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Original poster

Horrible Ryanair Policies

186 replies

PurpleNotebook · 14/12/2021 10:33

Having to cancel Christmas flights due to a ds with positive Omicron test. So stupidly had bought Ryanair. The 'free change fee' is a load of caveated baloney, only flights bought before Oct, only for travel before Dec 31st 2021.

It will cost us £90 per person (six of us) to change our flights to a later date in 2022, even though the flights will cost considerably less than the original flights. We've spent £650 already, and are not flowing in money, this was a big outlay for us, and we trusted them - so stupid to accept the 'No Change Fee' banner they fly all across the site without getting it'd be caveated into uselessness for anyone changing a Christmas period flight.

I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever buy Ryanair again.

It's giving away your money in these unsettled times. BA etc might be more expensive but you are not signing the money away for good should things change, so it has to be worth the difference - the BA flights were 20% more which seemed a lot but now seems a bargain compared to this lot. So upset by this, and so foolish too for buying them.

Will not make the mistake of ever ever buying Ryanair again.

OP posts:
TheYearOfSmallThings · 14/12/2021 12:25

Ah OP - I've sworn off Ryanair many times in my life. They smashed my DS's buggy, they lost my bag for a week, and after confirming a refund on a Covid cancellation they sent me a voucher instead, and ignored all efforts to resolve this.

And yet...I'm flying with them on Saturday (god willing). I always go crawling back because they are cheap and handy. I will probably keep doing that for the rest of my life Grin.

Brainwave89 · 14/12/2021 12:28

@PurpleNotebook

Ok, this is promising - talk me through the insurance situation. If I get it now pre-flight it'll work?
No sorry it won't, it will not cover events you were aware off at the time of taking cover out.. This is why you should purchase TI when you book a holiday, especially now.
notacooldad · 14/12/2021 12:29

I don't buy insurance for a Ryanair flight in Britain. Too expensive for me as I have risky pre-existing conditions
That's fair enough.
I've booked very cheap flights(often less than £20 return) on the hope I could get time off or swoop at work. More often than not ive been able to go but sometimes I've had to suck it up as a loss.

Blinkinname · 14/12/2021 12:36

I've just spent £12 on insurance, thanks for the reminder. It's a UK flight but has cost hundreds, so worth it.

Doubleraspberry · 14/12/2021 12:36

We've had plenty of experiences with EasyJet who we've been forced to use for years as they were the sole carriers on a route we needed to use. They change their small print on a regular basis, and when (disproportionate) charges are incurred, it's always the customer's fault for not having read it, despite the fact that the rule change came in without any publicity from them - frequent travellers get caught out every time because a service that was free or allowed one week becomes unavailable or chargeable the next - your fault, should have read the T&Cs.

Not that this seems to be the case here, but after several irate exchanges with EasyJet, I felt the need to say they can be pretty bad! Also a VERY dodgy approach to passengers with ASD.

redtshirt50 · 14/12/2021 12:39

YABU - you should have read the terms and conditions.

It's well known that these offers come with a lot of caveats.

WidowTwonky · 14/12/2021 12:41

OP if you are still reading this check your bank account. You may be covered through that.

Hope your DS is OK Flowers

Porcupineintherough · 14/12/2021 12:44

@Tal45 and your plan in case of accident or emergency is what? A JustGiving page?

Shamoo · 14/12/2021 12:51

Not the main point of your thread I know, but BA are also now totally awful. Their customer services are abysmal. They cancelled my flight and the right I have had for a 5k refund is mind blowing. 2 months so far and there is no debate they owe it to me.

musicviking1 · 14/12/2021 12:52

After two very poor experiences with Ryanair I have refused to fly with them again and I've stuck with it.

phishy · 14/12/2021 12:52

Maybe get insurance now and get DS retested?

Punfreeusername · 14/12/2021 12:55

Flying 'Ryan Scare' is often the deal breaker for many City breaks.

Quite simply, if it wasn't for their basic service, I wouldn't have had most of the holidays I have had , as other flights are significantly more expensive.

You get what you pay for and hope for the best, and you definitely hope you don't need their customer service !.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 14/12/2021 12:59

You get what you pay for and hope for the best, and you definitely hope you don't need their customer service !

Amen.

FaoinDrualus · 14/12/2021 13:00

@PlacidPenelope I booked with Allianz.
They have this in the faq for annual insurance -

If you contract an epidemic or pandemic disease or are subject to compulsory quarantine whilst on your trip
If you fall ill with an epidemic or pandemic disease (including COVID-19) or are required to quarantine as a result of your exposure to the disease, you will be covered for medical costs incurred as a result if you are outside the UK when falling ill. We will also provide cover for cutting short your trip, repatriation and/or extending your trip if you aren’t well enough or able to travel home as planned.
Our policies will also cover the cost for one member of your travel party to stay abroad with you, where medically necessary, until you are fit enough to return home. It is important that you contact our 24-hour medical emergency helpline for advice and assistance if you are admitted to hospital or are unable to travel home as planned.

