Can we get a refund if we don't fly

Our son was comming over in June to visit. Due to possible job interview and hopfully a job. He as decided he better not travel

I have heard that Ryanair  don't do refunds, is that true?, its 5 weeks before he is due to fly.

Any help appreaciated

 Not sure whether they will refund - check out their website for their refund policy (we did receive full refund from them, but it was because they changed their flight times and they weren't suitable for us).

If they won't refund, maybe you can just change the dates?  You will probably have to pay extra to do so, but it may be a better option.

It doesn't look good I'm afraid.

Check the Ryanair website

extract below

 Fraid not.  None of the budget airlines do refunds.  Our ferry to UK was cancelled due to weather and we had booked flights back with Easyjet but couldn't fly, no refund.  Never thought of taking travel insurance but will next time.

Thanks for your words,  Not refunding the seat price is one thing, but they have allready charged us for

£12.00 to check in online.........£50,00  for luggage ...... Levy   £4.50.... not forgeting the admin fee of £12.00

If we don't fly will they charge us the increased spanish airport levy ?

Never booked with them before, after this we never wil again

Once again we have people bashing the likes of Ryanair because they have not used common sense or bothered to read the terms and conditions at the outset. As said earlier its not only Ryanair but EVERY airline that on their "cheapest" tickets there is no refund. It is only because of easyJet and others that the airlines now list the seperate charges for each item. This helps us as consumers as we  now chose which services we want instead of paying for things we do not want, like for example, luggage. Also I can not understand as to why people continue to travel without having insurance and then expect someone else to pay for their misfortunes. If  derek55 had  taken out insurance they would have told him, on the information given here, that there would be no claim as he has simply just changed his mind.  So why should Ryanair give him back his money when he has simply changed his mind for whatever  reason. As he said he will never use Ryanair again. Well that is his choice but then even B.A. would not give him back his money if he had bought the cheapest type of ticket.   It is not only Ryanair that do not give refunds if you change your mind. Look at rail tickets, hotel bookings, ferries, need I go on?Try not expecting to get "Rolls Royce" type treatment when you buy a Reliant Robin!

We went out to Spain for a week in February and my niece and her partner were supposed to be coming with us! They paid for their flights, a suitcase, prebooked seats and for one of them to book in at the airport, and then 3 days before decided they didn't want to come! We didn't even bother to try and get any money back, because as far as we were all concerned it was their decision not to fly! The upside was we had a whole 3 seats to ourselves going out and coming back! The only thing I have decided is that in future if anyone is coming out with us, I will book the suitcase in my name, then if they don't fly we can take more stuff out with us, as we tend to just go with hand luggage!  Even though they had insurance there was no way they could have claimed, and rightly so, don't think a change of heart can be covered! 

  The only thing I have decided is that in future if anyone is coming out with us, I will book the suitcase in my name, then if they don't fly we can take more stuff out with us, as we tend to just go with hand luggage!

I can see a small flaw in your plan.

"Each passenger may check in up to two checked bags upon payment of the applicable checked baggage fees by electing to purchase a checked baggage allowance of either 15 kilos or 20 kilos when make their initial booking. "

So even if you book the bags in your name, you still still only take your own personal allowance.

Mark

with  easy jet you can transfer to another flight  (not sure about ryan air)BUT it cost £35 per person, per flight changed + the extra flight costs if any  ,  so if 2 of you traveling thats £140 b4 you start, we were unable to go to Malaga for a few days last week , but as had booked cheap flights back b4 christmas , was cheaper to loose the £115, than transfer to different dates    . you would think the seats would be worth something to the airline , rather than them go unused , they could offer to try to re sell them for you  @ £25 each,( or more @ peak times,)  and then  resell them for a fortune as late deals ,  ...................

Marksfish - there is no flaw in the plan of us booking suitcases in our name as we don't normally take anything other than hand luggage! So if the case is booked in our name and someone drops out, then we will still use the luggage allowance they have paid for instead of just having hand luggage allowance of 10kg! We have our own apartment in Spain so leave our clothes out there, it would just mean we can take a bit more out with us! The only reason I was annoyed was the fact that the suitcase cost more than the flight! Ridiculous really, but they get us every way they can, give them a cheap flight, but charge them the earth to take clothes and book in at the airport!

 Sorry, I thought you meant booking 2 or 3 cases for the other pax and then using them too.

Ryanairs rules say they will refund for the death of a close relative. Both go and return flights were within the 17 days specified. We spent around £185 but we only got £62. I think £62 was the base price one way. Not sure as they would not respond to any communication after that.

