Ryanair rip off

Alisonmenis

No refund from Ryanair for flights over Xmas and New Year that UK citizens can’t legally fly on - what is going on - this is daylight robbery!

elsien

If the flight still went ahead and wasn’t cancelled  there is no entitlement to a refund. Have you been given the option to rebook to another date? 

Caz3121

if the flights operated then this would be a case for your travel insurance

CKhalvashi

Immigration requirements are not Ryanair's problem, they're yours.

Contact your insurer.

Alisonmenis

The flight ‘conveniently’ went ahead to avoid them having to cancel the flight but as the airport is in Tier 4 and Spain won’t let UK citizens enter their country, not giving a refund is underhand.

elsien

Then claim on your travel insurance. Although you’ve not answered the rebooking/voucher question. 

People other than UK citizens use flights as well.  Such as Spanish nationals trying to get home?

k12479

Alisonmenis said:

The flight ‘conveniently’ went ahead to avoid them having to cancel the flight...

It also 'conveniently' got the plane to Spain so those booked on a Spain-UK flight had a plane to get on to.

Streaky_Bacon

The fact that the flight went ahead does not necessarily mean that the contract has been completed, and the supplier is entitled to retain the fare.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6227725/when-flights-go-ahead-but-you-are-not-able-to-take-them-frustrated-contracts

unforeseen

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/guides/english-contracts-frustration-coronavirus#:~:text=What is frustration?,or illegal to perform; or

CKhalvashi

Streaky_Bacon said:

The fact that the flight went ahead does not necessarily mean that the contract has been completed, and the supplier is entitled to retain the fare.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6227725/when-flights-go-ahead-but-you-are-not-able-to-take-them-frustrated-contracts

I don't believe that this has been tested in court, and I also believe that you are the OP of that post.

OP will have a contract with the airline, which will state that the responsibility of the airline is to offer the exclusive right to a seat to OP on FRxxxx on xx/xx/xx.

It will also state that if OP does not meet any immigration requirements for the flight, they will not be allowed to board it.

OP is therefore in breach of contract, not Ryanair. If this was a transit ticket (and I believe that Spain are allowing transit still) and OP could prove that they meet the requirements for this with a separate ticket, there may be a claim with Ryanair (referencing now discontinued Easyjet flights to DME with pax self-connecting through the international transit zone without checked in bags). As things stand though, I personally don't believe this is the case.

Just to avoid the allegation of being connected to Ryanair, I don't own shares in Ryanair, but do have detailed knowledge of aviation, and do hold shares in other airlines. I have friends and family working in aviation and a personal interest in the sector, however none work for Ryanair or any company that handles them. Whether anyone I may know in Engineering has touched one of their aircraft this year, I don't know or care.

Aylesbury_Duck

Alisonmenis said:

The flight ‘conveniently’ went ahead to avoid them having to cancel the flight but as the airport is in Tier 4 and Spain won’t let UK citizens enter their country, not giving a refund is underhand.

Perhaps you haven't considered that citizens of other nations might have been on the flight?

You chose to fly in a global pandemic which has been known about for almost a year.  Disruption is to be expected.