wayne

Comparing service charges shown when booking tickets Manchester is an expensive airport to operate from and I doubt whether Easyjet would be interested, it's not the way their business model is set up. And they already have a base at Liverpool. Contractually easyjet would inherit the responsibility of taking you but the standard GB/BA contract almost certainly gives them the right to cancel as long as they give proper notice so easyjet don't actually have anything to worry about. If easyjet moved the route to Liverpool they would be responsible for transfers for people who had booked Manchester but there are enough loopholes to get them out of that as well.

GB/BA will continue to sell tickets because the deal isn't formally done yet and if it goes wrong they will need to have a financially viable operation to keep going. The question of whether they should be clearly telling customers that there is a chance the flight will not run is something someone might like to argue in court! What they are doing is not that different to what the likes of Mytravel/ Thomas Cook (and others) have been doing in that they are offering fixed bookings on flights which they know are only at a provisional planning stage without telling the customer. The tour company airlines often do this for early bookings, the difference this year is that a name like BA is involved.

My MEP is taking an interest in the fiddles airlines are using at the expense of the passenger and I've suggested to him that this sort of thing ought to be on his list.

Sorry to hear you've already booked your flights Wayne and then found out about the takeover.

Easyjet have said they PLAN to run the published GB timetable this summer from Gatwick only. Heathrow flights will not continue after 30th March and there is no mention of Manchester flights so I presume you will be offered the choice of a refund or a flight departing from Gatwick. I would have thought you would be able to get a refund now though as your flights would not appear to be operating under Easyjet. I don't think it's right that these seats are still being sold.

Sorry not to be able to offer something more positive.

Cazz

easyJet haven't specifically said they will operate the Manchester services, but they haven't said they won't either. The only airport easyJet have said they will not oeprate from is Heathrow. All Gatwick and Manchester passengers will be contacted after the acquisition. All is not lost for Manchester yet...

I've certainly heard nothing further since the original e-mail Rha Mo, so 21st December may be the date we can expect confirmation of their plans. On the other hand, remember the proverb "Blessed is he who expecteth nothing for he shall not be disappoointed!"

Hi all, I have literally just received 2 emails from BA, as I have 2 seperate flights with them to Palma next year.

Well, it seems that my flights are now with Easyjet, I can either click on YES to accept or NO to get a full refund.

I don't seem to have alot of choice really, as the apartments etc are all booked, & I honestly can't see me getting flights at the same cost as I paid.

It also says, food & drink are available to buy on board & 1 check in luggage is allowed as in Easyjet terms of carriage - so bang goes the 23kg's we had with BA.

Has no one else received an email????

I'm off to Paphos in May and I received an email from GBAirways with different flight times from original booking!
They now say the deal with Easyjet should be completed by the end of January!

I've received no email and when I log on to the BA site, it still tells me I'm flying on the same GB flight.

No wonder there is so much confusion when one passenger is informed they are now flying with Easyjet and given the option to cancel on the same day another passenger is told the deal will be complete in another 7 weeks time!

Debdon

I suggest you read those emails once more very carefully!

Easyjet's standard baggage conditions allow 1 item of cabin baggage.

All Checked baggage is chargeable at £3.99 per item per flight if done in advance (or £8.00 per item at check in) up to 20kgs per person.

It may be that as part of the deal easyjet have allocated all the GB passengers one prebooked bag as though they had paid the £3.99 but you really need to make sure of that.

Hi steve,

Yes, I will look into it, as there are 8 of us travelling on both flights, I have to speak with the others to check what they want to do.

Thanks for your advice.

Deb.

I am still confused why BA would be telling passengers they are flying with Easyjet if the acquistion of GB by Easyjet is not complete or have I missed something somewhere?!

Join the club cazzholly. It has all been very badly handled in my opinion and the old saying about inability to organise something or other in a brewery does spring to mind. At least you and I have time on our hands, unlike those who have earlier flights booked with GB.

This news article today refers primarily to Easyjet expansion at Liverpool and Manchester, but also includes general comment about the takeover of GB Airways:

EasyJet unveils North West expansion

EasyJet is to start flying from Manchester as well as deploying more aircraft from its base at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The budget carrier claims the move will make it the biggest airline operating in the North West, carrying over four million passengers a year on around 40 routes in three years time.

