The consumer watchdog said it had heard from passengers who were not told of their legal right to hundreds of pounds in compensation and the chance to re-route with other airlines. Some families have been left to sleep on the airport floor or buy expensive new flights home after their original plans were cancelled, leaving them feeling “abandoned”, Which? he said. Among the stories shared by the consumer group was that of Damian McConville, a 33-year-old who was sleeping on the floor at Gatwick with his wife because there were no hotels available and easyJet had canceled their connecting flight. They had woken up at 3am to find their rescheduled flight had also been cancelled, but the airline failed to tell them they were entitled to compensation which could total £880. Alexia Kaloudi, 24, said easyJet had not compensated her for an alternative flight she was forced to buy after her flight home from Budapest was cancelled. She made three claims for £305 but only got her money back after she went public with her story, Which? he said. Airlines must offer passengers on canceled flights the option to rebook another flight to their destination at the “first opportunity”, even if that is on another airline. Read more: What are my rights if strikes hit the summer holidays at Heathrow? Airlines and airports can’t say when summer holiday threat will end EasyJet chief quits amid growing anger over flight cancellations But which one? easyJet said instead of directing passengers to the “manage my booking” section of their app and website, which only allows passengers to rebook onto another easyJet flight. Last month, the Civil Aviation Authority promised to take action against airlines found to be “systematically failing consumers”. But which one? said airlines’ disregard for consumer rights had become routine and the CAA appeared powerless to intervene. Which? previously reported British Airways to the CAA after it failed to inform passengers of their compensation rights and failed to re-route them at the first opportunity with rival carriers. However, it said no action had been taken against the airline three months later. Image: Gatwick – one of easyJet’s bases – has been affected by flight cancellations. Photo: Diego Garcia Rodriguez via PA Rory Boland, Editor of Who? Travel, said: “EasyJet treated its passengers appallingly, 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 will face no consequences. “With thousands more flight cancellations to come, passengers face a miserable summer unless the CAA and the Government keep their promises to stamp out breaches of consumer rights. “A major overhaul is desperately needed, so the Government must give the CAA stronger powers so it can hit operators with heavy fines when necessary. Ministers should also abandon their ill-conceived plans to cut compensation rates for inbound flights.” An easyJet spokesperson told Travel Weekly: “We provide customers with a leading self-service tool that allows them to quickly and easily re-route to alternative flights where their flight is cancelled. This includes the option to fly from/to different airports within the same country. if they wish. “When we are unable to offer a direct flight with easyJet within 24 hours, customers can secure flights from alternative carriers through our customer contact centres, however, we generally advise passengers to book these flights themselves as this offers more flexibility and the fastest way to secure a seat on the alternate flight. “In these circumstances, we refund customers the full cost of the alternative transport. This information is clearly displayed on the delays and cancellations help page.” The carrier said it clearly informs passengers that if there are no alternative easyJet flights within 24 hours, they can get a full refund or book flights through an alternative carrier and easyJet will reimburse them in full.
