This is a common problem. Flights cancelled and all replacement flights much more expensive so the 'rebook without charges' is an empty promise as, while you don't pay the fee normally imposed to change, you have to pay the difference which, as you have seen, adds a lot to the cost.

Are they offering a voucher so you can see if you can find flights somewhere else for the same amount of money?

If you paid by credit card, that might be a route to get your money back?

The moneysavingexpert guide might point you in the right direction:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-travel-help-and-your-rights/

I am in the same situation

Flights booked mid May. A week or so ago I got an email offering rebooking as long as it was before 31st August. I don't want to go in school holidays (much more expensive, as will be accomodation) and there won't be any flights anyway !

No option for anything else. When I go to "manage booking" my reservation doesn't even appear unless I search the site for it.

Very frustrating. I was under the impression they wete getting to people who were within 4 weeks of their booking but obviously not.

They are legally obliged to refund you. If you can, sit tight and don't accept anything but a full refund - if that is what you want.

The likes of Ryanair are discussing! I have a holiday booking with a small company.... they have send me several updates on my holiday with all my rights. In the end, I actually re booked the holiday for same time nx year (August). No fees or additional charges. I would have lost my deposit if I had cancelled, but that would have been ok as well and within their rights. I really want to support the travel industry, but the likes of Ryanair make it so difficult!

Have you booked with Ryanair or someone else AnyFucker?

We had a flight only booking with Jet2 that was supposed to be for this Sunday coming (staying with friends so no other costs/commitments to worry about).

We had a series of emails saying 'we will get to you in turn', followed by 'you can change if you want without charges, look at the website' and then one yesterday telling us that they will refund our money within 14 days, which works for us, because like you, we don't travel in the school holidays and if we hadn't gone by about mid June, we wouldn't go earlier than September.

So now as long as the money comes back like they've said, which it should do - a few other people I know have reported Jet2 refunds coming through as promised, we're free to just look for flights from September onwards, if it looks like we'll be able to travel then, which I'm not sure we will, but if it's just cheap flights that we've committed to, we can cope with that and always use a credit card to pay, to add another layer of protection.

Directly with Ryanair

Refunds are not straightforward it would seem. People requesting them ate only getting sent "vouchers" and no promise of refund intil covid 19 is "over". Who knows when that will be and even if individual airlines will even still be trading by then

It's a shitshow

I'm waiting for a refund from Ryanair for flights at Easter. I completed the refund form straight away (that was tricky in itself, kept telling me my booking reference was incorrect - it wasn't).

Eventually sorted it and then last week got a very cheery "Oh great news we've given you a credit note" email, I tried to get back through to the refund page and it said no because I already completed one.

I'm just hanging on now, figure it has to come eventually, if I haven't heard anything within another couple of months I'll contact my credit card company.

Good luck guys, hope we all get our refunds soon

They have 4 billion in cash reserves. Chase your refund