Cyprus easyJet, British Airways and GB Airways

Cyprus easyJet, British Airways and GB Airways

Budget airline easyjet has agreed to buy UK carrier GB Airways for £103.5m. Gatwick-based GB Airways currently serves routes to Southern Europe (Cyprus) and North Africa under a franchise agreement with British Airways. GB also operates services out of Manchester and Heathrow airports, although the purchase by easyJet does not include the Heathrow slots. Easyjet said the deal was consistent with its expansion strategy and would strengthen its position at Gatwick.

But there now seems to be some doubt as to whether EZJ will retain the Cyprus routes according to an article in the Cyprus Mail http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=35553

It was also a strange coincidence that an article on EU Air Passengers Rights was published by the Cyprus Government in the Cyprus Mail at the same time that Stelios announced that EasyJet was buying out GB Airways who have extensive routes to Cyprus. Nevertheless it was a good prompt to look at what the EU Air Passengers Rights says about the situation.

So let’s take a look at the legal position of those travellers who have bought tickets which relate to flights on an after 30 March 2008 when easyJet are running the show.

BA has said “If you are booked to travel after March 30th 2008 you will be contacted with details of your new flight once easyJet’s purchase of GB Airways is complete. We expect this to be in the next eight weeks.”

A traveller has written on one of the Cyprus Chat Boards “Re-booking with easyJet suggests to me that our existing bookings will not necessarily be honoured, that we will have to fit in with whatever timetable easyJet provides, and that we may be liable for any easyJet extras which we would not have paid with BA. And I don’t actually see any guarantee that the fare will stay the same as when booked with BA.”

But the Press Release from BA also said ” “BA said that the deal between GB Airways and easyJet was expected to be completed within eight weeks. During this period flights will operate as normal, and, when the deal is completed, passengers can either rebook on easyJet or will be entitled to a full refund.”

So what does the EU Air Passenger Rights say about cancellations? Surely a re-book with easyJet would be a cancellation of the flight that you booked if it is not the same time and product. Look at the text that I have highlighted.

“While the old legislation did not cover cancelled flights,the new legislation gives rights to passengers whose flights are cancelled. When the reason for the cancellation is within the airline’s control, passengers must be paid compensation on the same basis as for denied boarding, unless the airline has given them at least two weeks’ notice of the cancellation or has provided alternative flights close to the original timing.”

Is a Press Release a contract you can rely upon?  I would be wary about relying on the refund option until the contact promised in eight weeks time.  And will easyJet honour the extra services and decent baggage allowances that these travellers have already paid for?  Will they get a price reduction?  Will they have to pay more for add ons? Travellers must wait to find out.

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