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Michael O'Leary & Ryanair

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    Pay cheap, pay twice.
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    Ryanair love this. It won’t hurt them whatsoever, publicity that they haven’t paid for. We all crave a bargain and as long as we do budget airlines will continue to work the way they do. 
    I get that this elderly couple made a mistake that perhaps most wouldn’t but why didn’t someone in their family sort things out for them before hand. Everyone who has ever booked a flight with Ryanair knows how this airline makes money. 
    They may not have family. I won't when I am 80. I don't think it does them no harm either, sorry CK - nobody is going to book with Ryanair because they have read this, are they? And if one person goes with Jet 2 instead of them after seeing it, it has harmed them.     

    I agree with virtually every post about this couple. Billy Mix is right, it's yet another dead cat, but Fiona is also correct, there is room for this in the news too.

    People do know what they are going to get from Ryanair, but sometimes you have no choice as they are the only ones flying when you need to fly, or going to where you want to be.

    Staying with Karen's 79 year old aunt - who is pretty savvy with the internet, but does not have a smart phone - I can see how difficult they make it for people without one. Older people without the knowledge or equipment are being discriminated against - Swords Alive is quite right. Case in point - we booked tickets for Twickenham for England v Fiji. I downloaded the app and bought the tickets, just have to wait until two days before the game to download the actual "tickets", simple.

    Err... no. A week ago I get a communication saying that the person I have bought the second ticket for has to also download the app, and I have to send their ticket to their app. It is the only way they will be allowed in. Now, I have no doubt that this was in the small print. But clearly, before I paid for the tickets there should have been a warning that everyone over 18 attending the game has to have a smart phone? My wife's phone is old and unreliable, we are hoping it holds out and is useable on the day, but who knows? With a 48 hour window to download them (and Twickenham actually admit that you should get in asap, as the system can get overloaded!) there is no margin of error. An older person may just give up. 

                  
    I agree with bits of what you are saying and I may assume a bit too much of others ability to navigate their way through the modern world. But who booked the flights? Would it not be fair to say that the person who booked the flights is savvy with the internet,(I'm assuming that the tickets were bought on line) and how Ryanair work? The couple may be old but that does not necessarily make them unable to operate  in the world today.  I get their frustration and the fact its cost them more than a printer to print the tickets but I do think this is a bit of a non-story. Everything online ticketing with airlines hasn't just happened, I was checking in with BA by credit card over 20 years ago, stating the obvious  companys do not want to employ people where they can be replaced easily with technology.  Ryanair could of made this story disappear instantly if they had wanted to but choose not to. O'leary has said in the past that they do not regard stories about them as harmful, in fact they encourage them,  like the nonsense stories about charging for toilets, standing tickets etc. Made up stories by Ryanair but it got them in the news. If bad publicity impacted on their business they would change the way they operate but they don't. Any publicity is good for them, it keeps their name out there. People look at the prices and largely ignore the service. 
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    Ryanair love this. It won’t hurt them whatsoever, publicity that they haven’t paid for. We all crave a bargain and as long as we do budget airlines will continue to work the way they do. 
    I get that this elderly couple made a mistake that perhaps most wouldn’t but why didn’t someone in their family sort things out for them before hand. Everyone who has ever booked a flight with Ryanair knows how this airline makes money. 
    They may not have family. I won't when I am 80. I don't think it does them no harm either, sorry CK - nobody is going to book with Ryanair because they have read this, are they? And if one person goes with Jet 2 instead of them after seeing it, it has harmed them.     

    I agree with virtually every post about this couple. Billy Mix is right, it's yet another dead cat, but Fiona is also correct, there is room for this in the news too.

    People do know what they are going to get from Ryanair, but sometimes you have no choice as they are the only ones flying when you need to fly, or going to where you want to be.

    Staying with Karen's 79 year old aunt - who is pretty savvy with the internet, but does not have a smart phone - I can see how difficult they make it for people without one. Older people without the knowledge or equipment are being discriminated against - Swords Alive is quite right. Case in point - we booked tickets for Twickenham for England v Fiji. I downloaded the app and bought the tickets, just have to wait until two days before the game to download the actual "tickets", simple.

