Easyjet, cancellation and travel insurance claims

The Hazell family is currently rather irritated with Squeezyjet. I'm normally a great fan of this low cost airline. It's efficient and you get what you pay for. I'll have no truck with people who turn up just before check in closes and then moan that they can't sit next to their nearest and dearest. You know how the system works and if you can't bear to be parted for a couple of hours then get there earlier!

So what's my problem? Well, my son's back is in plaster and his consultant says he can't fly so we've had to cancel our holiday.

So I log on to the website and search for the cancel button. I'm not expecting any money back, you understand. I just want to cancel and get a letter (for which I'm willing to pay a modest fee if necessary) confirming it so I can make a claim on my travel insurance.

There's no way to cancel online so I send an email. The auto response doesn't answer my query neither does the next email to arrive which, bizarrely, apologises for the long wait. In fact I have waited mere minutes and this is clearly a copy of a response sent to someone else in relation to a completely different question.

So I then phone and am told that I'm not allowed to cancel the booking and must become a no-show. Who, precisely, does this benefit I wonder?

I must wait another eight weeks before I can make an insurance claim. But from Easyjet's point of view there were 10 of us on this flight in school holidays. A return to Portugal on our flights is currently selling for £218.98 plus taxes, so that's more than £2,000 worth of seats they could resell if they accepted our cancellation.

There's also the not insignificant fact that they are sitting on our taxes. As I said we don't want a penny back from them (except the taxes) we just want to have a letter confirming we've had to cancel.

I know their aim is to cut out unnecessary admin but   I really can't see how anyone benefits from this policy.

- Tony Hazell, Money Mail Editor, Daily Mail

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Comments

[TS - Manchester]

Problem with Sleazyjet ?..you should try Jet2.com.
Premium charge telephone number and written applications only for Proof of Non-Flight document, 3 weeks to process and that's £15 thank you very much.
Oh, and you want Airport tax back as well ?..sorry, read the small print, we are a non-refundable airline sir, however, we may give you the tax back but please write in and be aware we will have to charge you £40 for the admin work involved. (I'm not making this up!)
And as for Amex Premier Travel Insurance...don't get me started !

[Jon]

No so Easyjet. I was a fan of this low cost airline until they made me extremely "uneasy". I was to fly to Spain in July. I got sick and could not fly. I purchased the travel insurance just in case. As the Hazell Family I was told to not show up and I will be considered a no show. 14 day after I was to file a Claim. I followed the instructions to the "T". In a few weeks I was supposed to receive a letter. I never received a letter. A few months later I follow up with EasyJet with regard to the matter. They stated the Letter was not sent out due to an error in the system. I was instructed to call the insurance company to see if I could still file a claim. The insurance company told me the policy would still be honored "but" I am not covered due to me not being a UK resident.

Now this made my blood boil as no where when you are purchasing the insurance (as they so entice you to do) does it say you need to be a UK resident. You must fumble through pages of paperwork after you purchase the policy. I should have never been allowed to purchase this policy and I feel this is false advertisement.

It is not the money... It is the principle. I was flying this airline, now I will never again.