Fare refund [EasyJet]
 

I booked a return flight to Naples with EasyJet but cancelled the trip.

EasyJet has confirmed that they re-sold both tickets.

They refuse to refund my return fare (quoting their standard Terms & Conditions) notwithstanding that they have fully recouped both fares through the re-sales.

I maintain that in these circumstances I AM entitled to a full refund.

Any comments?

Yes: why do you maintain that?

Did you have the option to purchase -- from one of easyJet's competitors -- a fully-refundable ticket (at a higher price)?

Fare refund
 

I believe I am entitled to a refund because EasyJet resold my tickets (outbound and return) and therefore haven't suffered any loss due to my cancellation.

As things stand at present, EasyJet have received, in effect, duplicate payment for each ticket.

I opted to fly with EasyJet as it was offering the most competitive price.

You will not get a refund. Tickets refunds are as the ticket t&c's you agreed to when purchasing a non refundable flight--> nothing. Refundable tickets cost more. Airlines regularly sell more tickets than seats on an aircraft.

Fare refund
 

I accept the airlines overbook but those having an 'overbooked' ticket who cannot get a seat (because the flight is full) presumably get a refund or the opportunity to take another flight to their chosen destinatioan. In such circumstances EasyJet would not get any duplicate revenue.

In my case I cancelled on health grounds just a couple of days before the flght was due to depart so the resales only came about because I cancelled.

EasyJet therefore made a windfall 'super' profit on these seats.

As Mwenenzi wrote, you agreed to Easyjet's t&c's when you bought the ticket. You can not now, a posteriori, change the "contract's" terms, just because you don't like them! As the Rolling Stones said years ago, you just always get what you want.

If you cancelled on health grounds then you may be entitled to claim on any Travel insurance you hold...whether a commercial policy or that provided by some Credit cards. Worth checking! . Other than that, the other posters have already given good advice.

In that case, you might be entitled to receive a voucher -- equal in value to what you paid -- from easyJet redeemable for travel within the next six months if:

1) your health situation was "serious"; and

2) you can provide proof of your condition if requested.

From easyJet's website:

"If you need to cancel due to serious illness or close family bereavement, please contact our Customer Services Team as soon as you can. Our team will review your case and we may offer you a flight voucher towards the value of a subsequent flight, to be used within six months. You may be asked to provide proof of these special circumstances."

Some credit cards provide trip-cancellation insurance for such eventualities. Some travelers -- especially Europeans, it seems -- purchase travel insurance to cover them if their credit card doesn't.

If all airline tickets had to be fully refundable, nobody would purchase more-expensive tickets, and you likely would not have found as inexpensive a fare as you did.

Edited to add: trooper beat me to the punch.

Why did you agree to a contract which does not provide for a refund when you view the business proposition differently? This was absolutely your choice and you made it.

As noted, other carriers provide fully refundable tickets which would have required only that you call in and have a refund issued.

As to "why" the answer is that EasyJet calculates no shows in its revenue and while it is true that it may have resold "your" space, if it had to refund you your ticket, the cost of a ticket overall would rise incrementally or EasyJet would lose money and eventually fail.

Can't have it both ways. But, in any event, a choice for you to make the next time. As to the health issue, there is, of course the voucher and travel insurance.

There was a recent case with similarities where the same argument was used to successfully recoup money from one of the holiday companies (Thomas Cook or Tui perhaps?) as they'd managed to sell the product on.

Totally unrelated. The contract you agree to will cover this eventuality.

The contract did, as would almost all contracts in this sphere of business, however contracts have to be fair to both parties and this was deemed not to be (not sure if UK or EU law).

Thanks ft101.

You say: ‘There was a recent case with similarities where the same argument was used to successfully recoup money from one of the holiday companies (Thomas Cook or Tui perhaps?) as they'd managed to sell the product on. The contract did, as would almost all contracts in this sphere of business, however contracts have to be fair to both parties and this was deemed not to be (not sure if UK or EU law).’

