1. What's your policy if I miss the last train home from the airport due to your aircraft arriving late?
BmiBaby: Will not pay for or arrange transport home.
Buzz: Will not provide or pay for alternative transport.
Go*: If flights arrive into the airport after normal public transport has closed, Go will provide coaches for onward travel. If delay was beyond Go's control any assistance is at the airline's discretion.
EasyJet*: Ongoing transport is the passenger's own responsibility, but keep receipts and send to customer services depart ment, which will consider your case (unless delay is more than 4 hours when air fare is refunded and you fly free).
Ryanair: Will not provide or pay for alternative transport.
British Airways: Will usually pay for or provide alternative transport to get you home.
* Note. Following EasyJet's acquisition of Go the two airlines will continue to operate separately until the launch of the summer timetable in December.
2. If I am stranded abroad because the last flight of the evening is cancelled will you put me up in a hotel and pay my transport to the accommodation?
BmiBaby: No.
Buzz: No.
Go: If it's the airline's fault Go will provide hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel. If circumstances are beyond Go's control any assistance is at Go's discretion.
EasyJet: If flight is due to depart after 8pm and is cancelled/significantly delayed, up to £50 offered per person. Sometimes will assist with finding a hotel.
Ryanair: No
BA: Yes
3. If I am travelling, say, from Scotland to London, and have booked an onward flight with your airline but I miss the connecting flight because your first aircraft is delayed, will I incur any extra cost if getting on a later flight?
BmiBaby: Not relevant. Only operates services from East Midlands Airport.
Buzz: Does not operate any UK domestic flights, however, if a passenger books two consecutive flights with Buzz and they miss the second due to a delay with the first, they will be charged the standard £15 change fee as well as the difference in fare (see point 8 below).
Go: At the airline's discretion. However, the usual policy is that if a customer has flown in on a Go flight that has been delayed, but had otherwise left sufficient time (3 hours between incoming flight landing and subsequent flight departure) to check in for their onward journey with Go, they will be offered a free transfer to the next available flight.
EasyJet: Free transfer to next available flight.
Ryanair: Passenger will have to pay for another flight.
BA: Three options: will carry you on another flight on which a seat is available; will re-route you to your final destination using either BA's services, those of another airline or other means of transport; or give you a refund for that flight sector.
4. If my flight is delayed and I have to wait in the airport, what refreshments are offered?
BmiBaby: £4 voucher after a 4-hour delay.
Buzz: £5 refreshment voucher (excluding alcohol) after a 4-hour delay, with additional £5 vouchers being offered for every further 4 hours.
Go: For delays of 2-4 hours, a £3 light refreshment voucher will be provided; for 4-5 hours, a £5 voucher; 5-7hours, a £5 voucher, or a further £3 voucher if one has already been issued. If circumstances are beyond Go's control, refreshments are at its discretion.
EasyJet: £5 voucher after 3-hour delay.
Ryanair: None.
BA: Refreshments after 90 minutes, a meal after 3 hours and return transport or overnight accommodation as appropriate after a 6-hour delay. May not apply if delay is beyond BA's control.
5. Do you offer compensation if your aircraft is delayed?
BmiBaby: No.
Buzz: Free flight voucher after 6-hour delay.
Go: For a delay of 4-5 hours, £20 (or equivalent currency) into a credit file towards next flight. Delay of 5-7 hours, a credit file to the cost of the affected flight - valid for six months. For 7 hours or more, compensation is dealt with on an individual basis. If the delay is beyond Go's control any compensation is at the airline's discretion.
EasyJet: After an hour, free transfer to another date or time (must be the same destination), or refund. After 4-hours, a refund for the flight and fly for free.
Ryanair: No compensation.
BA: Only under extreme circumstances, but will try to put passengers up in hotels, pay for meals and get them on next available flight.
6. What compensation or service do you offer if my baggage is lost/stranded/delayed?
BmiBaby: Will repatriate any delayed baggage at no expense to the passenger.
Buzz Passengers are offered emergency funds when baggage is lost/stranded/delayed - £25 for every 24-hour period that they are without their baggage. Receipts must be produced to support a claim.
