A couple from Edinburgh spent ÂŁ570 on Loganair flights to and from the Isle of Man in March, only to be left stranded 300 miles from home after their return flight was scrapped.
The airline rerouted them through Birmingham but did not provide the promised onward transport to Edinburgh. With no staff available to help, the couple booked their own EasyJet flight home at a cost of ÂŁ269.94 and later filed a reimbursement claim. Months passed without a response from Loganair.
Flight canceled, promises unkept
The couple, identified only as G.S., had traveled to the island to support a family member receiving cancer treatment. Their Loganair flight from the Isle of Man to Edinburgh was delayed for two and a half hours before being canceled.
With no available flights to Edinburgh for two days, they accepted the airline’s offer of a replacement flight to Birmingham, along with assurances that onward transport would be arranged. When they landed in Birmingham, no Loganair staff were present, no instructions were given, and no clear way to reach their final destination existed.
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“We went to the Loganair desk, but it was empty,” G.S. said. “Then we tried Swissport, the airline’s ground agent, who directed us to a numbered desk in Departures. When we arrived, no one was there.”
The situation proved especially challenging for G.S.’s wife, who has mobility issues and needs help moving through airports. After nearly an hour of searching, two Birmingham Airport customer ambassadors suggested they either book a hotel for the night or take a late EasyJet flight to Edinburgh and request reimbursement later.
The couple chose the flight and arrived home that same night. The ordeal, however, was far from over.
Months of silence, then a partial offer
G.S. submitted a claim on March 27, seeking reimbursement for the EasyJet tickets. For three months, Loganair ignored their calls, emails, and even a letter to the Loganair boss. Customer service agents repeatedly promised callbacks that never materialized.
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After the matter was brought to the attention of This is Money’s consumer expert Helen Crane, Loganair offered £440 in compensation. G.S. considered the offer, as it covered the out-of-pocket costs.
Helen Crane said: “The airline had a duty to get them to Edinburgh. If the promised transport wasn’t there, paying for the alternative they had to book should be part of that responsibility.”
Loganair did not clarify whether it would cover those costs, leaving G.S. to pursue the matter on his own.
Passenger rights and airline responsibilities
UK regulations, which mirror EU rules, require airlines to assist passengers when flights are canceled or significantly delayed. This includes providing meals, accommodation if necessary, and alternative transport to the final destination—whether by flight, coach, or taxi.
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The Civil Aviation Authority states that if an airline fails to arrange care, passengers can make their own arrangements and claim the costs back later.
Compensation amounts depend on flight distance and delay length. For flights under 1,500 km, passengers are entitled to €250 if they arrive more than three hours late. Airlines can reduce this amount by half if they offer a rerouted flight that gets passengers to their destination within two to four hours of the original arrival time.
Exceptions exist for “extraordinary circumstances” like severe weather or strikes, but Loganair did not cite any such reason for the cancellation.
For G.S. and his wife, the experience showed the difference between passenger rights in theory and how they work in practice.