Do you have any ideas how I might be able to trace more information on this case? Do you recall where you read about it? Any idea where this case was heard eg was it a County Court or the High Court or maybe the Financial Ombudsman?

If you google for Bruce Crawcour you should find reports. Here's one from the Small Claims Court stage and I don't know how much further it was taken, if any further at all.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/a...ation-charges/

Many thanks ft101

Jeff sorry to burst your bubble
 

But your thinking about this all wrong.

You did not buy seat 23A (or what ever your seat number was) on the plane between X and Y. You bought a right to a passage b/w X and Y.

You cancelled your ticket and as others are saying, according to the T/C of your purchse you aren't due a refund.

So whether easyjet sold or did not sell seat 23A is moot because you didn't buy a place on a particular plane.

You paid for non-refundable is my guess so there's no refund. Do they even sell refundable tickets? An airline hopes for 100 such cancellations so they can resell 100 seats on every flight. You can buy fully refundable tickets for 3,4,5,10 times the EasyJet fare and refund them even if you just don't feel like showing up.

It is not like you took a pair of pants back to the shop and they will resell them and they refund your cash. It's an airline.

I'm amazed they told you they resold them, like it is relevant and anyone's business other than EasyJet and whoever bought the tickets. Maybe to taunt you as they denied something you are not owed?

Well not super but to them, more money which is how they work unless they've been taken over by a church or the Red Cross.

Just now I'm checking price for a one way ticket PRG-MXP for next year:

Easyjet total cost 23.2 EUR tax included, if I add 23 kg baggage and even seat selection it will be 50 all in. For the two extras, I can decide to buy them even one day before the trip at same cost if I'm not sure about my plan.
With OK the minimum price for a flexy ticket is 100 Euro with a refund fee of 60 EUR, for fully refundable I should buy a full flex business ticket for 250 Euro

I will happily accept the "unfair" Easyjet T&C and put at risk my 23 Euro in case.

As someone already mention no LC carrier would offer such prices if they risk to refund passengers that decide to cancel their trip for whatever reason, even more after customer already accepted their conditions.

You are not entitled to a refund if you cancel your ticket more than 24 hours after purchase.

The airline is in the business of making money, not in providing insurance to all customers booking cheap seats (which is effectively what you wish from them by expecting a full refund when your plans change).


By offering non-refundable tickets, which you were under no obligation to buy. The airline has "offloaded" the uncertainty onto you, the purchaser. You bought the ticket, apparently without being fully commited to travel, and fully informed of the terms of the ticket (no refunds past 24 hours of booking).

In future, you may wish to postpone buying a ticket until you are certain of your plans. If this means you can't benefit from the cheapest ticket, then so be it. If all tickets were refundable in the manner you suggest, then there would be no such cheap tickets anymore.


Your contract with the airline is not contingent on them finding someone else to take your place. They don't come and re-assess your ticket price based on whether or not they were able to sell all the seats they may have been expecing to sell at the time they priced your very cheap ticket. How would you react if they came to you at check in and asked for an additional €40 as your "share" of the unsold seats remaining on the plane?

I'm not sure what you think this means.
Airlines sell a booking for carriage between A and B. The ticket you are given is just the documentation of this booking.
Airlines do not sell seats. They may sell a seat assignment but this is different

When you cancel a booking your ticket becomes invalid for travel. The airlines revenue management system may or may not increase the available inventory and then offer that inventory for sale. Even if you cancel a booking and the airline sells another booking to someone else it does not mean your returned inventory was used..

It is very unlikely that anyone at Easyjet can tell what happened with your booking and its related inventory on this flight. Even detailed history searches on inventory and booking for he flight may not reveal if your booking was "resold"

Even if the flight was full and oversold it does not necessarily mean your booking was resold.




But even if it could proved 100% that your booking/inventory was resold you are not entitled to a refund because you had a non-refundable booking.
Since you cancelled on medical grounds you may be able to claim on your insurance, if you have insurance