If you need to cancel your trip
Cancellation cover will apply if your trip is cancelled because you or your travel companion either have symptoms or are diagnosed with an epidemic or pandemic disease (such as COVID-19), There is also cover if you or your travel companion are required to quarantine (self-isolate) as a result of your individual circumstances, such as being requested to by the NHS Test and Trace service.
If you are unable to travel due to a general quarantine being placed across a region or nation, then this cover does not apply.

Serendipity79 · 14/12/2021 13:00

Ryanair aren't at fault. Even pre covid if you couldn't travel due to any kind of illness you'd be expected to have travel insurance to claim against for your losses.

Particularly if you're booking flight tickets during a pandemic, everyone should be taking out insurance for this very reason but you need to do it before or while booking the tickets. A lot of bank accounts give it you included now as well - mine does.

TonTonMacoute · 14/12/2021 13:01

Sorry OP but everyone knows the downsides of using Ryanair. Their flights are dirt cheap and they achieve this by cutting back on everything else - you pays your money and takes your choice.

In addition you have no travel insurance, at a time when we all know that the risks of cancellations are very high as Covid rules can change at any time.

YABU I'm afraid.

EurghCobwebs · 14/12/2021 13:03

@PurpleNotebook

Having to cancel Christmas flights due to a ds with positive Omicron test. So stupidly had bought Ryanair. The 'free change fee' is a load of caveated baloney, only flights bought before Oct, only for travel before Dec 31st 2021.

It will cost us £90 per person (six of us) to change our flights to a later date in 2022, even though the flights will cost considerably less than the original flights. We've spent £650 already, and are not flowing in money, this was a big outlay for us, and we trusted them - so stupid to accept the 'No Change Fee' banner they fly all across the site without getting it'd be caveated into uselessness for anyone changing a Christmas period flight.

I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever buy Ryanair again.

It's giving away your money in these unsettled times. BA etc might be more expensive but you are not signing the money away for good should things change, so it has to be worth the difference - the BA flights were 20% more which seemed a lot but now seems a bargain compared to this lot. So upset by this, and so foolish too for buying them.

Will not make the mistake of ever ever buying Ryanair again.

BA are absolutely awful at the moment. I needed to call them about my flights back in July and the phone line just hung up on you and told you to email or call back. You couldn't get through to a single person. My sister had exactly the same problem with them last month.

So even if you had booked BA you wouldn't have been able to get through to anyone to amend your booking anyway!

Comefromaway · 14/12/2021 13:08

Unfortunately you should have got the insurance. I have never had traverl insurance for holidays in the UK before but this year for the first time ever bought a single trip policy that would cover the cost of our accommodation if we had to cancel due to covid. It cost very little.

Bunnyfuller · 14/12/2021 13:19

I would like some Ryanair advice too. Booked return flight to Paphos next summer. DH then gets told he has to be in court during those dates he’s police) and defence refuse to consider moving it.

Ryanair want to charge us around 250 each (4 of us) to change the flights, am I right in thinking it’s the difference between what you paid and the new fare? Because when I search for fares for when we want to go now, they haven’t released prices!

Do I have any legs to stand on/anywhere to go with this?

BertieBotts · 14/12/2021 13:20

If you need to change a Ryanair flight it is usually cheaper to just abandon the original flights and buy new ones. Found this out myself!

Opus17 · 14/12/2021 13:24

Sorry op, that's awful.

Just gonna jump in and say we've always managed to change our easyJet flights with no problems.

whywouldntyou · 14/12/2021 13:35

So you book to fly in the middle of a pandemic, don't bother with insurance and book with Ryanair? Sorry but this is totally your own fault. If Ryanair were the only flights going I would never fly again. They are known for being crap. Booking at anytime without insurance is stupid. You were willing to try to save a few quid by not getting it which as you've now learned is a false economy. And don't get me started on booking in a pandemic! We used to have 2 foreign holidays a year, god I miss them. Still not considering anything yet though.

Let this be a(very expensive) lesson learned.

HolidayTime2021 · 14/12/2021 13:44

Ryan air offer travel insurance as part of the booking process. You have to opt out.

Itloggedmeoutagain · 14/12/2021 13:45

@Tal45

I don't bother with travel insurance, insurance companies will do anything to get out of paying up, they're as much cowboys as Ryanair are. I'd never fly Ryanair, much prefer easyjet (over BA too, they have really gone to shit). Although easyjet aren't perfect we were able to change our flight on the day of the flight and only had to pay the difference in price (£50 pp) when we had a late PCR result.
No. They don't. They apply their terms and conditions. They don't "get out" if paying for things. They pay for what you insure. If people don't declare conditions or read what they're paying for then that's up to them not the insurer. They don't just say no, we're not paying.
Scandisaurus · 14/12/2021 13:46

@countrygirl99

So you didn't read the terms and conditions and you didn't get insurance. OK, your choice to take those risks.
This. Who on earth doesn’t have travel insurance, especially with a pandemic on the entire world. There is noone to blame but yourself.
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