Eastern Airways Reviews 173

Avoid like the plague!!!

I’ve flown 4 times with them and each time there’s been an issue ranging from delays, cancellations and misplacing my luggage which took 5 days to get back to my while I was abroad.

Utterly useless company, only a matter of time before they go under.

Avoid, avoid, AVOID and just get the train, yes it’s longer but with this dogschmitt company it’s a complete gamble if you’ll be flying that day, god help you if you have a connecting flight

Same as all the other reviews. Eastern Airways simply does not pay their compensation fee's for delayed flights. Their e-mail says they will pay out between 10 and 12 weeks. They don't and then every time you phone them they add another 6 weeks onto that time. Worst thing is they keep getting away with it and they run a monopoly being the only airway fly's from Newquay to London.

Cannot fault eastern airways who flew us to Amsterdam on behalf of KLM. Plane departed on time, polite cabin crew, smooth take off and landing. I had to write a positive review as normally people will only write bad reviews and will rarely give credit where its due because it’s expected. We will use again. Thank you eastern airways for the pleasant and speedy journey.

Useless airline. Terrible service. Find any alternative.

The worst customer service I have ever experienced. Our long weekend away was ruined by a flight delay (caused by technical fault). I have spent months trying to get the compensation owed and no joy. I have sent many many emails that go unanswered. I’m now pursuing through the small claims process.

Avoid. Do not book flights on the Newquay/Gatwick route. It's pure lottery if the flight does occur.. My son was left stranded at Gatwick and had to get a train to Newquay. So many cancellations and the lack of communication and transparency from this rubbish company is unacceptable.

After checking-in online, I arrived at the departure gates at Gatwick Airport for my flight to Newquay and my boarding pass didn't work. I was instructed to go to the check-in desk, which was empty - only a phone. No-one answered my call, and I heard that the flight had been cancelled from another passenger. I have still not received any communication from Eastern Airways confirming the cancellation, or any response for my request for a refund. It has now been 7 days. This airline is awful - do not book!

This company are a nightmare, they keep moving the goalposts. Our flight was delayed by four hours in late August. I contacted Eastern Airways for a refund we were due , £220 for each of us. I did this by email and post giving them 14 days to respond. They denied having received either. After three weeks they sent me an email saying we would both have to submit their claim form and they would respond within 14 days. After 16 days they responded, on 8th October accepting our claim, and asking us to submit our bank details and they would pay up with 10-12 weeks! Today, 31st December, is 12 weeks and surprise surprise no compensation has been paid!
We will never use Eastern Airways again and will keep on until they pay up.

Our flight was cancelled in June, so due a refund. 12 weeks after, I emailed asking where it is, as they said I’ll be paid in 12 weeks. They came back saying it’ll be another 6-10 weeks. It’s now another 11 weeks later. 23 weeks so far, almost 6 months. Embarrassing, how can they expect people to use them again?

We can all accept that it is understandable that adverse weather can disrupt flights, On this occasion, after passengers were sat on the plane today (NQY-LGW) for around 1 hour after boarding, it was decided the flight was to be diverted to Southend rather than cancelled. The flight did not take off for another hour after this decision was made and there was a promise that coaches would be provided to transport passengers back to Gatwick.

This was a LIE, there were NO coaches and the passengers were abandoned! Airport staff told the passengers they had to make their own way back!!

I'll bet the crew on this flight were provided with the promised transport though!!

The irony is that if my 77 year old mother had been allowed off the tiny plane whilst they were debating either cancelling the flight or diverting it, she would have been home in less than half the time it is now taking her!

You have breached Clause 9.2 in your Terms & Conditions which clearly states
"In the event of a diversion we will arrange for you to be carried (at our expense) to the Agreed Stopping Place or place of destination to which the flight was intended to be bound"

Utter disregard for customers and Eastern Airways you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.

IF I COULD GIVE A MINUS REVIEW, I WOULD.

My 77 year old mother, having spent Christmas in Cornwall with family, has just been the victim of the fog disruption at Gatwick, flying from Newquay. While everyone understands and accepts that weather delays happen and safety has to come first, Eastern Airways have acted terribly to all passengers on board flight T3453 today.

It wasn't until they had boarded everyone, sat on the runway for almost an hour, they informed the passengers they were having to land at Southend. My mother, if you allowed, would have disembarked and I could have driven her halfway to meet another family member, who would pick her up, to take her directly home but Eastern Airways said, they were laying on coaches for onward travel to Gatwick, as 'their contract was to get them to Gatwick'. Newquay is a tiny airport without the same pressures as the busier airports, so would not have caused much disruption to do this, and still didn't take off until an hour after informing passengers of the diversion.

