Ryanair check-in fees / Small Claims Procedure

JulaiJ

Hello,

Last year I was unfairly charged by Ryanair with 55 euros of check-in fees at the airport while at least 10 hours before the flight I've been trying to check-in unsuccessfully both on the app and on the website. When we travel we don't have access to a desktop and a home PC. I arrived at the airport 4 hours before the flight to get assistance at the Ryanair Customer Service deck but there was a long queue as many people were experiencing the same situation. After a long wait Ryanair employees tried to check us in through our phones and didn't manage to do it neither and they said that we need to pay check-in fees. They assured us that they have noted the incident in their system and told us that upon arrival we should contact Ryanair for a refund. When I did so, Ryanair denied that there was any incident on their side and refused to issue a refund. I have exchanged contacts with 2 other people who were waiting on the queue next to me at the airport and asked them if they would like to issue a common complaint but no one responded. I have submitted the European Small Claims Procedure and recently had their feedback that the screenshots that I provided of the system dysfunction don't display the date, only the hour, and that my claim that other people were in the same situation isn't provable and they want me to pay additional fees to compensate Ryanair!! I'd like to ask for any advice how to act in this situation and if there are any lawyers specialized in Ryanair's complaints as I really don't want to leave it this way.

Thank you in advance!

DullGreyGuy

JulaiJ said:
Last year I was unfairly charged by Ryanair with 55 euros of check-in fees at the airport while at least 10 hours before the flight I've been trying to check-in unsuccessfully both on the app and on the website. When we travel we don't have access to a desktop and a home PC. I arrived at the airport 4 hours before the flight to get assistance at the Ryanair Customer Service deck but there was a long queue as many people were experiencing the same situation. After a long wait Ryanair employees tried to check us in through our phones and didn't manage to do it neither and they said that we need to pay check-in fees. They assured us that they have noted the incident in their system and told us that upon arrival we should contact Ryanair for a refund. When I did so, Ryanair denied that there was any incident on their side and refused to issue a refund. I have exchanged contacts with 2 other people who were waiting on the queue next to me at the airport and asked them if they would like to issue a common complaint but no one responded. I have submitted the European Small Claims Procedure and recently had their feedback that the screenshots that I provided of the system dysfunction don't display the date, only the hour, and that my claim that other people were in the same situation isn't provable and they want me to pay additional fees to compensate Ryanair!! I'd like to ask for any advice how to act in this situation and if there are any lawyers specialized in Ryanair's complaints as I really don't want to leave it this way.

How many thousands in lawyers fees are you willing to pay to try and get your €55 back?

Voyager2002

You exchanged contact details with others in the same situation. Witness statements from them confirming that they experienced the same error and that the same promise was made to them at check-in are likely to prove decisive.

I suggest that you book a free half-hour appointment with a local high-street solicitor, get a legally informed opinion on the situation, then write again to your fellow-passengers summarising what is likely to happen if they provide statements. That is likely to encourage them to respond.

Jenni_D

Would you have to sue Ryanair in the Irish courts? If yes then you're probably engaging in an exercise in futility - the costs of doing so would be prohibitive. (Assuming you're in GB rather than being in NI or Ireland).

@DullGreyGuy it's not even £55 ... it's €55 or about £47.  

Aylesbury_Duck

While you've clearly been treated unfairly, it's one of those occasions where you're best off writing it off.  The effort you'll need to put in to recover what is less than £50 isn't worth it.  And don't consider the principle, either.  If you were to win, Ryanair simply won't care, they'll continue to operate their model and will continue to be very popular.  You might even find yourself blocked from flying with them again.  You may view that as a benefit, but those prices are awfully tempting...