Latest Ryanair Scam

spike23

We have a place in Spain and regularly book a flights with Ryanair as they are released. We find this is a good way to get good prices.
We also do it so that we can choose flights in the middle of the day. I currently have 6 return flights booked with them.
At the weekend I was looking at my Ryanair app and noticed that the times of 5 of the flights had been changed so that they were now late evening flights.
I dont want to arrive late at night and so I l looked at alternatives, by moving the flights by just one day (something I'm fortunate enough to be able to do) i would be able to travel again at a reasonable time.

....So I got on the phone in order to change the flights only to be informed that we couldn't change until we received formal notification of the change and that would be sent "90 days or as soon as possible before the flight"

This means that I might have to wait 6 months for the opportunity to change or get my money back on some of the flights, by which time there might be no alternative flights available and other carriers might be much more expensive.

It doesn't really seem fair as by definition of the phrase "as soon as possible" they could inform me now and let me change or cancel my flight.

It seems to be a strategy to hang on to people's money and benefit from the interest it might accrue whilst reducing to opportunity to change to another supplier.

It seems like a total con,  Ryanair has no shame and is exploiting its near monopolistic position unfairly.

eskbanker

Understandable to be cynical but they could make further changes to those flight timings so what you see now isn't necessarily the final position - however, if you're confident that it is then you could book the alternative flights now and choose the refund option (assuming the changes are significant enough) when you get the 90 day notification?

Pollycat

I can't see the 'scam' in this...

Westin

Pollycat said:

I can't see the 'scam' in this...

Me neither.

OP points out that they book multiple flights early in order to get good prices. One downside and risk of this is that flight timings may well change over time. It’s a risk. No scam.

Exodi

Your title 'Latest Ryanair Scam' plainly implies that they're constantly ripping people off, yet simultaneously you "regularly book flights with Ryanair" and "currently have 6 return flights booked with them".

You then end your post with "It seems like a total con,  Ryanair has no shame and is exploiting its near monopolistic position unfairly."

Your suggestion that Ryanair is in a 'near monopolistic position' is frankly ridiculous. A monopoly is where there is only one company that provides a particular good or service, so they are able charge whatever they like and customers are forced to pay it as there is no alternative. If Ryanair happened to purchase every other airline (and the regulators let them) and then increased the cost of all flights by 10x, then I'd agree with you. In reality and in contrast, there is an endless list of competitor airlines that fly to Spain (35, according to booking.com) that consumers can use instead, and Ryanair is one of the cheapest.

If you think their practices are unacceptable, stop buying tickets with them?

NoodleDoodleMan

"It seems like a total con,  Ryanair has no shame and is exploiting its near monopolistic position unfairly."

Several other airlines fly from numerous UK airports to Spain to serve the usual popular holiday destinations.

bagand96

Whilst I don't agree with it being a scam, I don't think it's particularly fair.  If Ryanair are now selling the flights on significantly different flight times then they should allow booked passengers the change/refund options as applicable so they can alter their travel plans accordingly.  Holding on until 90 days before the flight could obviously disadvantage the customer by reducing options, but I guess means they're more likely to keep their Ryanair reservation.

Hoenir

bagand96 said:

Whilst I don't agree with it being a scam, I don't think it's particularly fair.  If Ryanair are now selling the flights on significantly different flight times then they should allow booked passengers the change/refund options as applicable so they can alter their travel plans accordingly.  Holding on until 90 days before the flight could obviously disadvantage the customer by reducing options, but I guess means they're more likely to keep their Ryanair reservation.

Ryanair is only able to offer cheap discounted flights by operating such a business model. Not possible to have your cake and eat it too. 

bagand96

Hoenir said:

bagand96 said:

Whilst I don't agree with it being a scam, I don't think it's particularly fair.  If Ryanair are now selling the flights on significantly different flight times then they should allow booked passengers the change/refund options as applicable so they can alter their travel plans accordingly.  Holding on until 90 days before the flight could obviously disadvantage the customer by reducing options, but I guess means they're more likely to keep their Ryanair reservation.

Ryanair is only able to offer cheap discounted flights by operating such a business model. Not possible to have your cake and eat it too. 

Ryanair's policy is that if flight times change by 5 hours then you can cancel or reschedule free of charge.  My own experience in the past is they've been pretty good with this, they'd notify you of a schedule change and you had the options via a link in the email.

Anecdotally* it would seem this has changed recently.  They know of a reschedule if they have changed the times for the flights on sale.  But they deliberately delay telling already booked passengers, thus delaying them being able to enact their rights under both EC261 and Ryanair T&Cs. 

Seen it reported on these forums a few times now, unsure whether it's a deliberate and widespread change, or just a few flights/routes have been caught out somehow. Either way I cannot see how it's crucial to their business model as it's never been an issue before.

Having been one of the more reliable and resilient carriers during Covid and subsequent recovery, Ryanair have certainly been more susceptible to wholesale schedule changes the last couple of years.  Largely a result of being stuck with the wrong aircraft supplier.

Hoenir

Boeing are falling to deliver new aircraft in a timely manner. Another complexity in scheduling timetables a year ahead. 

zagfles

Or don't book so far in advance, not sure why people think they get good prices booking flights as soon as they're released, my last few Ryanair flights have been in the region of £5-£20, booking something like 1-3 weeks in advance. And then you rarely get the flight changed.