Consumer queries: Ryanair within its rights over flight cancellation

"You probably get lots of complaints from unhappy Ryanair customers," starts a mail from Anne Marie Kealy.

"In December four of us flew to Cologne for a weekend break. We were due to fly back on December 5th but Ryanair cancelled the flight as there were storms in Dublin and no flights getting in. They offered us seats on a Ryanair flight the following Wednesday, which we couldn't take as we had to be back to work on the Monday. We then paid for our own Aer Lingus flight from Frankfurt on Sunday night. We had to pay for train tickets, taxi and hotel for the extra night. All this cost €660 between the four of us."

She filled in the Ryanair online claim form. They were paid back €167, which is the cost of the four return Ryanair flights they didn’t take.

“I feel this is very unfair. Have you any suggestions?”

We should point out first that we get very few complaints about Ryanair.

Secondly, while this is very irritating for our reader, Ryanair is acting within the law. An air passenger’s rights are crystal clear and unambiguous. Under EU Regulation 261, airlines must offer passengers affected by flight cancellations a full refund or a rerouting on the next available flight.

If customers opt for such a refund, the airline’s responsibility to them ends immediately.

If, however, they ask to be put on the next available flight, the airline must provide accommodation and refreshments until the passenger can be accommodated on an alternative flight.

Passengers can seek compensation only if a flight cancellation is the fault of the airline. When flights are cancelled due to an “act of God” (or because of Storm Desmond) the issue of compensation does not arise.

Caught out by the small print after a crash

In November Joe Ryan was involved in an accident when his car skidded on sleet about 250m from exit 28 off the M7 at Castletroy, Limerick.

"I struck the barrier and was subsequently struck from behind by one vehicle, driven across the carriageway and struck a second time on the front, writing off my seven-month-old Peugeot, " he says.

It sound terrifying. Luckily he and the two other drivers all walked away from the collision. He suffered a little whiplash, which affected his right shoulder.

“The emergency services were called and two fire tenders came to the scene,” he continues.

He says his insurance company, Allianz, was very prompt in addressing his claim and he received new for old within a few weeks. He was billed €1,375 from the local authority, and his submission to the insurance company was made in the belief that he was covered for local-authority fire charges.

“However, when I rang the insurance company, I was referred to the 20-page small print, which pointed out no claim was valid unless I had to be cut out of the vehicle (I didn’t) or the fire service had to deploy to extinguish a fire (they didn’t). It is the lack of clarity and transparency that grates, and you never know until you need to claim.”

We contacted Allianz, which confirmed that the clause was in its terms and conditions. A spokesman said the company would look into the specifics of our reader’s concerns.

Phoney charges

Grace Moloney contacted us with a question. "Am I the only one who thinks paying to have your time wasted should end?

“Whatever company or institution you ring, you are charged for being kept on hold, sometimes quite a lot of money. It’s a bad deal for the consumer.”

She has a better idea. “I think there should be no charge until the call is answered by a human being who is designated to deal with customer queries.

“If they have to talk to you, they want to charge you for it, even though you’re either paying for their service or paying for their jobs through your tax. It is a symptom of a sick and unequal society where those who hold the power exploit the weak.”