First leg cancelled - Etihad Airways refuse to rebook
The first leg of my flight from Vienna to Abu Dhabi (for the month December 2021) has been cancelled by Etihad Airways. I called the customer service and they refused to rebook the new flight without additional cost.
According to Etihad Airways I can take the flight from Germany to Abu Dhabi without extra cost but not from Austria anymore. According to them - the flights they have now on their website are from their partners (e.g. Lufthansa) and they cannot rebook me on these flights for free of cost. According to them - I can cancel my whole booking free of cost and then rebook new flights on Etihad-Airlines website via Frankfurt or Munich to my final destination (which cost me way more than I have paid before).
What rights I have now? Is this the last option I have that I take the first leg from Germany (drive 400KM to Munich, or fly to Frankfurt with own cost)?
Best Answer
Your rights in a situation like this are spelt out under European Law, in particular, EU261 (official legislation here)
Unfortunately in a situation like yours the legislation is not entirely clear on what the airline has to do.
Officially, for a cancelation like this that occurred more than 14 days in advance, then airline has to offer YOUR choice of :
- A full refund
- "re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity"; or
- "re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger's convenience, subject to availability of seats."
Whilst this may appear that they need to offer you an equivalent flight at no additional charge (based on the 3rd condition), the phrase "subject to availability of seats" is generally interpreted (by the airlines, at least) as meaning seats available on that same airline. In this case, Etihad has stopped all flights between these two cities for those dates, so from their perspective there are no "available seats" for the dates you're after - leaving the only viable option a full refund.
It would certainly be worth contacting the airline again and specifically mentioning EU261 - and especially the third option above - however it's highly likely they will still not provide you seats on a different carrier at no charge.
As you were given more than 14 days notice of the cancellation, no compensation is due under the EU261 regulations.
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Can I rebook my flight if it was Cancelled?
Typically, if your flight is canceled the majority of airlines will rebook you on the next flight available to your destination at no additional cost. However, depending on why your flight is canceled, finding seats on a new flight may be difficult and your arrival time may be delayed significantly.What happens if airline cancels one leg of flight?
If legs are missed, airlines can cancel the whole journey, including any future returns. This is something that travelers often forget about. They may change plans on the spur of the moment, choosing a scenic road trip or rail journey, but plan to use their pre-booked return for the trip home.What happens when Etihad flight is Cancelled?
If your flight has been cancelled and you have not been offered a suitable alternative flight or if you've had to arrange your own alternative flight or method of transportation because of the same reason, you are also entitled to a refund and, in some cases, also compensation.How can I rebook my Etihad flight?
To change Etihad Airways flight date through the website, visit the official Etihad airways website.My flight got *CANCELLED*😭|Etihad Airways🛩| Rescheduled flight🤫|when, which route?#indiatocanada🇨🇦🇮🇳
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