EasyJet kicked a 20-year-old old student off her flight from Stanstead to Cagliari, Sardinia after a seat broke and another passenger moved to her seat.
Ellen Marandola had booked £283 tickets to fly to the Italian island on Friday 3 August but, at the gate, she was told her seat was broken and that she would have to wait in case there were any no-shows, Marandola told the Independent.
EasyJet later said that in fact, the broken seat belonged to another flier but that the passenger assigned to that seat had been moved into Marandola’s place.
The airline chose to offload Marandola rather than the passenger in 7A as she was deemed to be the last person to check in to the flight at the airport.
Under European air passengers’ rights rules, airline staff must ask for volunteers before they can deny someone boarding against their will in such a situation as this.
EasyJet says that an announcement was made at the gate asking for volunteers to be offloaded but Marandola maintains she was not aware of such a call.
The Imperial College London student also says that the airline did not discuss compensation with her, although easyJet denies this.
EasyJet told Express.co.uk: “easyJet is sorry that Ms Marandola was not able to travel the flight to Cagliari on 3 August. This was due to one seat on the aircraft being unusable and all other seats being used.
“As Ms Marandola was the last passenger to check in at the airport, we, unfortunately, could not accommodate her on this flight.
“Our customer service team at the airport offered alternative flight options to her, including with other airlines. However, Ms Marandola told them that she did not want to take one of these flights. We also explained the compensation she would be entitled to and will be contacting her to arrange this.
“We would like to apologise to Ms Marandola that she was not able to travel on this flight.”
Is it legal for an airline to kick someone off a plane?
Bumping from a flight is when some passengers may be asked or forced to give up their place on a flight. It is also called ‘denied boarding’ and is completely legal.
It can also happen if airlines overbook a flight and everyone turns up or they use a smaller aircraft than planned.
What are you entitled to if you’re bumped?
Under EU flight regulations if you are bumped from a flight you have certain rights as long as you are departing from an EU airport and operated by any airline or arriving at an EU airport and operated by an EU airline.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): “If you are bumped without your agreement, you are entitled to compensation, as long as you checked-in for your flight on time.”
Depending on the length of your flight and the timings of the alternative flight you are offered, compensation can range from €125 to €600 (£111 to £535).
Whether you volunteer or moved to be bumped from a flight, your airline must let you choose between two options: choose an alternative flight or review a refund.
If the former, the airline must offer you an alternative flight which best suits your needs.
“Your airline must also provide care and assistance while you wait for the flight,” says the CAA. “This means food, drink, communications and accommodation if you stay overnight.”
What action should you take if you’re bumped?
When it comes to claiming compensation, the CAA advises passengers to understand their right before contacting the airline to avoid wasting your time.
If you believe you have a case, you should contact your airline directly and put a claim in – providing as much information as you can. It can take some time for airline stop process claims, however.
Last month an easyJet passenger complained after her hold luggage was returned to her so badly damaged it looked as though something had exploded.
