What happens if your Ryanair flight has been cancelled?

Cancelled Ryanair Flight, what can you do? Ryanair has finally published its list of flights it intends to cancel over the next six weeks. Customers are being notified by email and text and a full list is now on their website.So what happens if its your Flight that has been cancelled?

Ryanair is a short haul carrier and the company states it tried to cancel flights from larger airports making it easier to provide customers with alternative flights. In a statement Ryanair listed the following airports most affected

Barcelona, Brussels Charl, Dublin, Lisbon, London Stansted, Madrid, Milan Bergamo, Porto, Rome Fiumi.

Whilst inconvenient, the majority of passengers will have several weeks to sort the mess out and book alternative flights, however there are still a large number of passengers with flights over the next few days, who have only just been notified.

What are passengers rights for Cancelled Ryanair Flights

The airline has confirmed that any passenger who has a flight that has been cancelled, may change that flight for free or receive a full refund, within seven days. Of course any alternative flights will be subject to availability and Ryanair are requesting customers to contact customer support to find out about the options available.

Thankfully Ryanair is obliged to comply with European regulations in respect of flight cancellations, specifically EU regulation 261/2004, which was brought into force on the 23rd October 2012.

The regulations state that any passenger flying from any EU airport, or from an airport outside the EU to an EU airport via an EU carrier, is entitled to a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket if the flight is cancelled. For example if you have already flown out to your destination and it is your return flight that is cancelled, you would only receive a refund for the return flight.

The rules state that in addition, Consumers have the right to compensation by the operating air carrier unless

(i) they are informed of the cancellation at least two weeks before the scheduled time of departure; or

(ii) they are informed of the cancellation between two weeks and seven days before the scheduled time of departure and are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than two hours before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than four hours after the scheduled time of arrival; or

(iii) they are informed of the cancellation less than seven days before the scheduled time of departure and are offered re-routing, allowing them to depart no more than one hour before the scheduled time of departure and to reach their final destination less than two hours after the scheduled time of arrival.

2. When passengers are informed of the cancellation, an explanation shall be given concerning possible alternative transport.

3. An operating air carrier shall not be obliged to pay compensation in accordance with Article 7, if it can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

4. The burden of proof concerning the questions as to whether and when the passenger has been informed of the cancellation of the flight shall rest with the operating air carrier.

How much is the compensation where flights have been cancelled?

Article 7 states the compensation is payable as follows;

(a) EUR 250 for all flights of 1500 kilometres or less;

(b) EUR 400 for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometres, and for all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres;

In determining the distance, the basis shall be the last destination at which the denial of boarding or cancellation will delay the passenger's arrival after the scheduled time.

Can Ryanair claim extraordinary circumstances for Cancelled Flights

No Ryanair have already confirmed they will be abiding by the European Legislation, something they believe will cost the company about £25 Million. Some legal experts however expect this to be nearer £60 million.

I booked by credit card can I claim for my Ryanair cancelled flight?

If for some reason you are unable to get a full refund and you paid by credit card, under the consumer credit act 1974, you are entitled to a full refund by the credit card company, providing the amount is between £100 – £30,000. Of course if you get a refund from Ryanair, you can't also claim from your credit card provider.

If you are already on holiday and can't get home if your flight has been cancelled

If you are already on holiday, your flight has been cancelled and you are unable to return home on the same day, the same compensation applies, however Ryanair would be expected to pay under

Article 9 of the European regulations

Article 9

1. Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered free of charge:

(a) meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time;

(b) hotel accommodation in cases

- where a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary, or

- where a stay additional to that intended by the passenger becomes necessary;

2. In addition, passengers shall be offered free of charge two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails.

Can I claim for the cost of the holiday or accommodation?

This is a bit of a grey area and the Ryanair cancellations are an unusual case. Whilst hugely inconvenient, the majority of passengers should have time to make alternative arrangements and therefore holidays won't need to be cancelled.

Airlines are well known for not paying for consequential losses, other than those required by law and the fact that Ryanair is domiciled in Ireland makes legal cases even more difficult.

Does your travel insurance cover you for your Cancelled Ryanair Flight?

The majority of travel insurance policies state that;

Any costs are excluded where these are recoverable from your airline company
Any claim is excluded where the carrier has offered suitable alternative transport

Unfortunately there is no cover under the cancellation section of a travel policy for a flight being cancelled by the airline. As the airline hasn't actually gone bust, then airline failure cover doesn't kick in either.

Thats insurance Top Tips for your Cancelled Ryanair Flight

If you have been notified by Ryanair your flight has been cancelled, contact them immediately to arrange alternative flights.
If you can't find an alternative Ryanair flight, check with other airline companies and make arrangements with them. If the cost of alternative flights is more than the original ticket refund, together with the compensation (if eligible), write to Ryanair requesting the balance (make sure to send a copy of the invoice with your claim)
If the cancellation is a return flight, Ryanair should pay for accommodation and food whilst arranging different flights home
In the event you are out of pocket in respect of any other expenses, send your claim to Ryanair direct, or contact a solicitor to do it on your behalf

If you have any more questions you'd like answered about your Cancelled Ryanair Flight, please feel free to comment below