# Ryanair refund for connecting flights



## ChristieA (27 Dec 2009)

I recently bought a ticket to Germany and the flight was cancelled. I got the refund for that no problem. Ryanair said that I was not entitled to any compensation for the connecting flight to London (purchased seperately). They told me I'd have to take legal action. Which I'm pretty sure I will out of principle. Hate the airline and every time I fly with them I swear never again but I'm a divil for punishment. If any one have any insight on the legal ins and outs I would appreciate it.


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## Eithneangela (27 Dec 2009)

I think you selected Ryanair initially because they were the cheapest!!  We travel with Ryanair about 9 times a year - no prob, bring the sandwiches, fully prepared for the knee sandwich (for anyone over 5'9") but the prices, frequency and routes make up for it all!  If it wasn't for Ryanair, we (that's the Royal WE) couldn't afford to get off this debt-ridden, freezing, boring, angst-ridden island!  So, HELLO RYANAIR!


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## so-crates (27 Dec 2009)

RyanAir are a point to point carrier, they explicitly put the onus of making the connection onto you. Essentially the flight from ?Stansted? (guessing it was there!) flew but you "hadn't bothered" to turn up for it. Doesn't matter if it was because they didn't fly you out of Dublin it is entirely up to you to get to Stansted to catch the flight. If you had made it to Stansted and the flight to Germany had been cancelled you would have got no assistance with hotels, new flights, etc for the same reason.

Eithneangela good for you if you like to fly Ryan Air but I can't see the relevance of your comment, it has nothing to do with the OPs query. Personally I would never use them for connecting flights since they simply do not do connecting flights - nothing to do with their potentially cheap flight price or their always overpriced in-flight sandwich selection.


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## markpb (27 Dec 2009)

Ryanair always advertise themselves as a point to point airline which is why it's impossible to buy connecting flights on their website. Since they make no promises or guarantees about connections, I'd imagine you'll have difficulty winning a court case. Did you try your travel insurance?

Edit: Drat, beaten to it by so-crates


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## Eithneangela (27 Dec 2009)

How can anybody in their sane mind expect a travel company to not only fly them for half-nothing to a destination, but also to fit in with other airline schedules.  C'mon, get real - we now have a choice of two cheap airlines from this little island, courtesy of Ryanair (Aer Lingus is becoming the other one - thank you, competition!) - GOD BLESS TONY RYAN!


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## so-crates (27 Dec 2009)

Eithneangela, again what is your point? It has nothing to do with fitting in with other airline schedules - it has to do with them providing a linkage themselves. They fly you in, they fly you out but you have to make the connection. And to be frank - they aren't always that cheap.


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## Eithneangela (27 Dec 2009)

I don't understand your comments, Socrates.  I'm really grateful to Ryanair for bringing down the cost of getting out of Ireland for whatever reason (holiday, visiting relatives ......) and I've travelled with Ryanair at least 10 times a year for the past 6 years (since retirement) so I know to bring the  homemade sandwiches, fruit etc. depending on the duration of the flight.


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## so-crates (27 Dec 2009)

The point I am trying to make to you is that your admiration for Ryanair's competitive input to the Irish market is of absolutely no relevance to the OP's question. They are peeved as they are out of pocket for a flight and have received from Ryanair the usual and entirely justified brush off. Your response was basically "I love Ryanair" which is perhaps nice to say but utterly pointless. The useful response is "sorry you are out of pocket but you have not got a leg to stand on they told you up front they are point to point". Not aiming for a dig just mystified as to why you think it is relevant to the OP for you to share that you are a Ryanair-o-phile, especially as nothing in your post bears any relevance to the question asked.


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## Murt10 (28 Dec 2009)

Don't know whether this crowd is any good, but you have nothing to lose from contacting them, and letting them do the work for you..


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## Leper (28 Dec 2009)

Gawd Eithneangela,

I agree with every word you said.  The Romans were right when they did not come here after conquering Britain.  Why invade a dark, wet, cold island?

Why didnt I marry you?

Regards

Lep


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## Maverick.ie (28 Dec 2009)

Eithneangela said:


> GOD BLESS TONY RYAN!


 

actualy that would be more appropriate to say god bless Seamus Brennan


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## galwegian44 (28 Dec 2009)

Good points EithneAngela and while not directly related to the point in question, they do touch on the subject.

I would not bother with attempting to sue Ryanair because they are well within their rights to not refund the cost of the first flight as they are a point to point airline. 