In response to tteedd my condolences for your loss of your close relative. However where was your travel insurance? Why should any airline refund your money as they have done nothing wrong. You made a contract with them to fly you from point "A" to point "B" and they incured costs at the outset.  Then through no fault of theirs you then could not use the contracted service and expect to get back every penny you spent! Try using the same arguement with any other business and see if you get all your money back. People take responsibility for your own actions and stop blaming everyone else because you did not take the proper steps to help yourself, in this case taking out travel insurance.

I can relate my experience on this subject. With Ryanair, following an illness that caused me to be hospitalised for a few days my application for a refund was rejected. The Daily Telegraph travel correspondent confirmed that Ryanair no not make refunds. I claimed that they were not entitled to retain the tax element of a fare when no passenger had been carried - again rejected with no explanation.

On another occasion when booked with Easyjet I successfully claimed for the return of the tax element of the fare, so I suggest that there are particular areas of the rules where refunds, or partial refunds, can be obtained, but my experience is - don't be optimistic!!!

Steone

I'm sure that no-one expects ALL their money back if they are unfortunate enough to have to change plans. Quite often people are face with dilemmas which are not covered by insurance, (An opportunity of a job interview) I hope you never find yourself in that situation, but you probably won't because you sound as though you are perfect. The main problem is that the likes of Ryanair and the others keep the tax element of the fare and to get it back you have to pay more than the tax itself, this is totally out of order. The tax is not passed to the government as the person is not travelling, easy money for nothing!

Steone

The start of my message:

'Ryanair's rules say they will refund for the death of a close relative. Both go and return flights were within the 17 days specified.'

All I was asking was that Ryanair obeyed their own rules.

I kept Ryanair abreast of the situation at the time (not the first thing you think of as eldest son with a dying father, power of attourney and eventually becoming executor). I bet that our seats were taken. In most contractual situations, even if the contract says otherwise (which as I pointed out it does not, it is in my favour) you cannot take punative payment without proving a loss. Ryanair are playing bully and relying on the little guy not wanting the expense or hassle of taking them to court for a small amount.

I do have annual travel insurance which comes with an excess. Before I could claim on that I needed a letter from Ryanair saying they would not pay. Ryanair would not supply the letter. As the cost of the accommodation was below the excess and the insurance assumes (with no letter) that the airline refunds for the flight, I was stuffed.

But there is more to this story (I hope bad things do not come in threes). After the previous experience I now fly with Easyjet. This January my wife's mother died just before we were due to fly. I looked up Easyjet's rules and could find no provision for refund (only that they would consider cases on merit). I tried without expectation, and initially online, easyjet said no. But by writing to their head office I now have a voucher for the full amount it cost me to change the flights.

 tteedd. one of the things that cannot be gainsaid about uk, crap weather notwithstanding, is that it has a pretty good legal system - and a fantastic county court small claims system -  for pennies you could have hauled ryanair to your local court and - at worst, made them explain their reasons for neither replying to your letter, let alone denying you a refund. you musn't be intimidated by the word "court" - you just go into a room with whoever you are suing and the only other person is a district judge. legal costs are not awarded so the worst that could happen if the case went against you would be an (approximate) £50 award for the defendant's time/travel. always sue.

Hi Guy

Unfortunately I'm no stranger to the courts.

I've been to the small claims a couple of times. First time the magistrate found in my favour (no bill to pay) then awarded costs against me!! I think she had some sort of idea that she had to spread things fairly!?! (she also allowed a lot of interjection from the oppositions 'friend - only there to support'.

Last time I won against a private parking outfit (case dismissed). Worth defending yourself against them. The magistrates don't like them.

But both times I went it was a lot of time, travel and hassle.

(I've also sucessfully defended a speeding case - but then I did not go to court, my motoring organisation sorted it - and I've served on a  jury).

tteedd

Once again my condolenses for your losses.

It has been known for many years that Ryanair are not customer friendly (to say the least) and they play fast and loose with the rules. Personally I only fly with them if no other airline offers  the route/price/time that I want. We all know that there is very little likelihood of getting your money back from them even when you have obeyed all their rules. This is the price we pay for using a "cheap" airline. I think they are the biggest load of s***. in the market but I still use them. I  accept that an animal will be treated better than the "service" you can expect from Mr. O'Leary.  All that we are doing here and elsewhere is giving free advertising to Ryanair instead of what should happen which is a complete blackout.

Slightly digressing, nobody has mentioned the fact that Ryanair used to offer  flights for less than £10 when the tax/duty that airlines had to pay the government was £10. I do not need a reply but in simple economics how can Ryanair sell a seat for less than £10 complete when they have to pay £10 in duty? One must assume that the tax taken from the non flyers covers the discounted seats!

I still stand by my remark that we must take responsibility for our own actions. So by choosing to book with Ryanair we should not expect anything except a flight at a certain time. Anything else (refunds, service, obeying their own rules etc. ) forget it.