    Err... no. A week ago I get a communication saying that the person I have bought the second ticket for has to also download the app, and I have to send their ticket to their app. It is the only way they will be allowed in. Now, I have no doubt that this was in the small print. But clearly, before I paid for the tickets there should have been a warning that everyone over 18 attending the game has to have a smart phone? My wife's phone is old and unreliable, we are hoping it holds out and is useable on the day, but who knows? With a 48 hour window to download them (and Twickenham actually admit that you should get in asap, as the system can get overloaded!) there is no margin of error. An older person may just give up. 

                  
    I agree with bits of what you are saying and I may assume a bit too much of others ability to navigate their way through the modern world. But who booked the flights? Would it not be fair to say that the person who booked the flights is savvy with the internet,(I'm assuming that the tickets were bought on line) and how Ryanair work? The couple may be old but that does not necessarily make them unable to operate  in the world today.  I get their frustration and the fact its cost them more than a printer to print the tickets but I do think this is a bit of a non-story. Everything online ticketing with airlines hasn't just happened, I was checking in with BA by credit card over 20 years ago, stating the obvious  companys do not want to employ people where they can be replaced easily with technology.  Ryanair could have made this story disappear instantly if they had wanted to but choose not to. O'leary has said in the past that they do not regard stories about them as harmful, in fact they encourage them,  like the nonsense stories about charging for toilets, standing tickets etc. Made up stories by Ryanair but it got them in the news. If bad publicity impacted on their business they would change the way they operate but they don't. Any publicity is good for them, it keeps their name out there. People look at the prices and largely ignore the service. 
    Spot on. People falling for the daily mail clickbait that O’Leary asked them to write.
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    The admin absolutely rinse some of their passengers on twitter who complain. Don't think that does them any harm.
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    Ryanair love this. It won’t hurt them whatsoever, publicity that they haven’t paid for. We all crave a bargain and as long as we do budget airlines will continue to work the way they do. 
    I get that this elderly couple made a mistake that perhaps most wouldn’t but why didn’t someone in their family sort things out for them before hand. Everyone who has ever booked a flight with Ryanair knows how this airline makes money. 
    They may not have family. I won't when I am 80. I don't think it does them no harm either, sorry CK - nobody is going to book with Ryanair because they have read this, are they? And if one person goes with Jet 2 instead of them after seeing it, it has harmed them.     

    I agree with virtually every post about this couple. Billy Mix is right, it's yet another dead cat, but Fiona is also correct, there is room for this in the news too.

    People do know what they are going to get from Ryanair, but sometimes you have no choice as they are the only ones flying when you need to fly, or going to where you want to be.

    Staying with Karen's 79 year old aunt - who is pretty savvy with the internet, but does not have a smart phone - I can see how difficult they make it for people without one. Older people without the knowledge or equipment are being discriminated against - Swords Alive is quite right. Case in point - we booked tickets for Twickenham for England v Fiji. I downloaded the app and bought the tickets, just have to wait until two days before the game to download the actual "tickets", simple.

    Err... no. A week ago I get a communication saying that the person I have bought the second ticket for has to also download the app, and I have to send their ticket to their app. It is the only way they will be allowed in. Now, I have no doubt that this was in the small print. But clearly, before I paid for the tickets there should have been a warning that everyone over 18 attending the game has to have a smart phone? My wife's phone is old and unreliable, we are hoping it holds out and is useable on the day, but who knows? With a 48 hour window to download them (and Twickenham actually admit that you should get in asap, as the system can get overloaded!) there is no margin of error. An older person may just give up. 

