Flight Cancellations

mel123

Hopefully this is the right place to post.
Ryanair cancelled flights the day before they were due to depart because of the French Air Traffic strike with no offer of any alternative flights. Was refunded for the flights.
I thought I could put in a claim under EU Regulation 261/2004 for the €250 each however they have rejected it. (subsequent flights cost a hell of a lot more and also had to rent a car and drive to Cork from Dublin to catch a flight).

Are Ryanair indeed correct to reject it, this is what they said
As this cancellation was unexpected and therefore outside Ryanair’s control and i agree that it was not their fault but i still thought there would be compensation due?1
Anyone know for sure?

hullaballoo

French air traffic controllers go on strike every 2 weeks. It's hardly an extraordinary circumstance.

ohnonotgmail

hullaballoo wrote: »

French air traffic controllers go on strike every 2 weeks. It's hardly an extraordinary circumstance.

but hardly something that ryanair (or any airline) can avoid.

Fred Swanson

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mel123

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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They didnt offer an alternative flight, so ill go back to them with this and see what they say. Thanks

ohnonotgmail

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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if ATC were on strike there may not have been an alternative flight.

Fred Swanson

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mel123

We were able to get out of Cork, on the original day that Ryanair cancelled. The original flight was from Dublin. I am by no means any use on aviation, but you would think if Aer Lingus can leave from Cork, Ryanair could have maybe diverted their path a bit instead of just cancelling and leaving people stranged with just over 24 hours notice.

ohnonotgmail

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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do you think they would have enough capacity to accommodate a full days worth of passengers on the following day?

jimmycrackcorm

Fred Swanson wrote:

A case of washing their hands and just refunding is against the spirit of EU261.

Not when it's outside of their control.

ohnonotgmail wrote:

do you think they would have enough capacity to accommodate a full days worth of passengers on the following day?

An alternative does not necessarily have to be with the same airline.

ohnonotgmail

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Not when it's outside of their control.



An alternative does not necessarily have to be with the same airline.

well true but all airlines would have been in the same position.

Fred Swanson

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ohnonotgmail

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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how were they operating in/through french airspace if ATC were on strike?

Fred Swanson

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ohnonotgmail

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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good for them. i cant comment on specifics. we dont even know where the OP was going.

Fred Swanson

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ohnonotgmail

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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well clearly not. better to cancel in advance than when people get to the airport.

Fred Swanson

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Stark

You're not entitled to the €250 compensation due to the "extraordinary circumstance outside the airline's control" but the airline still has a duty of care towards you regarding providing accommodation/transport costs/alternative flight/meals etc. Make sure you keep all receipts for expenses incurred. Also, I think you give up some rights if you accept a refund rather than a rescheduled flight ie: if your outbound flight was with Ryanair, and you accepted a refund, then booked another flight out with Aer Lingus then you're only entitled to the refund.

mel123

Stark wrote: »

You're not entitled to the €250 compensation due to the "extraordinary circumstance outside the airline's control" but the airline still has a duty of care towards you regarding providing accommodation/transport costs/alternative flight/meals etc. Make sure you keep all receipts for expenses incurred. Also, I think you give up some rights if you accept a refund rather than a rescheduled flight ie: if your outbound flight was with Ryanair, and you accepted a refund, then booked another flight out with Aer Lingus then you're only entitled to the refund.

We were not offered an alternative flight, just a refund and that was it.

Someone else said i didnt mention where we were going, it was Spain.