I'm not a fan of Ryanair and only fly with them as a last resort (thanks Aer Arann) but I do appreciate the element of competition they have brought to the market and the increase in numbers of routes. I fly with them about 25 times a year and they are acceptable if your expectations are set at an appropriate level. In a balanced discussion we should look at all sides but in this case I'm afraid that Ryanair have the upper hand (as they usually do). My advice is to forget about it and enjoy the remainder of the festivities.

All the best.



Eithneangela said:


> How can anybody in their sane mind expect a travel company to not only fly them for half-nothing to a destination, but also to fit in with other airline schedules. C'mon, get real - we now have a choice of two cheap airlines from this little island, courtesy of Ryanair (Aer Lingus is becoming the other one - thank you, competition!) - GOD BLESS TONY RYAN!


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## z104 (28 Dec 2009)

Lighten up So-crates, The OP is making the point that Ryanair are terrible becuase they won't refund the flight she cannot make . Ryanair are a point to point airline. Usually you can depend on Ryanair to get you to the your destination on time to enable you to make a connecting flight. EitneAngela is making the point that Ryanair are normally reliable . They don't claim to be anything other than a bus service.


P.S. I love Ryanair


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## markpb (28 Dec 2009)

Niallers said:


> Lighten up So-crates, The OP is making the point that Ryanair are terrible becuase they won't refund the flight she cannot make



No, the OP said nothing of the sort. They said:



ChristieA said:


> If any one have any insight on the legal ins and outs I would appreciate it.



Every post by the Ryainair PR squad has been completely off-topic and unhelpful to the thread.


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## z104 (28 Dec 2009)

```
Ryanair said that I was not entitled to any compensation for the connecting flight to London (purchased seperately). Hate the airline and every time I fly with them I swear never again
```
 

Ryanair don't do connecting flights.


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## redchariot (2 Jan 2010)

At the end of the day, Ryanair (and EasyJet) clearly state that they do not do connecting flights and that they consider each flight as a separate booking; you wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court.


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## redchariot (2 Jan 2010)

I would say Travel Insurance should cover a missed flight as they cover if your car broke down on the motorway on the way to the airport or problems with public transport (assuming that adequate time was allowed)

I can't think why a cancelled flight should be any different as long as there was plenty of time allowed at the connecting airport. Maybe somebody can shed some light on this.


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## gunnerfitzy (2 Jan 2010)

redchariot said:


> I would say Travel Insurance should cover a missed flight as they cover if your car broke down on the motorway on the way to the airport or problems with public transport (assuming that adequate time was allowed)
> 
> I can't think why a cancelled flight should be any different as long as there was plenty of time allowed at the connecting airport. Maybe somebody can shed some light on this.




This too would be my view. 

I often fly cork to dublin, or cork to london gatwick with ryanair and then from there to where-ever, often by ryanair also.

I know that ryanair is point-to-point only and that Ryanair is not liable for any delays in the second leg of my journey. I did after all make 2 seperate bookings on the website so have no contract with ryanair to get me to from my initial departure point to my final destination. 

I have been lucky never to have been delayed to the point that I missed my second flight however should this happen I would be claiming off my travel insurance.


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## andrew1977 (2 Jan 2010)

If you made 2 seperate bookings with ryanair , then its your problem and they dont owe you a refund.

Their contract with you is based on your booking.
They got you to destination on your  booking, the fact that you miss andy  2nd flight booking has nothing to do with them .
So in your case a cancelled flight whichs means you missed your connection is not their problem, in your contract with them they are only obliged to take you from point A to point B as specified on your booking.

Sorry to say it but you are wasting your time chasing this one


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## seantheman (2 Jan 2010)

ChristieA said:


> I recently bought a ticket to Germany and the flight was cancelled. I got the refund for that no problem. Ryanair said that I was not entitled to any compensation for the connecting flight to London (purchased seperately).


When you say, you bought a ticket to Germany, do you mean from UK-Germany and because this flight was cancelled, you decided not to use the ROI-UK flight?


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## helllohello (2 Jan 2010)

you can try this link but it might only be for cancelled flights.  .
holiday insurance is proberly your only hope.


