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Original poster

Ryanair refusal to respond to compensation claim.

25 replies

user1471500928 · 27/08/2023 17:02

Has anyone ever had any success claiming compensation from Ryanair? Our flight to Funchal on the 8th of May was unable to land. Eventually we were dumped at Lisbon airport and told that Ryanair could not fly us back to Stansted or take us on to Funchal for 4 days. We found ourselves a hotel in Lisbon and booked a flight to Funchal (where we had accommodation booked) with another airline. This cost a total of £1,222. The on line compensation form didn’t work; we phoned Ryanair and they said to use the on line compensation form and rang off; we emailed (5 times) but each email got a computer generated reply which was no help at all. Eventually on June 14th we sent all the documents to the Head office in Dublin. This has not even been acknowledged. Follow up phone calls (when the phone is eventually answered) are met with long identification questions which we negotiate successfully and then we get cut off. Has anyone got any ideas what to do next. My job for today is to contact the press. I refuse to give up!

OP posts:
Delphigirl · 27/08/2023 17:05

Just bring a small claim against them in court. They will have to respond when they are the defendant.

LIZS · 27/08/2023 17:07

If you have exhausted their complaints process you can send a Letter before Action/Small Claims or go to an ombudsman,

Bromptotoo · 27/08/2023 17:23

Are Ryanair actually liable? If their plane breaks down or the pilot calls in sick that's probably their responsibility. Bad weather is outwith their control....

As you may have been told, the weather at Funchal Airport is predictably unpredictable!! This is because the airport's location and surrounding topography create hazards such as severe crosswinds and shears where the wind direction changes close to the runway.

The official guide for pilots, produced by the Portuguese aviation authority actually mentions the possibility that the windsocks at either end of the runway can point in opposite directions.

Did you have travel insurance?

Original poster
user1471500928 · 27/08/2023 17:34

Thank you for these very helpful replies. Yes, we have annual travel insurance. Had Ryanair taken us back to the UK airport we took off from (which is what EasyJet did for our friends who had a similar predicament) our expenses would have been much lower. They knew that Funchal was also closed the next day but chose to have us sitting in a plane for a total of 11 hours making numerous attempts to land. At no point did they offer any food or drink without charge.

OP posts:
roses2 · 27/08/2023 17:39

Log a complaint with ADR who mediate claims at no cost:

https://www.aviationadr.org.uk/how-to-complain-about-a-ryanair-flight/

My husband has successfully claimed from Wizz Air using ADR when Wizz didn't respond directly. It takes several months but if your claim is as per policy and guiding they can't deny you your entitled refund.

Soontobe60 · 27/08/2023 17:42

What was the reason for the inability to land?
Were yo really in the air for 11 hours? For what is a 3 1/2 hour flight?

Loverofoxbowlakes · 27/08/2023 17:54

Nah. No European-bound flight from the UK carries 11 hours of fuel...

notimagain · 27/08/2023 18:02

Loverofoxbowlakes · 27/08/2023 17:54

Nah. No European-bound flight from the UK carries 11 hours of fuel...

Agreed,

I’m thinking the poster means 11 hours on the aircraft, not 11 hours actually airborne.

GrumpyPanda · 27/08/2023 18:06

If you want to spend minimal energy on this you could go through a professional claims organisation like euclaim.com or flightright.com. They'll take a cut of the compensation but handle everything for you.

Catandcustard · 27/08/2023 18:11

Contact CEDR. The airline has to respond to any CEDR claim within 90 days. If they can prove the disruption was due to weather, you wouldn't be due EU compensation but they should be covering any reasonable costs.

Oblomov23 · 27/08/2023 18:20

Glad you started thread OP. Hope you get good advice, and get this resolved.

Original poster
user1471500928 · 27/08/2023 18:26

They had us sitting in the plane for 11 hours. Taking off, trying to land a few times, going back to Lisbon, refuelling etc. I’m actually a very nervous flyer (done the fear of flying course) but by the end of the 11 hours, and having spent the previous night in Lisbon airport, I was actually able to sleep through one of the take offs.

OP posts:
MiniCooperLover · 27/08/2023 19:40

Log it with revolver.