                  
    I agree with bits of what you are saying and I may assume a bit too much of others ability to navigate their way through the modern world. But who booked the flights? Would it not be fair to say that the person who booked the flights is savvy with the internet,(I'm assuming that the tickets were bought on line) and how Ryanair work? The couple may be old but that does not necessarily make them unable to operate  in the world today.  I get their frustration and the fact its cost them more than a printer to print the tickets but I do think this is a bit of a non-story. Everything online ticketing with airlines hasn't just happened, I was checking in with BA by credit card over 20 years ago, stating the obvious  companys do not want to employ people where they can be replaced easily with technology.  Ryanair could of made this story disappear instantly if they had wanted to but choose not to. O'leary has said in the past that they do not regard stories about them as harmful, in fact they encourage them,  like the nonsense stories about charging for toilets, standing tickets etc. Made up stories by Ryanair but it got them in the news. If bad publicity impacted on their business they would change the way they operate but they don't. Any publicity is good for them, it keeps their name out there. People look at the prices and largely ignore the service. 
    I think I overestimate the intelligence of the general public CK, so you are right.  
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    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
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    MrOneLung said:
    But this couple were technically savvy, they just printed the wrong one
    Not sure that was the case as if they printed the return journey passes the outward journey passes would also have been ready to print and surely they would have printed both. They were probably in the muddle through and get there in the end category as clearly they were able to book the flights.
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    ‘It’s discrimination’: millions of Britons frozen out in the digital age

    From banking to shopping and parking, consumers without access to tech are left frustrate

    https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/nov/26/britons-digital-banking-shopping-parking

