Ryanair overbooked flight, Ryanair refusing to pay for food and drink expenses

ExpatBuyer

Hi,

I had a flight this month which I was refused boarding due to it being overbooked.

We had to wait ~9 hours in the airport to get the next flight.

Ryanair never offered food or drink vouchers but we paid for our own in the expectation we could submit the receipts as expenses in accordance with eu261. The website gives an error when trying to submit these claims and after lengthy customer service chat I was told I wasn't entitled for this as the 250 euro compensation covers this.

Does anybody know if there's any recourse in this scenario? It's a modest amount of money but just I'm very annoyed by the stonewalling by Ryanair on this

Cabaal

My reading of the below is they technically could have reduced your compensation from 250e (assuming your flight was upto 1,500km) as you accepted an alternative flight so your delay was limited. If your flight distance was more and then reduced the amount then I'm not sure you're going to get much here.

You could write to them and appeal. (handy templates on below website) but nothing is certain about how succesful you would be.

If a flight is overbooked and not enough passengers are prepared to give up their seat, the airline may deny certain passengers to board the flight. If this happens, you are entitled to an alternative flight and a full ticket refund. Along with a right to certain care (meals, communications and accommodation), you also have a right to financial compensation if you opt for an alternative flight due to overbooking.

Compensation amounts:

€250 for flights up to and including 1,500km

€400 for flights within the EU of more than 1,500km

€400 for flights outside the EU between 1,500km and 3,500km

€600 for flights of more than 3,500km.

This compensation may be reduced by 50% if you accept an alternative flight and your delay is limited.

https://www.eccireland.ie/travelling-in-the-eu/air-travel/compensation/

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122563682#Comment_122563682

My reading of the below is they technically could have reduced your compensation from 250e (assuming your flight was upto 1,500km) as you accepted an alternative flight so your delay was limited.

If the airline ask for volunteers in an overbooking situation and you accept an alternative flight then you're not entitled to compensation. However the OP didn't say anything about that in their post. From what they said this was a simple case of denied boarding due to overbooking so EU261 applies in this case.

As the link you posted explains, meals/accomodation are separate to EU261 compensation. Ryanair aren't allowed to reduce your compensation.

jimmycrackcorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122563682#Comment_122563682

from Citizensinformation.ie, care and assistance is separate from the compensation:

What is care and assistance by the airline?

Free meals and refreshments must be offered depending on how long the waiting time is. Hotel accommodation must also be offered free of charge where an overnight stay becomes necessary, as well as transport between the hotel and the airport. You must be offered 2 free telephone calls, fax messages, or emails.

If the airline does not give you the above assistance to you and you are forced to make your own arrangements, you should keep all your receipts. You are entitled to get reimbursed for your expenses.

it's even in their own PDF:

EU261_for_Ireland_-_EN-V16.pdf (ryanair.com)

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122563964#Comment_122563964

I'm fairly sure you're entitled to compensation if you volunteer?

At the end of the day you're not getting the flight you booked through no fault of your own.

I was booked on an aer lingus flight from NY to Dublin where I got 700 euro cheque and hotel and dinner voucher to give up my seat PLUS the statutory compensation.

Rows Grower

A couple of months ago a few of us got booked into The Carlton in Blanchardstown because of Aer Lingus renegement.

We stayed there before and thought it would take the sting out of a very disappointing start to our holiday. I don't know how to describe the dinner service apart from I've enjoyed better meals and the actual service from the staff was the worst I ever had the misfortune to encounter.

Breakfast following morning was as usual exceptional, it's a solid 4 star breakfast every time and the rabbits usually make an appearance but the attitude of the staff the previous evening was very unprofessional, it was so obvious there was no supervisor on duty and none of them had experience in hospitality.

TheDriver

I thought overbooking flights was illegal in the EU?

Lockheed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122564179#Comment_122564179

It can happen through no fault of the airline. In situations like where a larger aircraft was scheduled for sales purposes, became no longer available due to OTP or Technical reasons and the replacement aircraft has a smaller capacity - thus the flight is now overbooked.

TheDriver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122564198#Comment_122564198

Ah, never thought of that.