The move into Manchester follows the takeover of GB Airways which has two aircraft based at the airport. EasyJet is to add a further three aircraft by 2010.

The expansion means that by 2010, easyJet will have 15 aircraft operating through the two principal airports in the North West, giving it access to a catchment area of some eight million people within a 60-minute drive.

GB Airways will continue to operate all routes under the British Airways brand until March 29.

After this, subject to regulatory approval, the GB flights will operate under the easyJet brand and all customers who have booked to travel with GB Airways next summer will be given the choice of flying with easyJet at the same times or else receive a refund.

By winter 2008, GB Airways will be fully integrated into the easyJet business model.

EasyJet people director Mike Campbell, who advised the staff in Manchester of the news, said: "EasyJet recognises the strong demand for low-cost convenient services from the North West, the GB operation at Manchester provides us with a great base on which we can build and tap in to a new market.

"EasyJet remains committed to our base at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and by launching additional operations from Manchester, we can make it even easier for everyone in the North West to have access to easyJet services from their local airport, giving consumers the opportunity to explore Europe for less."

With permission from Travelmole

A glimmer of hope for Wayne at least!

When news of the takeover was first announced, Easyjet said they planned to offer the scheduled GB flights for Summer 08. They are now saying this is subject to regulatory approval. Can someone tell me if this is something we need to be concerned about?

Cazz

At last! I saw the announcement this morning and I'm a little surprised but glad for everyone who has flights booked with them. Although it's not the ideal situation, at least those who have flight from MAN know there is going to be a flight now.

And it's something new for us to point the cameras at

Darren

cazzholly wrote:

When news of the takeover was first announced, Easyjet said they planned to offer the scheduled GB flights for Summer 08. They are now saying this is subject to regulatory approval. Can someone tell me if this is something we need to be concerned about?

Hi Cazz .. although Easyjet and GB Airways struck a deal back in October, they did say at the time that it was subject to regulatory approval, which was expected to take a couple of months.

David

As I need pre-allocated seating for my July flights (travelling with disabled child), I was advised to contact BA and book seats now so that this information would be on the system and it would be more likely that Easyjet would then offer priority boarding. I phoned BA this morning to be told my flight had been cancelled on the system and to phone my TA. (My flight still shows on the BA site when I manage my account though)!

I phoned TUI and they have informed me that BA have taken the outbound flight offline in their system in readiness for the takeover and yet I still can't have a refund even though I'm no longer booked on a flight.

I don't want to travel with EZY on this flight but my alternatives are going up by £20 day and are now £500 more than we paid GB. Talk about rock and hard place

Yes a glimmer of hope.What worries me though is will Easyjet fly to places as far as Tenerife,as this is a four hour plus flight.Not really the distance that a no frills operator usually flies.

OK, I was wrong about Manchester not fitting their plans! I still seems an over complicated way for them to run the business though, although it will be very useful to have staff in place if they have to do diversions.
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Cazzholly,

If easyjet run your flights you don't have to worry about pre booking seats and boarding. They allow people with kids to board first (with the few that paid extra for Speedy Boarding) and, since they don't allocate seats to anyone, as long as you're at the gate when they are ready to board you'll get to choose the best for your needs when you board the empty plane. Just get there in good time and make yourself known to the staff at the gate.

Hi again,

One of our party has just rung the freephone number given on their email, aparently, we do not have to click on either of the links to select fly with Easy or cancel, it is more of a survey to see how many people will continue with the booking or get a refund.

We do not have to do anything until January, I assume everyone who has a booking will be told exactly what is going on by then.

Even if you do wish to choose now, it will not be set in stone that this is definately what is going to happen...!!

If anyone who has not yet received an email would like to ring to find out anymore, you can use this freephone dedicated phone no. 0800 612 7279

I hope this helps others who may be concerned about their flights with BA/GB.

Ps. She also found out that we will have 6kgs hand luggage & 20kg's hold, not like we had with BA.

Deb.