Travel question of the day: Simon Calder on what to do when your departure airport is changed

Have a travel question that needs answering? Ask our expert Simon Calder

(WestJet)

Q I was supposed to fly from London Gatwick to Las Vegas via a stop in Calgary. The flights were booked months ago through WestJet. We got the train from the Midlands to Gatwick yesterday and stayed in a local hotel, only to be woken up this morning to a voicemail saying we have been moved to another airline, and to contact WestJet immediately. Upon contacting them we have been moved from Gatwick to Heathrow. I know I probably shouldn't complain, as our flight actually now gets in an hour earlier, but it has caused disruption and chaos. Are we entitled to any compensation?

Steve Faulkner

A What a great result: you got a cheap deal to Las Vegas by accepting a change of planes in Calgary, and WestJet’s misfortune is your gain. You have been rebooked on a non-stop British Airways flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas, which would have cost at least double what you actually paid to the Canadian airline.

WestJet has launched an ambitious programme of flights from Gatwick to key Canadian cities this summer, and is offering extremely good fares to a range of US destinations. But the fleet of Boeing 767s it purchased has experienced plenty of teething problems; when I flew out in May from Gatwick to Toronto, there was an unexplained two-hour delays. I have been contacted by a number of people after longer delays than that.

Were I in your (fortunate) position I might grumble to WestJet about the delay in letting you know; they may have known earlier that there was a problem, and perhaps could have notified you. And I would ask for a refund of expenses incurred getting from Gatwick to Heathrow; the airline really should have provided you with a ticket for the bus connection. But overall I’m impressed that WestJet managed to move you onto the BA departure, which would have been pretty full at this time of year.

Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder