refund.me data reveals Ryanair accounts for highest percentage of compensation claims it processes on behalf of passengers against 340 airlines worldwide.
MANCHESTER – Passenger rights service provider refund.me has revealed that seven percent of all claims it processes for compensation under EU261/2004 for delayed and cancelled flights are lodged against Ryanair.
The data is drawn from an analysis of several tens of thousands of claims it has assisted disgruntled passengers with against 340 airlines over the past three years.
Eve Buechner, Founder and CEO of refund.me, comments: “Ryanair has repeatedly expressed its resentment of EU Regulation 261/2004, often not respecting both the regulation and its customers. We represent numerous clients who initially filed compensation claims directly with Ryanair but found they did not get very far. Passengers who file cases directly often remain uncompensated even when presenting a valid legal case. And this despite being charged a compensation surcharge when booking their ticket.”
Despite trying to wriggle out of paying compensation where due, Ryanair adds a compulsory surcharge on each ticket sale to offset potential compensation claim costs. The Ryanair “EU 261 compensation levy” introduced in April 2011 imposed a €2/£2 levy per passenger to fund the cost of potential pay-outs. The airline increased the levy to €2.50/£2.50 in 2013.
Approximately 323 million passengers have flown with Ryanair since the introduction of its EU261 surcharge, with potential receipts reaching an estimated €845m for the airline.
Under EU261/2004 passengers have the right to claim compensation for flight delays and cancellations not due to force majeure, or extraordinary circumstances. Compensation varies according to the nature and duration of travel disruption. Under UK law British passengers have six years to file a claim.
Ryanair has sought to limit the time to file a claim to two years by adding a clause to its booking terms and conditions. Last week Manchester Court ruled the airline’s terms invalid and upheld the rights of British passengers to claim under the six-year rule, reversing a lower court order in Ryanair’s favour limiting the claim timeline to two years as stated in its terms and conditions.
While some legal experts suggest this decision will affect some 2.2 million passengers who could now lay claim to £610 million in compensation, Ryanair has stated that its maximum exposure for potential claims is likely to be less than €5m (£3.6m). Ryanair also says it will appeal against the decision.
“Though many airlines refuse to abide by the passenger rights regulation, Ryanair is consistently the most obstinate and customer unfriendly. This might lead to a new way to look at your favourite airline: it’s not just about the legroom or size of the overhead bin, it’s more and more about how they treat passengers when it comes to their rights. At refund.me we are determined to ensure clients can assert their rights against Ryanair” concludes Eve Buechner.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
