Can I postpone my Krakow flight until later in the year?
Q I have easyJet flights to Krakow booked for 17 March. Do you think think they might allow me to change them for a future date?
Caroline P
A Your booking is two months to the day before the earliest possible date that international travel for nonessential reasons will be permitted from England. All leisure travel within and beyond the UK is illegal until further notice. The roadmap to recovery says the government “will determine when international travel should resume, which will be no earlier than 17 May”.
In these circumstances many airlines have cancelled the vast majority of flights to and from the UK up to and including 16 May. But there is nothing to stop carriers continuing to operate international services; some people still need to fly for essential reasons. I very much doubt your flight will be going ahead. But even it does, easyJet will go beyond its statutory obligation and offer you a voucher.
Note, however, that it is not a voucher entitling you to a future trip to Poland’s most enticing city; it will be to the value of your existing booking. For a mid-March trip to Krakow, evidently booked months ahead, I imagine you paid £60 or less. Over the midsummer weekend, the lowest easyJet fare from London Gatwick to Krakow is £93 return. In contrast, Ryanair from London Stansted to the city is just £60 return. So you might prefer to get a cash refund and take advantage of the flexibility to change airline (or even destination).
If that is the case, then two elements must align: at least one of the flights, outbound or inbound, must be cancelled; and you must have paid for the 17 March booking with a card rather than a voucher. So if you rebooked the trip from last year, it may well be that you have surrendered your right to your money back. I hope you will get to Krakow some time this year, and early summer looks ideal.