Ryanair – Flight or Fight? Your route to compensation.
As the weather turns colder and nights turn darker it’s certainly a sign that the holiday season is coming to end, but not for everyone. There is the few lucky folk who are escaping the cold UK weather. Perhaps clutching at some last minute tropical sunshine or escaping to a winter wonderland for Christmas. Well their luck just might of changed in the past few weeks with the cancellation of many flights from Ryan Air, in addition to Monarch going bust earlier this month.
If there is one thing that rattles the holiday Brits its flight delays! In some circumstances we can forgive delays such as; a flock of birds or an erupting volcano. But what is difficult to forgive is 670 flights being cancelled because of an IT meltdown such as British Airways last year or 400,000 passengers effected with cancellations because the corporate structure of RyanAir cannot seem to plan for its pilots holidays.
If it’s one thing that the holiday Brits love, it’s a bargain! We are all guilty of it, flight watching to make sure we pounce on the right price, tuning into Martin Lewis to find out all the special offers. That may contribute to why RyanAir’s profits rose 43% in 2016 and it became the number 1 carrier in every EU country. However, what RyanAir have failed with time and time again is client care. As a Law Firm we are constantly monitoring and improving client care making sure that our clients are getting the best possible service, even the Solicitors Regulation Authority insists law firms make their clients aware of the complaints procedure. Mr O’Leary the CEO of RyanAir has failed repeatedly to value his staff and he understands how to exploit our fundamental weakness – that we have become hopelessly addicted to a bargain, if you can get a flight to Spain for cheaper than a train to London we are sold, no matter how we get treat by RyanAir. So what can customers do who have fallen victim to delays and cancellations?
The Law
Thanks to a Supreme Court ruling, those passengers are now able to make compensation claims against the airlines responsible.
If you booked a flight that departed from Europe or was with a European airline, you might have rights under EU law if your flight is delayed or cancelled. For the EU law to apply, you’ll need to have departed from the UK, European Union (EU), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.
The EC Regulation 261 of 2004 states that all passengers must be compensated financially in the instance that their flight has been cancelled or overbooked. Despite this ruling airlines will often just try to state that your claim is not valid or ignore you entirely, leaving you feeling like you have no avenue to pursue compensation. This is simply not the case – Contact Watson Woodhouse.
What are your options?
You can apply for a refund.
You are able to apply for a refund if your journey is disrupted by a cancellation even if it is only the outbound trip that is affected.
You can choose an alternative flight.
Ryanair has stated that in most cases it will offer an alternative flight either earlier or later than originally planned subject to seat availability.
In some circumstances you have the right to be re-booked onto a different airline.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has stated that he will not re-book passengers onto other airlines. The Civil Aviation Authority says that if another airline offers a flight significantly sooner than an alternative on your existing airline then you may have the right to be booked onto that flight instead.
You may be able to claim compensation.
There are many different factors which will effect whether you are entitled to compensation such as the length of delay as well as the length of the flight but claims are not affected by the cost of the ticket itself.
It’s not uncommon for airlines to claim exceptional circumstances to try and avoid paying its customers compensation and that is why you need an expert to make sure that you get the compensation you deserve.
We have a highly experienced team of solicitors who will fight on your behalf, get in contact with Watson Woodhouse and we can assess the merits of your case and let you know upfront the chances of success.
We offer a range of funding options , including fixed fee and no win-no fee. Speak to one of our team to find out more, or pop into our Law Clinic on Thursdays at the Berwick Hills branch for a free, no obligation consultation.