To be annoyed at Ryanair screwing people over

[YeahWhatevver]

Booked a week in Spain at New year, long before COVID. Ryanair flights and a villa, booked separately.

Have travel insurance which we took out at the same time.

Government puts Spain on the "no non essential travel" list and introduces 14 days quarantine.

Travel insurance is no longer valid as they won't cover any travel against the Government's FCO advice.

Manage to cancel the villa, full refund minus a small admin fee.

Ryanair saying they're running flights regardless, and if we choose not to go then it's our decision to not travel and we won't be refunded. "Use it or lose it" seems to be the stance

I know ryanair have a very poor reputation around customer service but this feels like new levels of contempt for their customers.

Asked if they realise that they will be taking passengers with invalid insurance to be told it's not their problem.

We've decided not to travel, and will speak to our insurer about claiming for lost flights but I wonder how much money Ryanair will keep back from customers.

Your username is my response.

I’m sorry to hear that. You’re doing the right thing by not going. Ryanair are a business and presumably want to stay in business, but I know I will think very seriously before booking with them again.

I'm in the same boat. Nowt we can do unless the flights themselves get cancelled. No refunds if the flights are running, it's annoying but just one of those things unfortunately.

Ryanair continually reach new lows of shit service, I’m amazed people still book to fly with them at all, even without a pandemic

Your insurance will hopefully refund you if FCO advises against travelling.

And when this is over and you’re booking flights, remember this and choose a better airline!

Asked if they realise that they will be taking passengers with invalid insurance to be told it's not their problem.

Whats that got to do with the price of fish? Insurance isn't compulsory.

It's your insurance you need to take this up with, it's what it's for.

I don't really understand why you expect RA to pay for flights you no longer want to take. In what other business would that be ok ?

@JuniperFather

Your username is my response.

How fucking rude. Seriously- don't respond if you have nothing to say. You wouldn't do this in real life.

OP Ryan Air are shite. I am still waiting for a refund from them for cancelled flights in June. Could you do a charge back via your bank or claim back from your credit card?

What they’re saying makes sense though. You’re choosing not to travel, they’re still willing to take you, so I’m not sure why you’re so certain you deserve a refund.

People can and do use flights without insurance, it’s true that it’s not the airline’s problem. And more to the point, YABU to pay budget airline prices and then expect high quality customer care when you want their help.

@Cheeseandlobster

Of course I would.

Also if it wasn't for me trawling page 3 of AIBU, this post would potentially have languished there without response. So um...yeah.

You need to get a letter off Ryan air for the no show - that’s what it’s called A no show letter look on their website - and then you can Claim off your insurance

I don't understand why your insurance won't be valid if Spain is on the FCO no-go list and you bought it pre-Coronavirus?

My insurance remained valid for Spain. The flights are going and you're choosing not to go so I don't see why the airline should refund you. It's not a great situation but those seats will be in the sky without you on them.

That really sucks, Tui are letting people postpone flights to a later date.

I'm not sure why people are so mean spirited about this, ours was booked over a year ago and I don't many people who could afford to write off the cost.

Their business model is to offer bargain basement flights. No frills and that includes no refunds. You're happy enough with that when you're benefitting from it by getting cheap flights but when they want to keep their business afloat and carry on flying you think they should offer you (and everyone else) something that they have never done and let their business go under, lay off staff etc. You either take out insurance for this purpose (which you did) or you accept the risks. They haven't conned you.

Your insurance should still be valid as long as you don’t travel. There should be a clause for something like it suddenly went on the fco “do not go” list.
Easyjet are nearly as bad but they are at least offering rebooking for next year instead. Is that not an option?

Who is your travel Insurance with as some have just changed their policies & will still cover you for covid.

It’s new year though?

I can’t stand Ryanair and have had my own issues with them, but they are unashamedly low cost low flexibility low service and you were happy with that when you chose not to pay BA prices.

Ryanair are a business who don’t want to go under. Though they’re winning no morality prizes, I don’t want to see the job losses of them going under either.

You have no idea if Spain will be advised against travel by new year, or on a quarantine list.

I don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. (And i never thought I’d say that about Ryanair!)

@cheeseandlobster a credit card company wouldn't allow a charge back. Section 75 is for goods not delivered, if Ryanair are flying they are fulfilling their part of the T&C's. Its probably too soon for insurance as the booking is for new year so FCO advice may be different at that point. At the moment this is just disinclination to travel.

Ryanair are being short sighted as people will remember this. I won’t be flying with them

@Chloemol

Ryanair are being short sighted as people will remember this. I won’t be flying with them

Ryanair are never short sighted, because their whole business model is based on a sort of confrontational "you know what you're getting, if you want customer service pay extra" kind of thing.

There are plenty of people who will temporarily bristle at reading such a thing, swear never to book with them, then when the next friend's wedding is announced somewhere exotic in Europe, and it's time to book tickets on Skyscanner....

People go with them because they have lots of routes and they are cheap. Most folk know what they're getting, and what they're not getting.

Having the same issue. I will lose £895 when my flight to Portugal leaves on Friday.

Won't use them again!

If Ryanair lost enough customers over there inflexibility, they’d go out of business or adapt. (they do have more flexible options you can pay for)

I totally agree with @JuniperFather - enough customers come back, for their pricing and/or their routes.

My worst time with Ryanair was having paid for a sports bag and a regular bag. They asked what was in my regular bag - all within limits - and I mentioned a kite. They wanted me to pay a second sports bag charge. OK I said, pass me back the sports bag (which hadn’t gone through) and I’ll swap the towels around my snowboard with the kite. They refused, and told me I’d be offloaded right if I didn’t pay.

Guess what? 2 years on, they were the nearest carrier to my home and destination... so I booked again.

@RigaBalsam will your insurance cover you?

Yes we are in the same position. Booked pre-COVID, travel insurance void if we travel against FCO advice, would have cost us hundreds to change dates. Will be getting a refund on the hotel & transfers. Hopefully can claim against insurance.