Hey!

I know this post is a wee bit old, but I am having some real issues with EasyJet and wonder if anyone has the same...

The 'Earlier Same Day Flight' is absolutely an EasyJet product which I have used several times over the years. The 'small change fee' is now £49 online or £55 over the phone. It seems totally random whether you can make the changes online (website or App) or not:

• I recently had a return flight from Stansted to Edinburgh which didn't offer this on the App and wanted the change fee + fare difference. I then used EasyJet live chat and was categorically informed that the fare difference would always be due (this is totally incorrect and demonstrates a lack of understanding from the agent). I get to the airport and the lady at the bag drop explains her point of view:
  • It is random whether one can make the change on the App or not - she has seen passengers on the same itinerary (different PNRs) when one can change on the App, and another cannot
  • Most call centre / live chat (offshore) agents don't appear to understand how to process the change
• She was happy to change me to the earlier flight for the fixed fee of £49 - despite the fare difference (as if I were booking a new flight) being almost £160 more.
  
• A few days ago I was flying (return leg) from Geneva to Edinburgh and decided to attempt to catch the earlier trip. This time, the App (3 hours + before the earlier flight time) did show the fixed fee and even showed the 'Earlier Flight Option' in the payment summary. Once I got the page to enter card details... I was continually presented with an error and unable to make the change.
  • Upon arriving at Geneva airport, I was told there are no EasyJet staff who can help (at all!) and I had to call EasyJet - the number provided by the agent
  • I spoke with an offshore agent who immediately understood what I needed, what the product was, and what the cost should be (£55 - annoying as I tried on the app, but let's go with it). During the call, the total flight change cost was confirmed as £55 per passenger (2 of us) and we catch the earlier flight
  • Upon getting home, I note more than £300 has been charged to my card - I assume the change fee + fare difference

This is when the annoyance starts. I emailed EasyJet to explain what has happened and got a canned reply from an agent telling me too bad - she clearly didn't understand this product and that no fare difference should be charged (nor the fact that this amount was clearly unauthorised as a charge). I have responded of course, and will initiate a chargeback through Amex if needed (no doubt the call was recorded) but it is very frustrating that nobody in Customer Service seems to understand how this works - it's not rocket science. Even the near-shore Twitter team have responded with an incorrect reply about this product only being free to EasyJet + members (they don't pay a £49 fee or fare difference, non-members should only pay the £49 change fee).

I am annoyed at myself for not taking a screenshot of the fixed fee recently from the App, even if this didn't work for my journey, it may help me verify that this product exists! If anyone has a screenshot showing the 'Same day earlier flight' option (or has a return leg flight with EZ and a same-day trip which they could attempt to change to an earlier one) and they could share this, I would be grateful.

Has anybody had a written response from EasyJet (Legal or Press) on this? I really shouldn't have to invest this much time and effort in explaining this product to multiple EZ staff members...