She has now arrived at Gatwick, where there are no buses. She is now in a taxi with 5 others, so can't even get a taxi to her door.

Eastern Airways, you should be appalled for not letting people decide if they wanted to do it 'your' way. Surely the customer has the right not to accept the contract if it changes to that extent?? But you wouldn't let them.

Having left family in Cornwall at 09.30, she should have been in her own home by 3.pm. And if you let her disembark to make her own way, she'd be home sooner. As it is, she is still in the taxi on her way to Gatwick, where she then has to travel home. So won't get in the door until around 8.30pm - if traffic etc is OK.

Interesting that you haven't replied to any of the many negative reviews you have received here EA. Your silence says more than you saying everything.

So well done for leaving a vulnerable older person, in a situation like that, when all you had to do was allow those who wanted to, to disembark, and then you could have gone on your merry way to Southend. Disgraceful. Shame on you.

Used this airline for the first time last weekend to fly from Newquay to Gatwick.
Their service is excellent, the flight lasts all of 55 minutes but they still manage to offer complimentary tea, coffee or water along with a choice of mini cheddars or shortbread biscuits.
It makes a pleasant change to be given something free in this day and age especially when it comes to flights.
The flight attendants both up and back were extremely friendly and it was a pleasure to fly with them. Will definitely be using them again in the future. Well done Eastern Airways.

About as bad as it gets.

Broken plane in mid-air and so needed to return to airport. Hopeless staff. Eventually got them to agree to book taxis for us, then head office told the airport staff to cancel them and tell us to sort ourselves out. They refused to reimburse drink/meal as per regulations due to the huge delay as we had to drive 5hrs to destination.

They then breezed straight past their own crazily slow 12 weeks refund/compensation period, and so I needed to make a small claim. They didn't respond to it, and so are getting a CCJ. God knows how much they'll resist that being enforced via the court.

Just incredible they are in business, flying aeroplanes with human beings in.

I wouldn't be one of them if I were you.

Scumbags - do not use.

I booked with Eastern for flights to Paris and with no contact from the airline they cancelled our flights AND have made no attempt to repay the money despite having been asked.

When I rang on the day of our flights the "customer services" person said "what do you want me to do about it".

DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE

DO NOT USE THEM

DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY MONEY

THEY HAVE TAKEN MY MONEY, PAYMENT MADE AND COMPLETE DENIAL OF SERVICE AND REFUSAL TO REPAY MONEY.

They have been reported to the relevant authorities.

Update as of 29.11.24 - they have paid for the initial flights however still awaiting cost for the travel to BHX, the cost of the new flights, über costs and compensation.

My case was checked in and was in perfect condition but arrived with a wheel ripped off and hole in the bottom. I sent photos to the airline but they were unhelpful as I didn’t have the receipt (I bought the case 18 months earlier).
Very disappointed

Used to use this airline for my weekly commute to work. Would only use them in exceptional circumstances now.

Good points - the crew are always great and I can say the same about all the ground/gate staff I have come across at both Gatwick and Newquay.

Bad points - fares have shot up and remain expensive, no flexibility unless you pay a premium fare, minimal luggage allowance, limited refreshments on board (you can only drink so much tea and eat so much shortbread/cheeselets), inconsistent service levels from customer service team (I call out Sarah who was great the few times I needed assistance, other people have been useless)

However, their biggest downfall is when things go wrong (which they do all the time with no notice and poor comms) they only pay your EU261 compensation when you make a massive fuss. Happened to me yet again, took 43 days for them to reply to my compensation submission and now say up to 3 months to receive payment. I had already paid out for four trains and a £100 taxi to get me where I needed to get to on time. There are people reviewing on here that they are taking over 6 months to make payment. Similar thing happened on one of the big low cost airlines and compensation was paid within 48 hours.

I would only leave such a review having exhausted trying to rationalise with them directly which proved a waste of time. For the Newquay route I would advise to use the other airline that flies to London or even the train. More reliable, less stress.

Contracted by KLM to fly from Norwich to Amsterdam 31/10. Less than 24 hours before the flight was due to leave (but an hour after I’d checked in on line) it was cancelled without explanation causing me significant inconvenience.

Dreadful. Flight from Gatwick to Newquay cancelled (the night before flying) in May, now writing in late October and still chasing for compensation.
Shocking customer service.

Poor performance
All flights delayed to some extent.
Poor and convoluted (intentionally) customer services.
extremely slow on paying compensation - intentionally for their own cashflow reasons.

As a frequent traveller on the Newquay to Gatwick service I feel compelled to report how unreliable the service is. Almost every leg suffers from significant delays without any information shared. Some journeys are cancelled. Best avoided