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## Goomigen (2 Jan 2010)

I hate Ryanair and they are not always the cheapest airline, despite their hype. I fly regularly for work and pleasure and in particular to Spain at least four times a year,I have a choice of flying either Ryanair to Alicante or Murcia or Air Lingus to Alicante only and at present it's running approx 50/50 which airline I choose.  I'm emailing from Spain, I flew here on the 27th with Ryanair and endured the most uncomfortable flight ever, I spent the entire flight (2 hours 40 minutes) with my feet on my cabin luggage because there was no room in the overhead lockers.  Incidentally I also hate their little charade with the fanfare announcing that another flight is on time, it always is because they overstate the flying time in the first place, they certainly do on the flights into Alicante.  The only reason I flew Ryanair this time was because they had a flight on the 27th and Air Lingus didn't - it wasn't worth the extra day - I'm already dreading the flight home.


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## roker (2 Jan 2010)

I was going to go to a friends funeral in Newcastle and checked out Ryanaire, I had to make two bookings for Ryanair, Cork Dublin and Dublin Newcastle which also doubles the charges and credit card fees, it definitely was not cheap at a total €566 rtn


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## gunnerfitzy (2 Jan 2010)

I'm not one to champion any particular airline and Ryanair does have LOTS of issues. Regarding the last few posts I do have some comments though.

1.  Regarding cabin luggage space, I have actually found Aer Lingus to be worse than Ryanair in this regard. Say what you want about Ryanair being ridiculously strict regarding its 1 piece of cabin baggage per person rule, it usually does mean that there is sufficient space in the overhead bins for everyone.  I have had to put my one piece of cabin baggage on empty seats on Aer Lingus flights as other passangers had taken many pieces of cabin baggage on board plus lots of duty free.

2.  Most airlines factor-in additional time in their flight schedules in case of delays etc. If you look at actual departure times compared to scheduled departure times at Cork airport for example you will find that Ryanair is far more punctual than Aer Lingus. I don't care if they add an extra 10 minutes to the scheduled flight time once they keep to their schedule as this is what I use for planning my onward journey.

3.  The prices of flights that depart shortly after the date of booking are quite high no matter what airline is chosen. 

The final point I would like to make on these posts and to the OP is this; Ryanair is not a full service airline nor anywhere near one. It is a bus service with wings. You should always keep this in mind when flying with them. That said, given the choice, if the price is similar then I would normally fly Aer Lingus; if for no other reason but a smile from the staff.


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## ChristieA (3 Jan 2010)

Thank you for some very good posts. My point was that Ryanair cancelled the flight to Germany from London (March 2010) but I had bought tickets from Dublin to London with the aim of getting to Germany. I realise what it says in the small print but seeing as they cancelled the fligths and also could resell the seats from London I think they should bear some responsibility for the loss of the flights to London that can no longer be used. 

Also, I phoned Ryanair and they told me I'd have to sue them if I wanted to get any further with the complaint. I think they get away with murder because most of the time nobody is going to bother taking it that far. 

Cheers!


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## dontaskme (3 Jan 2010)

you could try to book another flight to Germany from Stanstedt with Airberlin or Germanwings?
Or you could change your dates of travel?
I have sometimes flown through Stansted and booked two outward flights in case the incoming one is delayed. I don't expect to get a refund on the flight I don't take.


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## Goomigen (3 Jan 2010)

I have to come back on this - never once in years of flying have I had a problem getting a bag into an overhead locker on an Air Lingus flight.  Expecting a passenger to sit with their feet on their luggage is unreasonable, if not downright dangerous, I was sitting in an aisle seat and the two other passengers beside me would have found it difficult to get out in an emergency.  Even allowing for extra time on the schedules which all airlines do to some extent - adding an extra 20 minutes on top of that is downright dishonest, as is their pricing policy.  Their customer service is a joke; the company ethos seems to be to deliberately treat passengers like cattle even when it's totally unnecessary.


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## gunnerfitzy (3 Jan 2010)

Goomigen said:


> I have to come back on this - never once in years of flying have I had a problem getting a bag into an overhead locker on an Air Lingus flight.



I don't dispute this. However unfortunately I had such an experience with Aer Lingus; Heathrow to Cork in early 2009. I have never had such an experience with Ryanair. I think the point that should be taken from this is that such an experience can happen on any airline.



Goomigen said:


> Expecting a passenger to sit with their feet on their luggage is unreasonable, if not downright dangerous, I was sitting in an aisle seat and the two other passengers beside me would have found it difficult to get out in an emergency.



Agreed. Better management of the overhead bins by staff would probably have prevented this. It annoys me to see other passengers put coats etc beside luggage in the overhead bins when they would fit comfortably on top of the luggage thereby freeing up space in the overhead bins.



