On another forum I have just spotted a post in which the author quotes a letter received from easyjet saying:

removed

GB have been on and off this route now for about 2 years - and flights are almost always completely full - is this the sign of things to come?

EDIT: Sorry TAH-M, but I am assuming that you didn't spot it one of our forums, in which case it may be regarded as copyright infringement and has been removed.
David HT Mod.

That email must make comfortable reading for those with GB flights to Hurghada booked for next summer

TAH-M,
Please can you post a link to the other forum message or paraphrase it here for the benefit of those who were beaten by the moderator!

Cheers,
Jet

Sorry David Can't link as it's a community forum but

Easyjet took 10 days to reply to an e-mail asking about continuation of the LGW-Hurghada route that GB/BA have been operating in the winter season (they dropped summer flights in 2007) and reply came on sunday that, (and I paraphrase) they don't fly into Hurghada and have no immediate plans to do so.

HOWEVER someone I know who is resident close to Hurghada also received an e-mail from them on monday which didn't deny that they would be flying to Hurghada but said that until they officially take over in March, no decisions have been made as to whether the routing will be continued

Seems that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing there at the moment!

Can still book Easter flights (travelling back after the supposed handover) through BA at the moment though but I wonder how safe it is booking an outbound in March if the return is dodgy in April! Guess many people looking at geting in 2 weeks to correspond with school Easter hols this year are going to have the same problem....................

My bottom line is.... I booked my flights for August through BA/GB.
Rather than be messed around I have rebooked elsewhere, will I still be entitled to a refund? If so when? (I did miles plus flight)

I too would rather book alternative flights, but I am concerned that for whatever reason I won't be able to get a refund. GB pointed out to me yesterday that it is not definite that the sale will go ahead and that if the sale falls through, I wouldn't be entitled to a refund.

I rang BA a couple of weeks ago and was assured I would get a refund, see previous post. I was told it would take time for the refund, but I have just looked at my credit card and the full refund is there.

Depending on the ticket that you purchased from GB (maybe through the BA.com site), it is possible to get a refund now for cancelling a fight booking if the terms and conditions of that ticket allow it. If however you paid the minimum price for a non-transferrable, no changes and no cancellations ticket, then you will not be able to cancel now without losing the money. Easy have said that, if the sale goes ahead, people will be able to cancel without penalty if they no longer wish to take the flight once it becomes an Easy Jet flight. This is why there are two different stories emerging from people trying to cancel now, before the sale is confirmed.

Cheers,
Jet

Thanks Jetnoise, I can't see it not going ahead, so hopefully should get a refund when it's all sorted out...

I cancelled two return flights and received a full refund within two weeks of doing so. I can't really see that they can refuse because the contract was a flight with GB Airways not Easyjet! ....Seat pitches, luggage allowance and boarding are but a few items that will change dramatically.

The contract you entered in to with GB would be transferred to Easy as part of the sale, so there is no breach of contract in the change of owner of the aircraft you would fly on. If the service you have contracted to purchase is explicitly agreed at the time of your ticket purchase and you do not recieve that service (food, luggage allowance etc) then there would be a breach of contract. This is why Easy will be offering refunds once the take-over is legally completed.

Cheers,
Jet

Jet. the contract will not be honoured by GB Airways. Full refund is available. Should the airline refuse then threaten to sue through small claims court. Anyone would be guaranteed a win.

m&n,
It is not yet confirmed what changes, if any, Easy will make to the flights currently operated by GB once they are subsumed in to the orange empire. Easy have said that they will offer refunds to those who have booked before the sale is confirmed if passengers do not wish to take a flight with Easy. The contract will only be broken if explicit terms of that contract are not fulfilled. For example, if your ticket includes meals (all LGW and LHR flights include appropriate meals) and a given hold baggage allowance and these are not provided, then there is a breach of contract. If the boarding arrangements change to non-allocated seating or the seat pitch changes, then these changes alone will not constitute a breach of contract as they are not explicit terms therein.
Therefore, as I see it, Easy are pre-empting the need to battle for a refund by freely stating that they will be offering it, even before they have confirmed the changes they intend to make to the service currently offered.

If you have any solid information as to the changes Easy are going to make to the service after March 29th 2008, then please feel free to share them here as it will help people decide whether to cancel their booking when the sale is confirmed or even to reassure people who are considering making a booking for a flight after that date.

Cheers,
Jet

Whatever changes Easy make I rather think I'll be stuck with them in May, unless BA themselves decide to continue flying the LGW/TUN route, as I don't know of any other airlines (apart from Tunisair) which fly daily and I have no flexibility on my dates. I refuse to worry about it at this stage and will just wait and see what happens after the takeover, which is well before my flight so there will be time to consider my options later. For the future, I'll certainly consider Easy if the prices are considerably less than others, though Gatwick isn't my favourite airport.

Jet,

My advice to anyone who wants a refund for flights that they have booked to fly on after the take-over date is to look at the baggage conditions advertised by both airlines and ask GB to confirm if they will honour their advertised baggage allowance. If not (as is the case) then a refund can be obtained. At the moment GB advertise:-

http://www.gbairways.com/airport/baggage/

Wheras Easyjet advertise:-

http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Planning/baggage.html

As I have mentioned I asked for a refund and it was granted without any problems!

Post edited due to copyright infringement. Links inserted to replace quoted text.
David HT Mod

Thanks for that. I probably won't be taking hold luggage but if I do I don't think the extra £7.98 will break the bank. I realise it's the principle at stake here but I'm certainly not going to lose any sleep over it.

my son booked 30 seats through BA flying with gb airways-gatwick to tenerife -in september. he was told the balance was due six weeks before travel and this was on the confirmation.it is also in the terms and conditions on BA website.he got a phonecall on tuesday informing him that as gb airways had been sold to easyjet the balance (£4000) had to be paid on monday,six days time or the seats would be cancelled.they said they were telling all group bookings this.has this happened to anyone else?needless to say they are unable to get this together in time.any advice would be helpful

I didn't realise the sale had gone through yet??

when my son queried this with BA he was told to phone easyjet,who told him they were not taking over until march and referred him back to BA.they then told him to contact gb airways who referred him back to BA. hence getting nowhere fast!