An Edinburgh couple whose flight was cancelled after the plane was struck by lightning has demanded compensation from EasyJet, Metro reported. Notably, the couple was set to fly back from Krakow to Edinburgh on April 14 for their granddaughter's birthday. However, their flight was cancelled after the aircraft was hit by lightning during a storm and required repair work.
The stranded couple was told by the airline staff that the next available flight wouldn't be until Monday, April 17. James Digance, 75 and his 74-year-old wife Margaret Digance were then put up in a hotel opposite the airport by easyJet.
A kind Polish helped the couple book new flights, however, it cost them a whopping 1,318 pounds and meant travelling via Frankfurt, Germany to arrive in Edinburgh on the afternoon of April 15.
Mr Digance, told EdinburghLive, ''The battery on my phone had almost run out and we are both in our mid 70s and struggle with technology but thankfully a lovely Polish woman Edy who was flying to Edinburgh helped us. EasyJet put us and a number of other passengers up for the night at the Garden Hilton but this was not without difficulty as the staff at the hotel had to contact easyJet for the vouchers. We had to get back for our granddaughter's birthday party on the 16th so Edy booked us flights from Krakow to Frankfurt and then to Edinburgh from her tablet.''
Meanwhile, EasyJet apologised for the inconvenience caused and said they had made arrangements for them to return home the next day but the couple had already made alternative plans.
Mr Digance said he was ''fully expecting compensation'' from easyJet the next morning but their request has since been declined by the company due to the 'exceptional circumstances' of the lightning strike. He is now demanding that EasyJet cover the cost of the rearranged flight.
An easyJet holidays spokesperson said, ''We're sorry to hear that Mr and Ms Digance's flight home was cancelled due to their aircraft being struck by lightning earlier that day. In situations like these, it's our priority to get our customers booked onto an alternative flight as soon as possible and source hotel accommodation if needed. In this instance, we contacted our customers to let them know that we were sourcing them an alternative flight home, and also to provide details of their overnight accommodation.
We remained in regular contact that evening, letting them know we'd sourced them a flight to Belfast, and at 5 am the following morning we confirmed that the customers were booked onto flights back to Edinburgh via Belfast that day. However, we understand Mr and Ms Digance chose to book themselves an alternative flight home instead. Whilst circumstances like these are out of our control, we'd like to apologise for the inconvenience Mr and Ms Digance experienced.''
However, Mr Digance said the only flight-related correspondence he received from easyJet came at 5 am. The email said he and his wife had been booked onto a flight travelling from Krakow to Belfast and then to Edinburgh, getting in late on Saturday night.
He is now planning to contact Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Advice Complaints Team (PACT) to take the matter further.
''I am prepared to take them all the way until I get what I am owed. It was not good enough for them to email us at 5 am to say they had found alternative travel. This is for every single passenger that was impacted by the cancellation of the Krakow to Edinburgh flight,'' he added.
