THINKING ABOUT FLYING WITH RYANAIR? THINK IT TWICE

From these lines, I'll tell you my first and last experience with RyanAir. Get your own conclusions.

During my last holidays in October 2006, I went to London for some days. The flight to London was ok.

Once my holidays was finished, I found that flights with destination to Sevilla, Jerez, Málaga, Granada and Almería (October 16th, 2006) were cancelled. The reason: handling strike in those airports.

Waiting for a satisfactory solution for everybody (hundreds of people), we finally found that the only alternatives given by RyanAir were:

• refund for the cancelled flight, or
• flight in an alternative flight, but ATTENTION, one week later!! So, everybody there were supposed to ask for an extra week holidays, spend thousands euros in hotels, restaurants, etc. waiting until next monday, because RyanAir was not going to pay any of these extra costs.

Thanks god, I had my cousin living at London, so I didn't need to look for any accomodation. Logically, I chose the first option, and looked for an alternative flight (Air Berlin). The total extra costs for this flight were 411 euros that I'm claiming to RyanAir.

Now you can check every mail sent by both parts and the magnificent customers services RyanAir has.

Oct 14th, 2006.

Email from RyanAir informing about the flight cancellation. I was in London so I wasn't able to read it. You know that during the flight reservation, you have to fill in your telephone. I introduced my home and my mobile phones. But for RyanAir is much more cheaper to send an automated email. NEVER expect a phone call from RyanAir!! This will never happen!!

Here you can read this email.

Check how many solutions are offered in this email. Perfect treatment to their customers.

Oct 17th, 2006.

I ask the handling company for the official document announcing the strike. At first they didn't want to give it, but, as this document is public, they had to give it to me.

Here you can read it (spanish). You can translate it, but mainly it informs about the strike schedule for each day/airport. Is important to comment that this is the official document sent to the Work Ministry in Spain, so the strike timetable shown here is the real one. Also chech the date of this document: October 5th (this document is sent to the Ministry and to RyanAir at the same time). Didn't have RyanAir enough time to advise its customers before October 12th (the day I flew to London) about the flight cancellation?

Oct 19th, 2006

I fill in the claiming forms at RyanAir local office and at Aena.

No problem with Aena. But with RyaAir... first they said that any claim should be submitted directly to Ireland by fax (they gave me the claiming form and the fax number). Then I asked for the official claiming book and with not a nice attitude, they finally gave it.

This is the text attached to both claiming forms. Every additional flight tickets, invoices, and claimed expenses were justified with hardcopies. The official strike information document was also attached.

Oct 20th, 2006

I sent my claim to RyanAir at Ireland. A 19 pages fax with the same information as given at the local office the day before.

Oct 25th, 2006

Answer from Aena to my claim dated on Oct 19th. Mainly it says Aena is not responsible for that issue and that claims must be sent to DGAC (Civil Aviation Authorities in Spain).

Oct 27th, 2006

Answer from RyanAir to my fax sent on Oct 20th. This is an automated answer: standard text for anybody trying to claim anything. Check that there's no mention to the strike in Spain, only general comments about the causes that can change any flight schedule or cancellation (weather, strikes, security...). This means that any document sent to this fax number will be answered with the same text. Really kind.

Nov 15th, 2006

Following Aena recommendation, I write to the Civil Aviation Authorities in Spain (DGAC), sending again every document.

Nov 22nd, 2006

Letter from RyanAir answering to my claim dated on Oct 19th. Well, as this claim was the official spanish one, they have read it. And someone named Marisa Rodriguez (spanish writting in english, thank you) answers. Some specific details are shown on this letter (arriving airport, dates, flight number...) But the final message is the same: you pay, we save money.

Nov 28th, 2006

To the previous letter, I answer with this fax.

Nov 30th, 2006

On this date this document is published at my personal website.

***

On this date this document is published at www.hispapanels.com.

Ok, you know what can happen if you decide flying with RyanAir. If everything goes fine, you'll have same some euros. But if something goes wrong, prepare your wallet. Use Google and find other claims against RyanAir. You'll check that the behaviour with th customers is always the same.

Soon, links to other customers claims...

Regards. Manolo.