Ryanair flight cancelled due to strike action.

pthompson

sheramber said:
 Did you ask Ryanair to book you onto that alternative flight? 

No -- the tool on their site just gave me an option for re-booking onto another of *their* flights, or to request a refund.  I didn't want to risk missing the last seat on the only flight that would get me home in time (i.e. with another airline) so I just booked that independently straight away (+ hotel).  Now I'm asking you MSE Forum members if they have an obligation to reimburse me.

eskbanker

pthompson said:

sheramber said:
 Did you ask Ryanair to book you onto that alternative flight? 

No -- the tool on their site just gave me an option for re-booking onto another of *their* flights, or to request a refund.  I didn't want to risk missing the last seat on the only flight that would get me home in time (i.e. with another airline) so I just booked that independently straight away (+ hotel).  Now I'm asking you MSE Forum members if they have an obligation to reimburse me.

The airline is responsible for offering you (the choice between a refund and) an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity, plus accommodation if necessary, so if they offered you a flight the next day and you didn't feel that it was adequate then they'll argue you should have discussed it with them rather than taking matters into your own hands and booking a flight yourself in the expectation of later reimbursement.

So, they may well argue that they did what they were legally required to do, even though you can counter that you needed to get back for work and that there was evidently an earlier flight available - the rules aren't really cut and dried in this area so you may succeed but will probably have to put up a fight, especially if the flight you took was significantly more expensive than Ryanair's.

Voyager2002

eskbanker said:

pthompson said:

sheramber said:
 Did you ask Ryanair to book you onto that alternative flight? 

No -- the tool on their site just gave me an option for re-booking onto another of *their* flights, or to request a refund.  I didn't want to risk missing the last seat on the only flight that would get me home in time (i.e. with another airline) so I just booked that independently straight away (+ hotel).  Now I'm asking you MSE Forum members if they have an obligation to reimburse me.

The airline is responsible for offering you (the choice between a refund and) an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity, plus accommodation if necessary, so if they offered you a flight the next day and you didn't feel that it was adequate then they'll argue you should have discussed it with them rather than taking matters into your own hands and booking a flight yourself in the expectation of later reimbursement.

So, they may well argue that they did what they were legally required to do, even though you can counter that you needed to get back for work and that there was evidently an earlier flight available - the rules aren't really cut and dried in this area so you may succeed but will probably have to put up a fight, especially if the flight you took was significantly more expensive than Ryanair's.

It is clear, however, that they are responsible for paying for the hotel (plus evening meal).

pthompson

eskbanker said:

pthompson said:

sheramber said:
 Did you ask Ryanair to book you onto that alternative flight? 

No -- the tool on their site just gave me an option for re-booking onto another of *their* flights, or to request a refund.  I didn't want to risk missing the last seat on the only flight that would get me home in time (i.e. with another airline) so I just booked that independently straight away (+ hotel).  Now I'm asking you MSE Forum members if they have an obligation to reimburse me.

The airline is responsible for offering you (the choice between a refund and) an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity, plus accommodation if necessary, so if they offered you a flight the next day and you didn't feel that it was adequate then they'll argue you should have discussed it with them rather than taking matters into your own hands and booking a flight yourself in the expectation of later reimbursement.

Well I've now accepted their refund offer (a grand total of €17), but that doesn't make much of a dent in my hotel + BA flight expenses.  

eskbanker

pthompson said:

eskbanker said:

pthompson said:

sheramber said:
 Did you ask Ryanair to book you onto that alternative flight? 

No -- the tool on their site just gave me an option for re-booking onto another of *their* flights, or to request a refund.  I didn't want to risk missing the last seat on the only flight that would get me home in time (i.e. with another airline) so I just booked that independently straight away (+ hotel).  Now I'm asking you MSE Forum members if they have an obligation to reimburse me.

The airline is responsible for offering you (the choice between a refund and) an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity, plus accommodation if necessary, so if they offered you a flight the next day and you didn't feel that it was adequate then they'll argue you should have discussed it with them rather than taking matters into your own hands and booking a flight yourself in the expectation of later reimbursement.

Well I've now accepted their refund offer (a grand total of €17), but that doesn't make much of a dent in my hotel + BA flight expenses.  

Ah!  As above, they're obliged to offer you the choice between a refund or rerouting, so accepting the refund will generally be seen as an alternative to reimbursement of the replacement flight - not necessarily irretrievably so but I suspect that it won't have helped your case.

pthompson

eskbanker said:

Ah!  As above, they're obliged to offer you the choice between a refund or rerouting, so accepting the refund will generally be seen as an alternative to reimbursement of the replacement flight - not necessarily irretrievably so but I suspect that it won't have helped your case.

Indeed, but I didn't get anywhere with trying to get back my expenses, so as their deadline for accepting the refund approached I took their €17 offer as it was better than nothing.  I'm far from happy about this.

Voyager2002

pthompson said:

eskbanker said:

Ah!  As above, they're obliged to offer you the choice between a refund or rerouting, so accepting the refund will generally be seen as an alternative to reimbursement of the replacement flight - not necessarily irretrievably so but I suspect that it won't have helped your case.

Indeed, but I didn't get anywhere with trying to get back my expenses, so as their deadline for accepting the refund approached I took their €17 offer as it was better than nothing.  I'm far from happy about this.

I think you should complain to the CAA. Firstly, they had no right to impose a deadline for accepting their offer of a refund. Secondly, it seems they misinformed you about your right to "care" and "rerouting".