Delayed Easyjet Flight 8720 LIS-LGW, Mon 07/07/14

[ilesmark]

Hi all

We were on this EasyJet flight 8720, which was due to leave Lisbon at 2020 on 7/7/14 but was delayed by nearly 4 hours. We did hear something said about the incoming flight being delayed by ATC due to thunderstorms in the Barcelona area, but other flights didn't seem to be delayed leaving Lisbon like ours was, although their incoming flights may not have come to Lisbon via the same route as ours! But in the 4 hours the incoming flight was delayed by, I couldn't help wondering why it couldn't have flown around the weather.

I emailed Easyjet to claim compensation for the delay and got the following email back today:-

Having looked into your booking I can see flight EZY8720 on 07/07/14 was delayed by 3:58 on arrival into Lisbon.

The reason for this delay as per our Report is ATC restrictions due to weather. Please be advised that when a flight is disrupted it will be classified under EC261/2004 as either extraordinary or non-extraordinary. As this was outside of easyJet reasonable control and could not be prevented it is classified as extraordinary.

Under EC 261/2004 if a flight is disrupted due to an extraordinary circumstance compensation is not payable.

Never been in this situation before (at least, not in any EU country and since the EU flight delay rules came into force) and so just wondered whether a) if anyone else on Pprune and who was on this flight has tried to claim and, if so, how they fared and b) is Easyjet within its rights or is this ATC thing just an excuse to fob us off? It's interesting how they make no attempt to go into any detail.