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    seth plum said:
    It is newsworthy I suppose because behind it is the notion that we are all going to exist online.
    I suspect many older people like me seek help or spend hours jabbing screens or manoeuvring mice in a trial and error kind of way and if there is success it is down to happenstance.
    Small print for most purchases has always been questionable and it is worse on the computer, alongside guides and instructions created by idiots so we have to accept it is difficult for many even if not for this couple.
    I don’t know, but I suspect Ryanair deliberately make their rules and processes obscure in order to harvest money from those who make errors.
    See also the wider issue of a cashless society, let alone the broader issue of those who don’t have a mobile phone or the internet, possibly because of a combination of affordability and personal confidence.
    One of the great lies of modern times is the notion that internet technology is ‘user friendly’, it sits alongside the issue that those obliged to use pre paid power meters pay more than those who pay by direct debit. 
    There are tons of problems in driving life online, just ask those who work for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
    A lot of old people simply want there to be non digital alternatives in life.
    I'm 60 years old, I have skills now that I didn't have or even existed when I was in my youth. I didn't have a computer until I was in my mid 30's. I didn't even know how to open a word  program, I wasn't interested. I didn't have a mobile phone until 1998, I didn't see the need and again I wasn't interested. But for  life I had to change the way I lived and worked. Just because you are getting on in years doesn't mean you lose the ability to  function as others and the younger you did. It may be that people as they get older no longer want or feel the need to have to keep up with the latest technology that is out there nowadays, that might be a convenient excuse to opt out. 20 years time, with a bit of luck, I will still be here, will I lose the basic skills I now regard as part of day to day living? If I do god only knows how I will survive because today we are pretty well screwed if you can't use a phone, tablet or computer, probably a basic skill nowadays.
    I dont think Ryanair deliberately set out to deceive and obscure to make money, they should make enough by fair means. I think they have these charges to force home the idea that customer has to play by there terms, which cases like we've been discussing certainly have. It might not be what we all want but i cant see airlines backtracking on how they operate.    
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    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
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    Many years ago I flew to Rome with Ryanair,I made a mistake with my return date,I was not booked on the flight I thought I was on,although there was space available,I was charged over 500 euros for 2 x one way tickets back to Stanstead,and of course they could sell the seats on the plane that I had mistakingly booked.I have never used them since.
    You made the mistake not them.
    Yes I did but 250 euros each for one way flight from Rome,did they really need to do that.I could have got an easijet for half the money but that would have been to Gatwick.
    That was the live price of the ticket based on available capacity and closeness of departure. Their very sophisticated pricing model is there to optimise income and won’t be viewed in the context of individual passenger circumstance.
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    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    typical RyanAir
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    seth plum said:
    It is newsworthy I suppose because behind it is the notion that we are all going to exist online.
    I suspect many older people like me seek help or spend hours jabbing screens or manoeuvring mice in a trial and error kind of way and if there is success it is down to happenstance.
    Small print for most purchases has always been questionable and it is worse on the computer, alongside guides and instructions created by idiots so we have to accept it is difficult for many even if not for this couple.
    I don’t know, but I suspect Ryanair deliberately make their rules and processes obscure in order to harvest money from those who make errors.
    See also the wider issue of a cashless society, let alone the broader issue of those who don’t have a mobile phone or the internet, possibly because of a combination of affordability and personal confidence.
    One of the great lies of modern times is the notion that internet technology is ‘user friendly’, it sits alongside the issue that those obliged to use pre paid power meters pay more than those who pay by direct debit. 
    There are tons of problems in driving life online, just ask those who work for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
    A lot of old people simply want there to be non digital alternatives in life.
    Everything you have said there has been said by Nigel farage in the last couple of weeks. I have said to you before, we have more in common than what divides us 😀
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    seth plum said:
    It is newsworthy I suppose because behind it is the notion that we are all going to exist online.
    I suspect many older people like me seek help or spend hours jabbing screens or manoeuvring mice in a trial and error kind of way and if there is success it is down to happenstance.
    Small print for most purchases has always been questionable and it is worse on the computer, alongside guides and instructions created by idiots so we have to accept it is difficult for many even if not for this couple.
    I don’t know, but I suspect Ryanair deliberately make their rules and processes obscure in order to harvest money from those who make errors.
    See also the wider issue of a cashless society, let alone the broader issue of those who don’t have a mobile phone or the internet, possibly because of a combination of affordability and personal confidence.
    One of the great lies of modern times is the notion that internet technology is ‘user friendly’, it sits alongside the issue that those obliged to use pre paid power meters pay more than those who pay by direct debit. 
    There are tons of problems in driving life online, just ask those who work for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
    A lot of old people simply want there to be non digital alternatives in life.
    I'm 60 years old, I have skills now that I didn't have or even existed when I was in my youth. I didn't have a computer until I was in my mid 30's. I didn't even know how to open a word  program, I wasn't interested. I didn't have a mobile phone until 1998, I didn't see the need and again I wasn't interested. But for  life I had to change the way I lived and worked. Just because you are getting on in years doesn't mean you lose the ability to  function as others and the younger you did. It may be that people as they get older no longer want or feel the need to have to keep up with the latest technology that is out there nowadays, that might be a convenient excuse to opt out. 20 years time, with a bit of luck, I will still be here, will I lose the basic skills I now regard as part of day to day living? If I do god only knows how I will survive because today we are pretty well screwed if you can't use a phone, tablet or computer, probably a basic skill nowadays.
    I dont think Ryanair deliberately set out to deceive and obscure to make money, they should make enough by fair means. I think they have these charges to force home the idea that customer has to play by there terms, which cases like we've been discussing certainly have. It might not be what we all want but i cant see airlines backtracking on how they operate.    
    I understand what you’re saying, get with the programme and all that, but for a myriad of reasons it simply doesn’t work for each and every person.
    Things were different then and now, but I heard on the wireless that scams and fraud crimes are now the biggest criminal activity around, it wasn’t like that back in the day, I even heard on the wireless organisations advertising to help victims of online scams, Sheesh it it a new industry.
    Connectivity costs, systems of engagement vary wildly (how many different forms of passwords are demanded?) things online are very far from obvious no matter how hard you try to keep up, and there is also the cost of hardware.
    As my old Dad used to say ‘if it ain’t there it can’t go wrong’, that notion contains a degree of wisdom.
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    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
    I assume that’s the advertised price, so it seems perfectly reasonable. 

    As others have said, this is exactly how RyanAir make their money, it’s no secret so everyone should be double / triple checking documents before they leave. 
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    i fly with ryanair a lot over to dublin, there about as awful as all the other cheaper airlines. 

    im flying to nice with them on saturday so hopefully no delays 
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    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
    I assume that’s the advertised price, so it seems perfectly reasonable. 

    As others have said, this is exactly how RyanAir make their money, it’s no secret so everyone should be double / triple checking documents before they leave. 
    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
    I assume that’s the advertised price, so it seems perfectly reasonable. 

