easyjet flight leaves early...TOO EARLY!

[wunaladreamin]

easyJet (London-Luton) put its best (or worst) foot forward earlier this month in a bid to be the most punctual airline when one of its flights took off two hours ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, no one bothered to notify the passengers. The only daily flight for easyJet from Lanzarote to Madrid was scheduled to depart at 11:30am local time, but on this occasion it departed at 9:30 am leaving some forty (40) travellers stranded. Passengers were told that they would not get their money back or receive compensation, but they were promised places on the next flight 24 hours later. Passengers were then told that they would have to provide their own accommodations. Police were called to intervene in the situation when some of the would-be passengers began shouting and using abusive language at the easyJet check-in counter. An airport worker watching the event unfold was quoted as saying, “Problems like this happen pretty frequently with this company.”

Abusive language? Thats it? If this happened in NY, there'd be a riot!

[hiss srq]

Yeah, no kidding if it happened in NY it would be like a scene from 300 in the terminal.

[T-Bird76]

The old saying you get what you pay for. Easyjet prob needed the place elsewhere and said screw it we're taking it.

[Matt Molnar]

I'm flying EasyJet next month, better get there an extra two hours early.

[PhilDernerJr]

I can't believe that EasyJet would think this is acceptable, and then not go to any lengths to take care of the horribly mistreated passengers. Why did they even do that to begin with?

[markg]

That's why Low Cost Carriers in Europe get such a bad reputation.

A riot in the UK is so frequent, that they don't call them riots any more, it just abuse. I'm surprised the passengers didn't just rip the check-in desks apart!

At a guess, I'd say Squeezy had a tech aircraft in Madrid with more passengers and decided they could get things back on track by this flight departing 2 hours earlier and using that aircraft as a sub!

[G-BOAD]

People wonder, how can mainline airlines survive when LCC offer the same flights for so much less. Besides Frequent Flier programs and a diverse network of flights and connections, mainline airlines airlines tend to be a reliable means of transportation. (on this forum, we had reports of how airlines are helpful, and sometimes even credit bonus miles for a delay) IF LCCs keep trying to pull crap like this, its not going to go well for them.
Also, i don't see how its legal for esayjet to do this. i don't know the legal system in the UK/Spain, but, once you book a ticket, you are entering a contract with the airline, that in exchange for a certain about of money, they will proved a flight for you, at this time, between point A and B. If they violate that contract, your are entitled to compensation.

[Matt Molnar]

I thought the passenger rights laws in the EU were stronger than here.

[markg]

I thought the passenger rights laws in the EU were stronger than here.

They are, but the airlines find many ways round them!