Bromptotoo · 27/08/2023 21:03

Catandcustard · 27/08/2023 18:11

Contact CEDR. The airline has to respond to any CEDR claim within 90 days. If they can prove the disruption was due to weather, you wouldn't be due EU compensation but they should be covering any reasonable costs.

Do Ryanair use CEDR?

Bromptotoo · 27/08/2023 21:21

Not trying to inflame but this thread's a puzzle to me.

@user1471500928 if you have travel insurance why chase RYR? Firstly they a reputation for being pretty slippery when it comes to customer service. Secondly, (see the Citizens Advice link provided by @PickledPurplePickle
) weather and other stuff outwith the carrier's control isn't usually something you can get the airline to compensate for.

Just claim and let the insurer sort it out...

Original poster
user1471500928 · 28/08/2023 11:12

I’m pursuing the claim with Ryanair because I don’t like to see what I believe are corrupt and immoral companies getting away with it. If they are going to reject our claim they should at least have the courtesy to say so, rather than just ignoring us or cutting us off on the phone when we do get to speak to them. When we were stranded in Lisbon several different Ryanair employees told us to keep all our receipts for food and drink as the company would reimburse us. I’ve recently retired so have the time and inclination to follow this through. Were I still working I’d probably just have given up and claimed on the insurance which, I guess, is what Ryanair hope I’ll do.

OP posts:
TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon · 28/08/2023 12:06

Agree with pp.
Ryanair aren't liable when they can prove Act of God. And by God (no pun intended) they will.
Your insurance will pay.

Bromptotoo · 28/08/2023 14:54

I think RYR are in the frame for keeping you fed/watered and perhaps putting you up overnight. However, given the number of displaced pax at Lisbon if Madeira was badly disrupted, then there may have been no room.

Cost of rerouting etc following weather isn't something they're responsible for.

All the info you need is in the PPs link to CAB.

youveturnedupwelldone · 29/08/2023 08:24

Last year we were stranded in Italy for a few days due to bad weather in the UK and then no flights available. It was easyJet, but they reimbursed our hotel, meal and travel to airport costs. But we weren't entitled to additional compensation because the delay wasn't their fault.

Compensation for delay and reimbursement of expenses are different, according to the rules you're not entitled to compensation as it wasn't their fault. It's an important distinction to make when you are claiming.

So Ryanair at least need to pay you back for your reasonable and evidenced expenses for hotels/food/airport transfers. Whether they have to also pay you back for the additional flights you booked independently I've no experience of though (eg was their offer of 4 days later good enough according to the law).

Ryanair are notoriously difficult about these things - I suspect you'll eventually need to initiate a small claim to get your money back.

roses2 · 30/08/2023 15:26

Your insurance will pay.

I have top rated travel insurance (according to Martin Lewis moneysavingexpert). They don't pay for anything that the airline is obliged to by law eg meals, hotel etc.

Original poster
user1471500928 · 08/12/2023 08:09

Update: It proved impossible to get Ryanair to engage with us at all. Last week (6 moths after our original complaint) we got an email saying that as we did not travel to our final destination (we did, just not with Ryanair as they were unable to take us there from where they had dumped us for 5 days) we were not due any compensation. We had to buy a ticket from another airline. The email said to reply to the email if there was a problem. When I immediately did this I got an automated response saying the email address was no longer working!

We did have travel insurance through Staysure and claimed through that. Initially they rejected our claim as the flight had taken off more or less on time (it did, but it never landed where it was supposed to!). I refused to give up and, after huge efforts on my part, Staysure eventually paid up.

Lesson learned - never, ever, travel with Ryanair again.

OP posts:
Sunshineantelope · 08/12/2023 13:07

Bravo @user1471500928 , Im sorry that you didnt get ryannair to pay up but that you did get what you were owed. These people rely on us giving up and getting bored so nice to see someone fighting!

StillWantingADog · 08/12/2023 13:16

What a sorry story

I had a similar tale with Easyjet - flight cancelled due to an issue not their fault but I ended up with significant expenses trying to get home.

was I entitled to compensation? No
was I entirely to refund of all expenses? Definitely

in my case. Easyjet eventually did cough up. But it took months.

ryanair are shit. But are not the only ones sadly.

arethereanyleftatall · 08/12/2023 13:23

Wow that is so so bad. Like you say, these companies are so naughty, and they're all the same, make it so difficult that no one has the time to pursue.

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