Easyjet comes under fire from agent
EasyJet has been criticised for continuing to sell flights on routes due to be cancelled at East Midlands.
Earlier this month, the low-cost airline announced its intention to close its East Midlands base and withdraw the 10 routes based there.
It said the services were no longer viable, partly down to the increase in Air Passenger Duty.
But its website is still offering flights for sale right up until the end of June.
Easyjet claims it cannot take the flights off sale while it is still in an agreed 90-day consultation with affected staff. It claims that to do so would give the appearance that the final decision had already been taken.
“Whist we are under consultation with staff, we cannot presume the outcome and therefore its business as usually until a decision has been made,” said a spokeswoman.
But Mike Stones, personal travel advisor for the Co-op’s Future Travel, said: “This is exposing thousands of passengers to the likely prospect of cancellation with no compensation except a full refund or a trek to Luton, Liverpool or Manchester.
“We can all surmise the probable outcome of this consultation period. The routes include six popular Mediterranean resorts.
“Apart from the inconvenience to passengers, this could have a severe impact on companies like ours who package up under the ATOL rules as we will bear the expense of sourcing alternative flights for our clients.
“I also predict that those agencies who circumvent the package requirements and give their customers split invoices will happily leave them holding the accommodation baby and further bring the retail industry into public disrepute.”
The easyJet spokeswoman said the airline would provide passengers with a full refund or with a free transfer to another easyJet route.
“All of the routes served from East Midlands are offered from other airports,” she added.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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