    As others have said, this is exactly how RyanAir make their money, it’s no secret so everyone should be double / triple checking documents before they leave. 
    I'm not disputing that is the published price but that it seems a lot to check someone in and print the boarding passes
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    i fly with ryanair a lot over to dublin, there about as awful as all the other cheaper airlines. 

    im flying to nice with them on saturday so hopefully no delays 
    No need to be too nice... Tell 'em your opinion if they're rubbish
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    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    You should have claimed the money back from your credit card company.
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    cafcfan said:
    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    You should have claimed the money back from your credit card company.
    Even if using debit cards, it's possible to get money back.
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    cafcfan said:
    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    You should have claimed the money back from your credit card company.
    Even if using debit cards, it's possible to get money back.
    Claiming back from a credit or debit card never crossed my mind
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    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
    Funny enough, O'Leary's argument that passengers only paid £x for a ticket so why should Ryanair pay more than that to sort out problems doesn't seem to apply when it's the other way round. Quite happy to charge way more than the price of the ticket to sort out problems then aren't you, you cunt?
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    For a long time my mum and dad didn't have a phone at home and struggled when companies expected them to have one.

    Before that, I guess, companies started to assume everyone could read although lots of older people could not.
    I
    Things change and the elderly tend to get left behind.

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    cafcfan said:
    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    You should have claimed the money back from your credit card company.
    I took an airline to a small claims court and won. Currently on one of their planes having just landes. 😃
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    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
    I assume that’s the advertised price, so it seems perfectly reasonable. 

    As others have said, this is exactly how RyanAir make their money, it’s no secret so everyone should be double / triple checking documents before they leave. 
    £110 does seem a lot to check them in and print their boarding passes though
    I assume that’s the advertised price, so it seems perfectly reasonable. 

    As others have said, this is exactly how RyanAir make their money, it’s no secret so everyone should be double / triple checking documents before they leave. 
    I'm not disputing that is the published price but that it seems a lot to check someone in and print the boarding passes
    And £19 for a flight ticket seems too cheap for an international flight, but like people have said if they give with one hand there's another hand somewhere ready to snatch away. 
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    edited August 2023
    clive said:

    An elderly couple have said they were "horrified" after being charged £110 by Ryanair to print their tickets at the airport.

    Ruth, 79, and Peter Jaffe, 80, told the BBC's Radio 4 Today Programme they had to pay the fee after they mistakenly downloaded their return tickets instead of their outgoing tickets.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66500479

    How much was the fare without fees? Probably unreasonably cheap.

    Not saying it’s right (there should be some kind of law that limits fees as a percentage of the fare) but this is a clear part of their T&Cs and it’s how they make up for the fares being so cheap in the first place. If you don’t want to take that chance, fly with another airline.

    Follow their rules and they won’t have any reason to charge you.
     Errrrr, I take it if it happened to you would shrug your shoulders and say fair enough.

    This is disgusting and there is no justification for it.
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    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    There is no time limit to make a section 75 claim.
    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/section75-protect-your-purchases/
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    Prefer Aer Lingus went flying to Dublin.
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    edited August 2023
    cafcfan said:
    A few years ago, me and the wife had flights booked with Ryan air to Faro between Xmas and New Year to view apartments for our upcoming move to Portugal. Due to the time of year, we paid a hefty sum.

    The pandemic struck and all travel was banned. I contacted Ryan air and they flatly refused to refund or offer us vouchers because the flight actually operated. I asked how come as travel was banned and they explained it was used to repatriate Portuguese nationals and bring back UK citizens stranded in Portugal. So in their eyes, they had done nothing to break rules/terms.

    So even though it was against the law for us to travel, we never got one penny back.

     
    You should have claimed the money back from your credit card company.
    That isn't really the point though, cafcfan. We managed to claim back from our insurance for a rebooked flight because we "missed" a Ryanair flight due to strike action at the airport in March. They claimed that as we were not at the gate until forty minutes after scheduled gate closing time, we couldn't get on. The fact that we were at the gate fifty minutes before the re-scheduled flight time, didn't matter apparently. We had booked in forty five minutes early - the maximum time they would allow, but due to queues at passport control there was no way we could have made it on time under any circumstances. Sometimes common decency should come in to play.        
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