Ryanair’s miscalculation could cost airline up to £53 million in payouts

After miscalculating the planning of pilots’ holidays, Ryanair has announced the cancellation of up to 2,100 flights over the next six weeks; a decision that will affect around 400,000 passengers.

Thousands of angry travellers have taken to social media to express their fury. Some have complained about vacation plans that have been ruined just 24 hours before takeoff. Others have tweeted about being stuck in remote airports, left waiting for a flight home for up to three days.

“Ryanair, for a low fare, seems to sell not only budget flights but also poor quality service,” said Marius Stonkus, the CEO of SKYCOP.

“Based on customer watchdog Which? analysis, Ryanair ignores more than half of all customer complaints. Which? revealed that in 2016 Ryanair’s decision to refuse compensation was wrong in 77% of cases.”

If your flight has been cancelled, Ryanair offers options. Affected travellers can choose between a full refund and an alternative flight ticket. However, there is no information about the moral compensation. Under EU law, every traveller is entitled to up to €600 compensation for a cancelled, delayed or overbooked flight. Every passenger who wasn’t notified of their flight cancellation through Ryanair at least two weeks prior to departure, is entitled to compensation.

SKYCOP, the international platform fighting for passenger rights, says: “This Ryanair move will cost the company around €53 million in compensations. As the airline has avoided informing their customers about the compensation, this sum depends solely on the passengers themselves. Depending on whether they have been informed in prior and flight distance, affected travellers can get up to £600 compensations.”

SKYCOP responded to the situation and sent an official letter to Ryanair with their suggestions on how to optimise compensation reimbursement processes. Every day for the next six weeks, Ryanair will cancel 40-50 flights, and their office should be ready to promptly deal with an accumulating pile of claims.