EasyJet cancellation insurance - be sure to read the fine print

Its tedious and mind numbing, but 'read the fine print' is good advice.

Have to feel like Sue, 'take my money when I cannot use what I bought' seems closer to robbery than just a questionable business practice.

Read the fine print is an especially good advice when flying low cost airlines. The tickets might look cheap, but with the different add ons, they can be more expensive than flag carriers.

Yep - this is what makes me reluctant to book the "budget airlines" in Europe: all the potential hidden fees. If I'm comparing flights and one is easyJet for 20 euros and one is KLM or another major airline for 80 euros, I figure the might be about the same, once you figure in all the fees for easyJet. Even so, I'd rather not have to worry about extra costs later.

We have flown EasyJet many times. Never a problem with the flight itself, but this sure seems like a ripoff.

I never bother taking out airline insurance just for these kind of reasons. I have travel insurance that covers trip, medical, etc. I know exactly what is covered with no surprises.

oh that IS annoying. Yes I know the fine print etc etc but honestly it doesn't seem right that they would take your money for something you were literally prohibited from using.

My friend had to cancel a Ryanair flight recently.
They told her you can't cancel it, you just don't show up; then claim after with your own insurance company.
So that's what she did, and then had to phone them to get proof that she didn't take either flight.
They sent her proof that she had not taken the first flight, but had taken the second flight. Huh??
She had to phone 3 more times to get proof of not taking the second flight.
Fortunately her own sensible insurance co. paid up.
This way, Ryanair can see that a passenger hasn't shown up to check in, then offers a seat to someone waiting at the airport for a last minute flight, and they look like the good guys for providing a seat.
And taking two payments for one seat.
Terrible business practices.

Same as Frank II

I always have my own annual travel insurance, so I would never pay an airline for this and that way, I only have to read one set of small print to know what is and isn’t covered.

Ryanair have much sharper business practices than EasyJet. When you buy an EasyJet ticket, you have the option of buying a cheaper fixed date and time ticket or pay more for flexibility. It’s the same with train fares in the UK - the cheapest fare is non-flexible.

EasyJet’s baggage size and weight for hand luggage is more generous than KLM.

EasyJet is my airline of choice within Europe. I flew with them last week on a 4 day old plane. My check in bag was dealt with efficiently at Gatwick. We are paying less for flights now than we did 20 years ago, thanks to the value airlines. Just take out your own insurance!

Yep - this is what makes me reluctant to book the "budget airlines" in Europe: all the potential hidden fees. If I'm comparing flights and one is easyJet for 20 euros and one is KLM or another major airline for 80 euros, I figure the might be about the same, once you figure in all the fees for easyJet. Even so, I'd rather not have to worry about extra costs later.

I guess you like wasting 60 euros? Because I fly exclusively budget airlines within Europe, at least 5-6 times per year, and the only time I've had to pay more than the price of my ticket is when I lost my pre-printed boarding pass and had to pay RyanAir 80 euros for printing at gate. I knew the rules, it got lost, I had to pay.

As long as you read and follow the rules, you don't pay more than the cost of your ticket. It's that simple.

Ryanair - "Terrible business practices."

Not really. Your friend bought tickets that didn't allow refunds. So when she couldn't use them, they didn't refund. Even if Ryanair had cancelled instead of saying "just don't turn up" they still wouldn't give a refund. Why should they? And if she had been allowed to cancel, they would also have been able to sell the seat again - probably more easily than hoping someone was randomly hanging around the airport wanting to make the same trip.

There's no "huh" here. They sell single tickets, so it's quite possible not to use the first one, but still use the second one, even if you think it's a return. This is all clearly explained on Ryanair's website.

So what you describe doesn't seem terrible at all. Ryanair may have been incompetent over sending her the proof she needed to claim on her own insurance (but eventually it seems even that was sorted out), however in terms of the offer they did exactly what was promised - buy a cheap, non-refundable ticket and fly or buy a cheap, non-refundable ticket but choose not to fly. Just don't expect to buy a cheap, non-refundable tickets and then expect to get your money back from Ryanair if you decide not to use them.

But, I prefer Easyjet. And given the news about a recent Spain-England Ryanair flight, I think I'll stick to EJ.

She didn't "decide not to use them."
I was her travelling companion, and my husband suffered a very serious medical incident two weeks before the planned trip.
I couldn't go, and she can't travel alone.
She tried to cancel the flights in advance, knowing that she wouldn't get a refund from Ryanair, as she knew they were non-refundable when she bought them.
She was trying to give up her space so someone else could book in advance, but Ryanair told her she had to do it the way I explained.
Just a weird way of doing things.

“Had to cancel and rebook the flight when we were in Spain because of an illness. Had a note with diagnosis from doctor.” - Your insurance company is liable for this, not EasyJet. I don’t see how they are both the same.

“My friend had to cancel a Ryanair flight recently - I was her travelling companion, and my husband suffered a very serious medical incident two weeks before the planned trip.” - Unfortunately, unless your friend is a close relation to your husband, no insurance company will cover you for this. Airlines won’t be bothered with your good intentions regarding freeing up a seat, they are just interested in obtaining a fully booked flight.

“As long as you read and follow the rules, you don't pay more than the cost of your ticket. It's that simple.” I agree, it has nothing to do with hidden add-ons. The website of every airline I look at states cancellation policies clearly, how much luggage is free or not, how your name should be spelled on your ticket etc. Book directly with the airline.

“My friend had to cancel a Ryanair flight recently - I was her travelling companion, and my husband suffered a very serious medical incident two weeks before the planned trip.” - Unfortunately, unless your friend is a close relation to your husband, no insurance company will cover you for this."

I beg to differ.
My insurance company in Canada paid me back all the fees, all the airline taxes, all the apartment payments, and reinstated all my points I had used to book.
Within 10 days of claiming.
I actually made $9 on the refund due to the difference in exchange rates between dollars and Euros. ;)
My friend's insurance company in the UK paid her back all her money for fares booked with RyanAir.
Within 10 days of claiming.
Our GP wrote a lovely letter for her insurance company.

Case closed.

Thanks for all of your input. The main point of my post was that I was sold a product that wasn't valid when purchased. I wasn't complaining about our actual flight with EasyJet. It was great - plane actually looked brand new.

Update: I received an email from EasyJet letting me know they were refunding the cost of our cancellation insurance.

Good to know, Sue!

Update: I received an email from EasyJet letting me know they were
refunding the cost of our cancellation insurance.

As you said in the OP, the cost for the insurance was minimal. So you had to pay for the rebooking but they refunded the insurance premium....

“I beg to differ.” - Ha, nice to see that my inherent mistrust of big business was proven incorrect on this occasion and that your friend was refunded by RyanAir. I also vaguely recall a post from someone else over the past year or two who received a full refund from an airline without taking out cancellation insurance. It would not happen to me: I’m the guy who always gets stuck in the middle of the wrong line at Loblaw’s.

Gundersen: you're not reading properly.
My friend was not refunded by RyanAir, but by her travel insurance company.
I don't think Ryanair would have cared two hoots!!

Gundersen:
If you are shopping at Loblaws, you must live in Canada.
If you need good travel insurance, RBC Infinite Avion Card has the best, IMHO.
That's who refunded me this time.
Of course, the trip has to be booked with that credit card to make the travel insurance valid.
Maybe your luck will change!!