Go: Will offer the customer £25 per day after the first 24 hours for up to three days in order that they may purchase essential items.
EasyJet: If you cannot wait for your bag at the airport it will be delivered at no cost.
Ryanair: If a bag is delayed more than 24 hours will pay £15.
BA: Will try to deliver luggage to you within 24 hours of its arrival at your final destination.
(Under the Warsaw Convention all airlines have to compensate passengers for lost or damage baggage. Up to approximately £14 per kg for checked baggage and approximately £270 per passenger for unchecked baggage.)
7. How much do you charge to fly children aged over two?
BmiBaby: Full adult fare.
Buzz: Full adult fare.
Go: Full adult fare.
EasyJet: Full adult fare.
Ryanair: full adult fare.
BA: There is no child discount available on new low fares, but with fully flexible fares such as Barcelona route, child pays 67 per cent of the normal fare.
8. What is your policy for people wanting to cancel flights/change dates?
BmiBaby: £15 per person for each flight changed plus any difference in fare. One-off fee of £15 for a name change on the whole booking.
Buzz: All fares fully flexible on payment of a £15 administration charge per sector, plus any difference in new flight price.
Go: It depends on the type of fare booked. Flexible fares can be changed, cancelled or transferred to another name or destination up to 2 hours prior to departure. Date, time and destination changes are subject to seat availability and are free of charge. If a flexible fare is cancelled, the whole amount can be placed into a credit file towards further flights and is valid for six months. Saver fare dates and times can be changed at least five days prior to departure, subject to seat availability, but customers may be required to pay any difference in price. Date, time, name and destination changes can be made up to 2 hours prior to departure by upgrading to a flexible fare and by paying the difference in price. All of these changes are subject to a fee of £25 per person per sector of the journey changed. Therefore, if you change the outward and return journey it will cost £50 per person. This fare is non-refundable.
EasyJet: Flights are fully flexible - names/dates/ times can be transferred for a £10 fee per person per flight, and the fare difference if at a higher fare.
Ryanair: Name changes, route changes or refunds are not permitted. Flight dates and times are changeable up to 3 hours prior to scheduled departure (subject to availability) but only upon payment of a £15 fee per flight sector and per person. You will also be charged the difference in price between the original fare paid and the lowest available fare. If the fare is lower on the new flight, no refund will be made.
BA: The more you pay the more flexible they are. The new lower fares launched on 42 European routes last month (eg London to Amsterdam or Paris from £69) are non-changeable and non-refundable. Fully flexible economy fares are fully refundable and changeable.
9. What is your policy on responding to customer complaints? Do you reply within a certain time limit?
BmiBaby: Within 28 days.
Buzz: General inquiries are responded to within 24 hours. Complaints that require investigating will be responded to within 20 working days.
Go: Try to reply within 5-7 days.
EasyJet: Try to reply within 10 working days to emails and 20 working days to letters.
Ryanair: Within 24 hours of the receipt of the letter.
BA: Generally reply within 14 days from the date of receipt.. If more time is needed to investigate, an interim response will be given.
10. How many people are in your customer-service department?
BmiBaby: 17 (joint department with Bmi British Midland).
Buzz: 19.
Go: 24.
EasyJet: 30.
Ryanair: 5.
BA: 90.
11. How many passengers fly with your airline?
BmiBaby: More than 150,000 passengers since the airline's launch in March 2002.
Buzz: 1.4m last year.
Go: 4.3m in year to March 2002.
EasyJet: 8m in year to May 2002.
Ryanair: 11.1m in year to March 2002.
BA: 40m in year to March 2002.
12. Do you overbook flights?
BmiBaby: No.
Buzz: No.
Go: Yes, but only on selected higher-frequency flights such as London Stansted to Edinburgh/Glasgow/Belfast where there are a higher number of no shows. Never on last flight of day.
Easyjet: Yes, but only on selected flights. Never on last flight of day.
Ryanair: No.
BA: Yes.
(All airlines have to compensate passengers bumped off an overbooked flight.)
