Airlines rack up GBP4.5m in unpaid refunds owed to passengers
Airlines have run up millions of pounds in County Court Judgments (CCJs) after failing to pay passenger expenses and refunds, an investigation by consumer body Which? has revealed. CCJs collectively worth more than GBP4.5m have piled up against airlines including EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air, according to official records. Which? said that Wizz Air accounts for almost half the total amount, despite carrying fewer passengers than some of its rivals. Wizz Air has 1,601 “outstanding” CCJs worth almost £2.2m, according to Registry Trust, which maintains the official statutory register of judgments, orders, and fines for England & Wales on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. The register also shows that both EasyJet and Ryanair have high numbers of “outstanding” judgments. EasyJet had 884, amounting to £611,436 and Ryanair had 840 worth GBP549,892. Tui had fewer, at, 313, but they were worth almost GBP1.3m. Jet2 has four “outstanding” judgments amounting to GBP1,434. Meanwhile, BA has 82 totalling GBP96,042. In one case, a customer's flight to Portugal with their family was cancelled by Wizz Air without explanation three hours before they were due to take off. Wizz Air had a legal obligation to reroute him as soon as possible, but instead suggested that he book himself on to a new flight and promised to refund him. He paid for a last-minute BA flight for his family of five that cost GBP2,500 — and incurred other out of pocket expenses as a result of the change. Although Wizz Air refunded the original flight — after several weeks of chasing — it failed to reimburse his expenses. The airline didn’t respond to the case he brought through the small claims court. The customer was therefore awarded a judgment by default, but still did not get his money. In October 2022 he had to instruct court bailiffs. The bailiffs visited Wizz Air at Luton Airport and finally forced the airline to pay him more than £4,500, including costs, in December — seven months after his original flight.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-03-17/general/airlines-rack-up-gbp4-5m-in-unpaid-refunds-owed-to-passengers
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Airlines rack up GBP4.5m in unpaid refunds owed to passengers
Airlines have run up millions of pounds in County Court Judgments (CCJs) after failing to pay passenger expenses and refunds, an investigation by consumer body Which? has revealed. CCJs collectively worth more than GBP4.5m have piled up against airlines including EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air, according to official records. Which? said that Wizz Air accounts for almost half the total amount, despite carrying fewer passengers than some of its rivals. Wizz Air has 1,601 “outstanding” CCJs worth almost £2.2m, according to Registry Trust, which maintains the official statutory register of judgments, orders, and fines for England & Wales on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. The register also shows that both EasyJet and Ryanair have high numbers of “outstanding” judgments. EasyJet had 884, amounting to £611,436 and Ryanair had 840 worth GBP549,892. Tui had fewer, at, 313, but they were worth almost GBP1.3m. Jet2 has four “outstanding” judgments amounting to GBP1,434. Meanwhile, BA has 82 totalling GBP96,042. In one case, a customer's flight to Portugal with their family was cancelled by Wizz Air without explanation three hours before they were due to take off. Wizz Air had a legal obligation to reroute him as soon as possible, but instead suggested that he book himself on to a new flight and promised to refund him. He paid for a last-minute BA flight for his family of five that cost GBP2,500 — and incurred other out of pocket expenses as a result of the change. Although Wizz Air refunded the original flight — after several weeks of chasing — it failed to reimburse his expenses. The airline didn’t respond to the case he brought through the small claims court. The customer was therefore awarded a judgment by default, but still did not get his money. In October 2022 he had to instruct court bailiffs. The bailiffs visited Wizz Air at Luton Airport and finally forced the airline to pay him more than £4,500, including costs, in December — seven months after his original flight.<br/>
