easyJet and Ryanair cancel winter flights as fuel costs bite: what UK passengers need to know

What easyJet is cutting

easyJet is removing a further 600,000 to 700,000 seats from its winter programme, which runs from October to the end of March, on top of a cut of a similar size announced in the summer, according to the Financial Times as published by The Irish Times on 8 October. That is roughly two days of flying out of about 50 million winter seats. Travel Extra puts the combined total at 1.4 million seats.

The airline told Sky News the changes are a tiny proportion of its flying programme, made in advance and mainly on routes with several flights a day, so customers can switch to another flight. The Telegraph gave London Gatwick to Amsterdam, with up to six daily flights each way, as an example of the type of route likely to be trimmed, but easyJet has not published a list.

What Ryanair is cutting

Ryanair is cancelling some flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and some quieter weekend services over the winter, The Irish Times reported. According to The Telegraph, the cuts focus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturday afternoons, Sunday mornings, late November, early December and mid-January. On London Stansted to Palma, for example, there will be no Tuesday or Wednesday flights from the second week of November until the week before Christmas.

Separately, Ryanair announced on 20 October that it is dropping 20 routes from Brussels and Charleroi over the winter, blaming a rise in Belgium's departure tax, Air Journal reported. Charleroi to Newcastle is among them.

Why, and what happens next

Both airlines say high fuel costs make some winter flights unprofitable. Jet fuel prices rose sharply after the conflict with Iran began in February, and Ryanair's chief executive expects them to stay high for around another 18 months. The Telegraph says other airlines are likely to follow, so more schedule changes are possible.

Your rights if your flight is cancelled

If you are told at least 14 days before departure, the airline must offer a full refund, paid within seven days, or a replacement flight, but fixed compensation is not due. According to The Telegraph, the Civil Aviation Authority says a flight on another airline can be required if it gets you there significantly sooner. Accepting a refund ends the right to a replacement.

If the cancellation comes less than 14 days before departure, compensation is normally due unless you are rerouted at close to the original times. Cutting flights to save on fuel is a commercial decision, so it is unlikely to count as an extraordinary circumstance. FlightClaimHQ can check your case and handle the claim for you.

Has easyJet or Ryanair cancelled my winter flight?

Neither airline has published a list. They contact affected passengers by email, so check your inbox and your booking in the app.

Do I get compensation if my flight is cancelled weeks in advance?

No fixed compensation is due with 14 days' notice or more, but you can choose a refund or a replacement flight.