RyanAir Missed Departure Fee

Atirez

Apologies if this is the wrong place, but I could do with some help. We missed a RyanAir flight at the beginning of the year and paid the missed departure fee to be on a standby list. We were told that we only had an hour to make the decision, that every minute that goes by we will be further down the list, and it would be refundable. We later decided that with two young children that we would instead pay for a flight that we will definately be on, rather than wait 24 hours at the airport and have no guarantee of a flight the next day. I went to get a refund and was informed that we would need to apply for a refund online.

7 months later, hours off phone queues, being cut off, having our case closed without response they eventually sent an email saying "flights are non refundable." I have tried to open a section 75 request with the credit card company and they have rejected our claim unless we can prove that the fee is refundable. I have not been able to locate that information online. 

I have no idea what to do at the moment. I just cannot believe being on a stand-by list that has no guarantee of a place on flight is not refundable and having been pressure sold in an emotional state they seem to be able to keep our money. Can anyone help us find the required details or provide some alternative avenues that we can take to get our money back. 

Any help would be appreciated.

elsien

How much money are you talking about? 

Westin

Presumably this is the Missed Departure fee (£/€100 pp) which is charged if you arrive late for your original flight and then wish to list as stand-by to be accommodated on a later flight.

RyanAir’s website states as:-
“ Only available at less than 40 mins before and up to 1 hour after flight departure time. Also available to customers who arrive at the ticket desk up to an hour after their flight departure to move to the next available flight. The fee is charged per passenger per sector.”

From what you say in your post I assume the time pressure was because you were close to that 1hr after flight departure cut off. After this time perhaps the RyanAir airport system would not allow for this listing option to be given.

You may feel aggrieved but this is not a S75 matter, or IMO do I think you can push blame back to RyanAir or their handling agent. You missed the flight, you made a decision to accept the option to pay their standby fee. It might be considered a nice gesture for RyanAir to refund you but it seems that they have said No. The airline is not known to offer outstanding customer service or generous outcomes that they don’t have to give. 

This might be one to accept and own. Sorry.

Atirez

The grievance is because we were told at the point we paid, and when I later attempted to get a refund at the airport, that a refund was available. We only found out that it was via an online form when I tried to get the money back. If I had been told that the £100pp was essentially a raffle ticket for a flight the next day I would never have paid. Yes RyanAir are beyond appalling with customer service, I have spent so many hours on queues and being cut off from calls and being told nothing that I have learnt that lesson the hard way.

If I can get any kind of documented evidence that it is refundable then I can my money back via S75. If not I am going to have raise yet another refund request with RyanAir.

It is for £400. We missed the flights due to delays in the airport but we have also been told that we are not getting our flight money back either.

Westin

“It is for £400. We missed the flights due to delays in the airport but we have also been told that we are not getting our flight money back either.”

:: RyanAir are quite clear that their flights are Non-Refundable.

“The grievance is because we were told at the point we paid, and when I later attempted to get a refund at the airport, that a refund was available”

:: Why at that point did you not take it?
::  I wonder if by the time you booked alternative flights yourself that whoever was trying to sort out alternative options for you had booked you on to another flight.  If that was done then that flight/money might then also become Non-Refundable under FR’s terms of selling non-refundable flights.

If I can get any kind of documented evidence that it is refundable then I can my money back via S75. If not I am going to have raise yet another refund request with RyanAir.

:: A long shot suggestion but perhaps contact the handling agent of the departure airport, or visit them.  See if they will confirm the action taken against your case and if your £100 pp funds were just held, or used to rebook another flight.  Handling agents and research required to find which one applies. At Stansted for example it is Blue Handling (actually a FR subsidiary).  Perhaps they can provide that documentary evidence that you are seeking.

Atirez

Westin said:

“It is for £400. We missed the flights due to delays in the airport but we have also been told that we are not getting our flight money back either.”

:: RyanAir are quite clear that their flights are Non-Refundable.

“The grievance is because we were told at the point we paid, and when I later attempted to get a refund at the airport, that a refund was available”

:: Why at that point did you not take it?
::  I wonder if by the time you booked alternative flights yourself that whoever was trying to sort out alternative options for you had booked you on to another flight.  If that was done then that flight/money might then also become Non-Refundable under FR’s terms of selling non-refundable flights.

If I can get any kind of documented evidence that it is refundable then I can my money back via S75. If not I am going to have raise yet another refund request with RyanAir.

:: A long shot suggestion but perhaps contact the handling agent of the departure airport, or visit them.  See if they will confirm the action taken against your case and if your £100 pp funds were just held, or used to rebook another flight.  Handling agents and research required to find which one applies. At Stansted for example it is Blue Handling (actually a FR subsidiary).  Perhaps they can provide that documentary evidence that you are seeking.

"RyanAir are quite clear that their flights are Non-Refundable."

I am not trying to get a refund for the flight we missed, I am trying to get a refund for money we paid to be on standby for a flight the next day. I am not sure paying money to be on standby for flight - that is only getting a seat if someone misses the flight - is classed as buying a ticket.

"Why at that point did you not take it?"
I tried to get a refund. They said they do not give refunds over the counter and I would need to fill in an online form.

"I wonder if by the time you booked alternative flights yourself that whoever was trying to sort out alternative options for you had booked you on to another flight.  If that was done then that flight/money might then also become Non-Refundable under FR’s terms of selling non-refundable flights."
Perhaps but that was not stated at any time. 

"A long shot suggestion but perhaps contact the handling agent of the departure airport, or visit them.  See if they will confirm the action taken against your case and if your £100 pp funds were just held, or used to rebook another flight.  Handling agents and research required to find which one applies. At Stansted for example it is Blue Handling (actually a FR subsidiary).  Perhaps they can provide that documentary evidence that you are seeking."

Thanks I will give this a shot.