[BLACKPRINCE]

I’m reporting here an unacceptable case with Ethiopian Airlines:

On 5 FEB 2022, ETKT 0712132325484 was issued by Ethiopian Airlines for the itinerary LIS-FCO-ADD-ZNZ-ADD-BRU-LIS, as follows:

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 12h55 – 16h50

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1)

ADD-ZNZ ET813 2 DEC 10h20 – 13h00

ZNZ-ADD ET812 5 DEC 17h00 – 19h45

ADD-BRU ET728 6 DEC 0h45 – 6h15

BRU-LIS TP643 6 DEC 11h50 – 13h35

On 18 JUL 2022 the ETKT was reissued to 0712133587617-18, because of schedule changes, as follows:

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 14h40 – 18h45 (new time)

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1)

ADD-ZNZ ET813 2 DEC 10h20 – 13h00

ZNZ-ADD ET812 5 DEC 17h00 – 19h45

ADD-BRU ET728 6 DEC 0h45 – 6h00 (new time)

BRU-LIS TP643 6 DEC 11h50 – 13h35

On 9 NOV 2022, there was a flight cancellation as follows:

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 14h40 – 18h45

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1)

ADD-ZNZ ET813 2 DEC 10h20 – 13h00

ZNZ-ADD ET812 5 DEC 17h00 – 19h45

ADD-BRU ET728 6 DEC 1h00 – 6h15

BRU-LIS TP643 6 DEC 11h50 – 13h35 (cancelled)

BRU-LIS TP649 6 DEC 17h55 – 19h45 (proposed new flight)

The proposed new flight would correspond to a 11h40 layover in BRU instead of 5h35 and therefore was not accepted.

Alternative flights were requested as follows:

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 14h40 – 18h45 (unchanged)

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1) (unchanged)

ADD-ZNZ ET813 2 DEC 10h20 – 13h00 (unchanged)

ZNZ-ADD ET812 5 DEC 17h00 – 19h45 (unchanged)

ADD-VIE-BRU ET724 7 DEC 1h35 – 8h15 (new flight)

BRU-LIS TP643 7 DEC 11h50 – 13h35 (new flight)

This request was under EU 261/2004 Regulation which states (articles 5th and 8th) that in the event of flight cancellation by the airline the passenger has the right (among other options) to get alternative flights at the first opportunity or alternative flights at a later date of the convenience of the passenger, under the same transport conditions, that is, the same route from the origin to the final destination and the same class of service (in this case, economy class).

Ethiopian’s representative in Portugal, Alexandra Branco Viana, emailed back and refused the alternative flights requested, informing that the stop-over at ADD was not allowed and could not be considered an “involuntary change” due to the flight cancellation TP643 6 DEC. However, the Contract of Transport or even the EU Regulation doesn’t state this, and rather it is very clear that the requested flights complied with the original itinerary and class of service (economy class), meaning, could be considered alternative flights under the same circumstances of the original ETKT.

As Ethiopian’s representative in Portugal was trying to impose alternative flights which were not of my convenience and in a clear disrespect of the EU Regulation terms, on 16 NOV 2022 I called Ethiopian Airlines contact center, which proceeded with my requested alternative flights, as an involuntary change due to the flight cancellation BRU-LIS TP643 6 DEC.

The booking was then stated as follows:

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 14h40 – 18h45 (unchanged)

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1) (unchanged)

ADD-ZNZ ET813 2 DEC 10h20 – 13h00 (unchanged)

ZNZ-ADD ET812 5 DEC 17h00 – 19h45 (unchanged)

ADD-VIE-BRU ET724 7 DEC 1h35 – 8h15 (new flight)

BRU-LIS TP643 7 DEC 11h50 – 13h35 (new flight)

With the booking confirmed with the alternative flights of my convenience, I proceeded with my further travel arrangements, such as Ethiopian E-Visa and hotel in Addis Abeba for the night of 5-6 DEC.

Quite surprisingly, on a Sunday, 20 NOV 2022, around 16h00, I got a phone call by Ethiopian’s representative in Portugal, Alexandra Branco Viana, telling me that the itinerary that was confirmed via Ethiopian Airlines contact centre 4 days before was not OK to fly, pending a payment of 70 EUR for the ETKT reissue, as this change could not be considered “involuntary”, despite what was considered by the contact centre (!). It is quite strange that this same representative never did any reference of those 70 EUR before, when refusing this same alternative. Moreover, how can a representative of the airline in Portugal go against the decision of the central contact centre of the airline?

After contacting the Ethiopian Airlines contact centre, the ETKT was finally reissued, without any additional cost (or even mention of any additional cost) on 29 NOV 11h17 GMT to 0712136042821 with all requested flights confirmed, as follows:

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 14h40 – 18h45

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1)

ADD-JRO-ZNZ ET815 2 DEC 10h30 – 15h15

ZNZ-ADD ET812 5 DEC 17h00 – 19h45

ADD-VIE-BRU ET724 7 DEC 1h35 – 8h15

BRU-LIS TP643 7 DEC 11h50 – 13h35

Surprisingly, on 29 NOV 14h15 GMT I received a new email with the old ETKT 0712133587617-18, with the following flights (and not even reissued):

LIS-FCO TP842 1 DEC 14h40 – 18h45

FCO-ADD ET713 1 DEC 22h40 – 7h10 (+1)

ADD-JRO-ZNZ ET815 2 DEC 10h30 – 15h15

ZNZ-ADD ET812 6 DEC 17h00 – 19h45 (new flight)

ADD-VIE-BRU ET724 7 DEC 1h35 – 8h15

BRU-LIS TP643 7 DEC 11h50 – 13h35

I never asked/accepted those flights and I even have a written e-mail confirmation from Ethiopian Airlines call center stating that ETKT 0712136042821 and all its flights were OK to fly when specifically asked about this.

On 30 NOV 2022, less than 36h before the first flight of the itinerary, I was unable to check-in online on TAP’s website. This caused a lot of lost hours of my day. Around 30 NOV 13h55 GMT, during another call with the contact centre, I was advised that the ETKT 0712136042821 was voided (!) and a new ETKT would be issued, which I received by email on 30 NOV 14h02 as ETKT 0712136060579, corresponding to the itinerary mentioned on the item above, which was flown.

My question is: who voided ETKT 0712136042821? Why? Even after I got a clear email from Ethiopian Airlines stating that that ETKT was OK to fly!

I lost my Ethiopian VISA and hotel stay already booked at ADD simply because someone decided that “equivalent conditions of transport” do not allow a stop-over at ADD, going against the decision of the call-center of the airline (!).

I already reported the case to Ethiopian who was dismissive in their answers and to ANAC – Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority, which already replied saying that the case does not fall under the EU 261 Regulation as the airline does not belong to an EU Country.

What else can I do?

[Author]

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