Fine airlines that break UK compensation rules, demand passengers

theguardian.com:

Some of the thousands of people whose flights were cancelled or delayed during the half-term travel chaos have been told they will receive no compensation, leading to calls for a change to the way passengers are reimbursed ahead of what looks to be a chaotic summer for airlines.

Others have spoken of claims being lost and having to resubmit forms as many as seven times, while passengers caught up in earlier disruption said they have waited months for airlines to talk to them.

Consumer champions are calling for regulators to be given powers to fine airlines if they break compensation rules, fearing a repeat when the school summer holidays begin next month. Scheduled flight bookings for July are already above 2019 levels.

The beginning of June was the first time many people had taken a foreign holiday since the pandemic began, with about 2 million people travelling overseas. But staff shortages meant airlines and tour operators struggled to cope with demand.

Tui cancelled more than 180 flights, blaming “operational and supply chain issues”; British Airways cancelled 124 with several weeks’ notice and Wizz Air also dropped flights. EasyJet has cancelled more than 280 flights since 28 May and said it had told customers they could rebook, get a refund or “apply for compensation in line with regulations”.

But some easyJet passengers said they had been refused compensation. Ben Brabyn and his wife and two children were due to fly in the early afternoon on 27 May from Gatwick to Pisa in Italy for a family reunion that had originally been planned before the pandemic. After hours of delays, the flight was cancelled because it would not arrive in Pisa before a night-time curfew. EasyJet offered a rebooking for a flight several days