Airlines are refusing to give cash refunds to passengers despite the Foreign Office travel ban amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands of travellers are desperate to cancel their upcoming holidays following the Government’s warning against all but essential travel to anywhere in the world.
However, an investigation by consumer champions Which? found that carriers including British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet are refusing to let them cancel and claim a refund on flights which are still scheduled to run.
British Airways planes parked up at London City Airport today as the UK lockdown continues
Grounded easyJet aircraft are parked up at London Luton Airport due to the virus, on Tuesday
This is despite the fact any travel would be against government advice and invalidate travel insurance. Some flights are even running to countries which have banned UK residents.
In normal circumstances, airlines are only legally obliged to offer a cash refund if they cancel a flight.
NHS frontline nurse hits out at easyJet after airline only allows her to rebook cancelled flight to Amsterdam
An NHS frontline nurse hit out at easyJet today after it only offered her the chance to rebook a flight to Amsterdam which was cancelled.
Jeanette Turner said a ‘stressful time is being added to’ by the airline, with her trying to talk to customer services ‘numerous times’ without success.
Jeanette Turner (right), with her family – (from left) her son Benjamin, husband Peter and Laura, Benjamin’s wife
She was due to fly to Amsterdam today, but this was cancelled by easyJet along with the return flight on March 29.
Ms Turner told MailOnline: ‘They are only offering to rebook. I do not want to do this. I have tried numerous times via phone, on line chat, email and form submission to no avail.
‘My friends’ flight to Florence was cancelled recently and they automatically got the option of a refund, as did my son whose flight to Zurich was cancelled.
‘I am a NHS frontline nurse and what us obviously a stressful time is being added to by easyJet.’
She said she was due to travelling with her husband Peter for her birthday, adding: ‘I do not want to rebook as no idea when this pandemic will be over.
‘Plus I do not want this added stress again of trying for a refund if we rebook and still cannot fly.’
Instead, passengers who no longer want to travel are being told to rebook or accept a voucher for the face value of the flight.
Many are reluctant to accept these offers as they are unable to predict when the pandemic will end, and whether their airlines will survive the crisis.
This has left many passengers hundreds of pounds out of pocket as they face no choice but to cancel and attempt to recoup their losses through their travel insurance.
Which? cited an example of a BA passenger called Lynette who lost £550 when she cancelled her flight to Thailand following the Foreign Office travel ban.
Ryanair and EasyJet are also refusing to offer cash refunds for flights that do operator.
Worse, some Ryanair passengers who tried to rebook their flights found that the ‘change fares’ are more expensive than a new ticket on the same flight.
Scores of passengers have also been unable to make the refund system work.
Last week, some Ryanair passengers were told their flight was back on after previously being told it was cancelled.
Some were left with as little as two hours’ notice to get to a refund and were unable to claim a refund when they didn’t make the flight.
In the worst example found by Which?, Hungarian airline Wizz Air is still charging €30-€40 (£27-£37) per passenger, per flight, to rebook – or €60 (£55) to cancel. These fees apply even to countries that have closed their borders.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Despite travel restrictions being in place around the globe, passengers who booked flights before this outbreak began that have not yet been cancelled are now left trapped between a rock and a hard place – unable to fly while also being denied a refund.
‘We would urge anyone with a flight that is still scheduled to depart to rebook before the departure date, on the chance that the new flight will be cancelled.
A Ryanair jet is seen on the Tarmac at Dublin Airport next to an Aer Lingus plane on Monday
Nine passenger planes of the Hungarian airline WizzAir parked at Debrecen Airport on Sunday
‘To allow this, any airlines that have not already done so must urgently waive their flight change fee to ensure passengers who have no choice but to rebook are not penalised for doing so.’
The Daily Mail has contacted British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair for comment today.
Yesterday, London City Airport announced it will close its runway to commercial and private flights until the end of April, amid a collapse in demand caused by coronavirus.
London City is the UK’s 12th busiest airport, handling 5.1 million passengers last year. Its location close to the capital’s financial district makes it particularly popular with business travellers.
The airport is used for British Airways’ business-class only flights to and from New York.
Images posted on social media appeared to show a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft landing at London City on Tuesday.
The runway could be used by the military in the coming weeks as it is near the ExCeL centre, which is being converted into a makeshift field hospital to deal with coronavirus patients.
Airlines such as British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair have suspended the majority of their flights due to demand plummeting and countries around the world introducing travel restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
The impact of the coronavirus on the aviation industry is being highlighted by dozens of planes being flown to airports across the UK for storage.
Airports in Bournemouth, Cardiff, Glasgow and Norwich are among those being used by airlines to park their aircraft amid the drop in demand.
British Airways planes parked at Glasgow Airport have been fitted with engine covers to prevent damage.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has decided against creating a specific support package for the UK’s aviation industry.
In a letter to airports and airlines, he said the Government was prepared to enter into negotiations with individual companies once they had “exhausted other options” such as raising cash from existing investors.
Karen Dee, chief executive of trade body the Airport Operators Association, said the aviation industry was “surprised” by Mr Sunak’s decision and would have to “fight on its own to protect its workforce and its future”.
Ryanair, which has grounded more than 90 per cent of its aircraft, has announced the significantly reduced schedule it will operate for the next week.
It mainly involves flights between Dublin and airports in Britain.
** Have you been denied a flight refund? Please email: [email protected] or [email protected] **
Woman is told to arrive at Luton Airport in plenty of time for Wizz Air flight to Hungary – despite Britons being unable to enter the country
WizzAir is still running flights from London to Budapest and Sofia, despite British citizens being currently unable to enter Hungary or Bulgaria.
Hannah Walsh was due to fly to Budapest with Wizz Air on Tuesday, and had expected receive notice that her flight had been cancelled.
But instead she was shocked to receive an email about her upcoming flight, encouraging her to arrive at London Luton Airport in plenty of time.
Hannah Walsh received an email from Wizz Air about her upcoming flight to Budapest, encouraging her to arrive at London Luton Airport in plenty of time
Wizz Air said it was ‘expecting a very high number of passengers’.
But Ms Walsh is not a Hungarian citizen so would potentially have been stranded at the airport had she flown.
She had spent £62 in total for two passengers, and had to choose between paying Wizz Air’s flight cancellation or rebooking fees, or miss her flight.