Ryanair: How to make a claim for compensation after a cancelled flight?

Come and fill out the form to collect your compensation

Has your flight with Ryanair been cancelled? Stay calm ! You may be eligible for compensation of 250 to 600 euros. In this guide, you have all the information you need to understand your rights and effectively claim the compensation due.

In a world where air travel is synonymous with freedom and opportunity, the sudden cancellation of a flight can quickly turn a dream into a nightmare.

The timing of the announcement, canceling carefully laid plans, is a blow to travelers. Disappointment is all the more bitter when it comes without warning.

Compensation for canceled flight: scale and procedures

The European Union has laid a ground firmly under the feet of air passengers with regulation EC 261, guaranteeing a minimum compensation of 250 euros for short suspended journeys (< 1500 km). This amount increases gradually with the distance of the flight:

  • 400 euros: for distances greater than 1500 km but less than 3500 km
  • 600 euros: for long-haul, over 3500 km

 

Claim what you are entitled to

Cases described as extraordinary

It should be noted that this obligation has notable exceptions, which may exclude passengers from benefiting from this compensation.

A first exception concerns cases of force majeure, which designate external, unpredictable and irresistible events, such as natural disasters (hurricanes, volcanic eruptions), armed conflicts, or public health emergencies (epidemics), problems at the level of the control tower or a computer problem/bug at the airport, … When the cancellation results from such circumstances, the airline Ryanair is released from its obligation to compensate, since it cannot be held responsible of these events beyond his control.

The second exception applies when passengers are informed of the cancellation of their flight sufficiently in advance. If the announcement comes at least 14 days before the scheduled date, the obligation to compensate evaporates, because this provision allows travelers to revise their plans without suffering significant harm.

In Pursuit of Compensation: An Odyssey in the Administrative Skies

When it comes to the delicate art of navigating the requirement to compensate passengers for flights that go awry, some airlines are turning into veritable Houdinis of the air. Let’s dive into their box of tricks to unmask some of their most creative dodges:

– The “force majeure” excuse: This is when companies pull out all the stops by qualifying almost every incident as an extraordinary circumstance. A cloud a little too gray? Extraordinary. A daring gust of wind? Absolutely extraordinary. The objective? Sneaking out of the chore of lining up greenbacks in compensation.

– The administrative labyrinth: Here, we play “He who loses wins”. The companies concoct an administrative obstacle course such that even the most daring travelers would consider abandoning their quest for compensation before even having started. Thirteen copies of forms, untraceable supporting documents and deadlines worthy of crossing the desert.

– Air barter: Faced with the prospect of taking out the checkbook, some carriers prefer to try barter. “How about a travel voucher instead of cold hard cash?”

Let the legal sky masters take charge

In the complex and often turbulent world of air law, lawyers specializing in air law play a crucial role, like magicians capable of changing the course of the game. Distinguished by their exceptional mastery and their exhaustive understanding of the regulations that govern the skies, these professionals have the power to turn seemingly unfavorable situations into victories for passengers left without recourse.

Magic operates in several dimensions. First of all, when faced with a compensation claim that seems to be lost in the administrative nothingness of airlines, these legal experts can invoke relevant legal arguments, forcing carriers like Ryanair to reconsider their position. They know how to decipher the subtleties of regulations such as the famous European regulation CE 261/2004, transforming complex texts into winning strategies for injured passengers.

Moreover, when a dispute reaches the legal stage, these airline consumer law experts demonstrate remarkable skill in maneuvering through the labyrinth of legal procedures, often tilting justice towards the side of those they represent. Through their negotiation tactics or their bravery in the legal arena, these masters of law adjust their defense strategy to vigorously protect the interests of passengers.

Their remuneration depends on the success of their mission

This means they don’t get a cent if their efforts to defend travelers’ cases don’t bear fruit. This injects an extra dose of determination into their quest for justice, and is directly linked to achieving a positive outcome for their clients.