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Travel insurance is no longer valid as they won't cover any travel against the Government's FCO advice.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

Reschedule the flights for next summer.
I don't think Ryanair or any airline can be expected to refund flights that are still travelling. They will entirely go out of business if they do. They have pissed me off making me wait months and ask several times for my refund but it's an unprecedented global crisis. They don't want to go bankrupt. You can change your flights.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys as the saying goes.

Ryanair are notorious for their low level customer care.

As you booked way before Covid your insurance may still cover you (assuming you took it out prior to March 12th).

I think op booked at New year not for New year?
Some of the flights aren't cheap either. If they offered alternatives dates I would have more compassion. But they won't.

YABU to book flights with a bunch of shysters and then get upset when they act with a complete lack of integrity.

We decided never to fly w RA again 10 years ago. Have never regretted it, however "tempting " their deals.

@Ellisandra
I think she meant she booked last "new year", not that she's intending to go next "new year" .
If she is indeed going late December, then there is a very strong chance restrictions might be lifted by then. But then perhaps reimposed!

@Ellisandra I hope some of it but think there's an excess.

Your break isn't until New Year. That's months away. Anything could happen. The virus could fizzle away may be a flight ban again who knows.

Ryanair treat their staff and customers with utter contempt. All pilots are self employed to avoid them having to pay holiday pay or sick pay. Cabin crew have to take 3 months off unpaid every year and buy their own water at retail prices.

Why this would surprise you is beyond me.

I see what you mean about “at New Year” - yes, I’m wrong @RigaBalsam @Frazzled2207

I still think Ryanair haven’t done anything wrong.
It makes no economic sense for any of us to want an airline to go bust.
Therefore, the best policy approach to this is to spread the cost among insurance companies who very business is in assessing risk and affording to pay out.

Ryanair pay out all flights (on low profit margins because its customer prefer cheap to flexible) = potential administration.

Multiple insurance companies spread the risk between them whilst still profiting (e.g. from people not claiming on annual policies as they don’t book at all this year) = no-one out of business.

It’s not about how much we hate Ryanair (and I do!) it’s about a sensible economic model for all of us.

Same sad situation here. Booked a villa in Lanzarote and flights with Ryanair last November and have been hoping to go all this time. Was due to fly tomorrow

I know ryanair have a very poor reputation around customer service but this feels like new levels of contempt for their customers.
It's not.

I would still have gone if it had just meant quarantine but now the FCO advice has changed we can't risk going without insurance.

Tomorrow going to spend literally hours on Ryanair's chat function trying to get no show certification, at least we are insured!

@Hingeandbracket why do you say that? There's a Government ban on non-essential travel to Spain. Why are you expecting people to ignore that? Would you tell people to ignore lockdown rules?

I’m sorry to hear that, @RigaBalsam 😕

I’m in a similar position - losing a £500 excess on a ski apartment the owner wouldn’t refund. French government forbidding non essential travel, ski lifts closed early... but theoretically the apartment was available.

On a personal level I’m so pissed off!

But I still think it’s the right decision.

10 weeks of missed booking (for example). 10 people lose £500. No-one goes bankrupt. Most of them save (e.g. no ski passes!) on what they would have spent so they can cover that £500 loss.

Or: 10 weeks of lost rent, no ability to pay mortgage, bank forecloses, business is lost.

It’s better to spread the loss, and that’s what insurance does.

Why would they refund you when it is your choice not to fly? Their flights are flying ao if you choose to cancel that is your choice.

As others have said, insurance isn't compulsory, lots of people go on holiday with no insurance. Again, your choice not to go because of the insurance issue.

@Lazypuppy we aren't choosing not to fly. We've been told not to by the Government who has banned all travel unless essential. Which holidays do not count as!

I doubt if most people travel against government advice.

@Whistle73 banned or advised against?

@Whistle73 they haven't banned, its just advised against. Plenty of people are still going on holiday, so it is a choice not to fly.

Not that i think people who don't choose to fly are wrong, there is no right or wrong, but you shouldn't expect a refund when you are cancelling

@Lazypuppy I think that's a fairly moot point. If we are told not to go and our insurance is invalid then who seriously would think it ok to still risk it? I'd love to have gone but it would be completely foolhardy. And I don't think I should be penalized by Ryanair for doing the right thing.

@Whistle73 its not really a moot point, lots of people go on holiday without insurance, and lots of people are still choosing to fly even with the changes.

Ryanair is a business, at the end of the day they are only going to refund if they have to.

I also think they are right not to refund in these circumstances

You're not being penalised by Ryanair though. They are trying to continue to operate their business according to their terms and conditions. It's shame you are loosing out on your holiday (and for the record I would also be annoyed at taking the financial hit) but that isn't Ryanair's fault and they don't owe you anything.

Last time I checked, Ryanair were allowing you to reschedule flights even if you have non-flexible tickets - not sure if they are still waiving the fee, obviously you need to pay the difference if new flights are more expensive. I would move them rather than just lose the money completely (and after that, if you really want to boycott them, you can - although despite being pissed off with them and vowing to never use them again, when those £17.99 flights come up it’s hard to resist...)

@GivenchyDahhling

Last time I checked, Ryanair were allowing you to reschedule flights even if you have non-flexible tickets - not sure if they are still waiving the fee, obviously you need to pay the difference if new flights are more expensive. I would move them rather than just lose the money completely (and after that, if you really want to boycott them, you can - although despite being pissed off with them and vowing to never use them again, when those £17.99 flights come up it’s hard to resist...)

If my flights were 17.99 I would let it go. The fee to change to February is £460.

The flights only go up to the end of March too. I would change to April but I can't.

There is a fee for changing Ryanair flights booked before June as I looked to see if I could change either of my forthcoming- or not - European breaks. Fees to change return flights were £90 per trip, so. i figure it's better to cancel if we cannot go and then book new flights for next year if we think that will be better.