I was booked on a Ryanair flight from Faro Portugal to Madrid on May 24, 2024 but I had to have unexpected knee surgery in late April. This prevented overseas travel for 3 months. So we had to cancel and re-book our Rick Steves Heart Of Portugal tour and also our Ryanair flight. I then applied for a refund through the Ryanair Help Center, believing a serious medical condition (like not being able to walk) would warrant a refund. But even with my physician’s letter instructing me NOT to travel for 3 months, Ryanair denied my refund request! There were all sorts of “serious illness” categories on their refund page, including “pre-planned hospital appointment”, “elective surgeries” and “other”. I tried all three options, and made multiple phone calls to their “customer care” center – which provides literally no care at all. Despite my surgeon’s letter confirming my inability to travel, Ryanair is keeping our money.
Posted by
Cornwall
341 posts
And yet , last year they carried 182 million passengers and will do more next year.
There is a reason why low cost airlines are low cost. They have terms and conditions and apply them.
Can you not claim on your travel insurance?
Posted by
Northern Minnesota
774 posts
Have you submitted a claim to your travel insurance?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
How do you expect them to make money if they provide customer service? Customer service is expensive and low on most discount airlines agendas. A couple of years ago we lost two ticket on EasyJet even using their travel insurance. It is all in the fine print and one should not make any assumptions. Marketing hype does count or establish a contract. I know that.
Why should a serious medical condition warrant a refund? Do they care that you will never book with them again. Nope --- probably have ten people standing in line behind you since we will do just about anything to get a cheap airline tickets. We are still flying EasyJet but not using their insurance. Cost of traveling is a few missed tickets.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33832 posts
Are you trying to get a refund on a non-refundable ticket?
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5431 posts
But you did have a travel cancellation insurance policy, right? So you could make a claim on it?
Posted by
OP
4 posts
One could assume - I did - that having a help center option for refunds in multiple categories for "serious illnesses", that they do issue refunds. Otherwise why list the option? But then, when and how do they draw the line on that? Heart attack, stroke, head trauma, cancer? I didn't purchase travel insurance for this flight when I booked because it appeared that they had medical exceptions on their "non -refundable" policy. But yeah, low cost = low quality care. Bait and switch. Not flying with them again.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11879 posts
10.5 Serious illness of a booked passenger
If someone on your booking becomes seriously ill and unable to travel before the trip, and the date of diagnosis is within 6 weeks of your booked flight, Ryanair may::
credit you the total amount for everyone travelling on your booking; or, if appropriate,
waive the flight change fee, along with any restrictions associated with changing your flights.
You must supply suitable evidence of the serious illness before the date you were due to travel.
https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/terms-and-conditions/termsandconditionsar_1182589074
Notice they say "may", not 'will"
Looking at fares for May 24, OP shouldn't be out more than ~$100 per person; annoying but not a devastating loss.
Hope surgery was successful and recovery is speedy and complete.