or from a UK airport, calculate what compensation you can claim using our free compensation tool.

Find out more about your flight compensation rights and whether you can get compensation for cancellations due to strikes

How can I claim expenses or compensation?

Contact your airline directly and make it known that you’ll be claiming expenses and/or compensation - most have an online form. When submitting an expenses claim, you’ll need to attach documents in support of your claim, such as photographs of receipts.

If your airline refuses to pay out and you want to appeal its decision, you can use an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme. The Civil Aviation Authority lists the ADR bodies used by airlines on its website.

If you paid with a credit card and your ticket cost more than £100, you can also try claiming the money back from your credit card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Read Which?'s response to EasyJet's decision to cancel 1,700 flights this summer.