The Commissioner for Aviation Regulation has warned Ryanair passengers stranded abroad to stay with the airline if they want compensation.
Anyone who decides to to come home with another airline will not be eligible for compensation or care and assistance, Cathy Mannion said.
“Ryanair has a duty to provide care and assistance for any passengers overseas. They will have to provide hotel accommodation until they can get them out. It is important to stay with Ryanair,” Ms Mannion told RTE’s News at One.
She said there was a clear process in place for compensation and advised people to go to the Ryanair website or the Commission’s website. If the matter is not resolved with four to six weeks then passengers should contact the Commission.
Ms Mannion also called on Ryanair to inform passengers what flights are being cancelled so they can make alternative plans. She said that the Aviation Commission is working with Ryanair to address the immediate problem.
If Ryanair cancels a flight it must offer passengers the choice of an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity or at a later date of their choice, subject to the availability of seats or a full refund of the ticket.
Alternative flights
The airline can also offer a passenger comparable transport to the final destination if no alternative flight with the carrier is available.
When a destination is served by several airports, Ryanair may offer a flight to an alternative airport to that originally booked.
Ryanair is then obliged to bear the cost of transferring passengers to the airport that they had booked or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.
If a person’s agreed rerouted flight departs later than the original, they must be offered care and assistance free of charge while waiting for the rerouted flight- specifically, reasonable meals and refreshments in relation to the waiting time, hotel accommodation in cases where an overnight stay becomes necessary, transport between the airport and place of accommodation and two telephone calls, emails, faxes or telexes.
Compensation rules
Compensation in the event of cancellation depends on a number of factors.
First, Ryanair may have to compensate a passenger if it has given them between two weeks and seven days’ notice of the cancellation but they the flight departs more than two hours before the original departure time or four hours after the original arrival time (or half these time periods where the notice period is less than seven days.)
Compensation in the event of a cancellation also depends on the distance of the flight and the reason for the cancellation.
If Ryanair can prove the cancellation was caused by an extraordinary circumstance which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures were taken, no compensation is payable (e.g. a cancellation due to an air traffic control strike, bird strike or severe weather conditions).
The distance of a flight determines the amount of compensation due.
Distance
If the distance is:
1500km or less the amount payable - €250
1500km - 3500km and all EU flights over 3500km - €400
It is very important to note that compensation is distinct from and separate to the notion of reimbursement of expenses and/ or the refund of the cost of an unused flight ticket.
Claiming
If a passenger chooses to make a claim for expenses or compensation from Ryanair, they must contact the airline directly. This is covered in Article 15 of their terms and conditions found on their website. Ryanair aims to deal with your application within 4 to 6 weeks.
It is important to remember that Ryanair is not required to pay compensation if the cancellation was outside of their control.
The form for flight refunds can be found here:https://refundclaims.ryanair.com/The form for expense claims can be found here: https://eu261expenseclaim.ryanair.com/
The form for disruption compensation can be found here: https://contactform.ryanair.com/?cr=eu261&lg=en&id=78
Once Ryanair has finished dealing with a claim and if a person does do not agree with their decision, they can refer the matter to:
The Commission for Aviation Regulation.
3rd Floor Alexandra House
Earlsfort Terrace
DUBLIN 2
Telephone number +353-(0) 1-6611700
apr@aviationreg.ie
www.aviationreg.ie
The Commission for Aviation Regulation only deals with fights departing from Ireland and that will not deal with any complaint unless you have first submitted it directly to Ryanair.