Goomigen said:


> Even allowing for extra time on the schedules which all airlines do to some extent - adding an extra 20 minutes on top of that is downright dishonest, as is their pricing policy.



Aer Lingus schedule for Dublin to Alicante shows a 2 hour 55 minute flight time. Ryanair schedule for Dublin to Alicante shows a 3 hour flight time. Only a 5 minute difference. Which considering the distance is understandable. Could you please explain what part of their pricing policy is dishonest?



Goomigen said:


> Their customer service is a joke; the company ethos seems to be to deliberately treat passengers like cattle even when it's totally unnecessary.



Compared to other airlines it is extremely poor. I look forward to the day when it will have cheap fares and a much improved customer service.


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## seantheman (3 Jan 2010)

ChristieA said:


> Thank you for some very good posts. My point was that Ryanair cancelled the flight to Germany from London (March 2010) but I had bought tickets from Dublin to London with the aim of getting to Germany. I realise what it says in the small print but seeing as they cancelled the fligths and also could resell the seats from London I think they should bear some responsibility for the loss of the flights to London that can no longer be used


The point is that Ryanair have agreed to refund you for the cancelled London-Germany flight. You can still use the Dublin-London flight so why should they compensate you for a flight that you may use?
 The Dub-Lon section could just as easily have been Aer Lingus in which case you wouldn't get a refund. It's two seperate flights and you have to see it as such. Sorry!


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## oldnick (3 Jan 2010)

Travel insurance may not cover missed airline connections -whether or not the airlines involved actually do "connections". 

(Indeed, it doesn't matter whether one books with Ryanair or not; if you miss a connection,even on a so-called "through-ticket", you may still be stuck in an airport for days and miss that vital meeting, wedding, orgy, whatever.

Airlines may endeavour to put you on the "next available flight" -but if that flight is only once or twice a week, and /or the flights are very full then a missed "connecting" flight can be very distressing and costly -regardless of the airline.)

I digress. Most travel insurance policies do NOT cover you for a missed connection.
In the small print most policies state

1) You're covered, in certain circumstances, _for missing your flight ex-ireland or the final part of your journey into Ireland. _

2) " _Recoverable fees,charges, taxes"_ _are not covered._ Insurance companies seem not to realise that the airlines' charges for recovering such taxes.etc are often as much as the actual taxes; if indeed they ever refund.

3)There is always an excess that you lose. 

So, assuming that you miss your London - Germany flight because the Ireland-London flight was delayed/cancelled/or had a passenger with exploding underwear, and you find an insurance company that actually does "cover" you for missed connections, then that rare company would refund on the following basis...
-the flight cost was, say, e150 including e50 charges/taxes, so you only get back e100 - minus the excess of e50. 
That's fifty euro - but, you must first provide full documentation from airline, airport, police,Wicklow Mountain Rescue, Windy Arbour Asylum, etc with proof etc etc etc. 

And You must wait some weeks. And you have to phone a few times to enquire from the nice chap in Bangalore as to the progress of your claim.

Having sold thousands of travel policies, I am convinced that the best way to get a refund of all your flight-tickets in the circumstances of the OP, is to kill a healthy relative and make a claim on the basis you could not travel because Auntie Concepta suddenly passed away. (killing a sick relative is no use)

Or, more painful, break a leg. Your own ,not Aunt's. A sudden accident rendering travel impossible (rather than an illness) is good for claiming a refund of flights/holidays .

Otherwise, forget about claiming for missed connection- unless your policy definitely includes it. 
And even then there's be so many caveats such as weather/security/strikes etc

Always study the fine print of insurance policies unless you have a great travel agent ,like me, that points these things out......


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## babaduck (3 Jan 2010)

Nick, you are a right evil demon, but (and you know how it pains me to admit it) absolutely correct.  

If you miss one sector with Ryanair, they won't accept responsibility because their position is that they sell you point to point tickets only.  If you can live with this, then Ryanair are great.  If not, spend the extra money & book on a carrier who offer through tickets.


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## z101 (4 Jan 2010)

I dont see what the beef is..

They were two separate unrelated bookings. The fact it was the same airline is of no consequence. If it were 2 different airlines would you still be looking for compo? It's effectively the same. There are tickets that check baggage through and are continous travel but Ryanair dont part take in such bookings. 
This is in the fineprint and you are completely wasting your time in going to court with this. We had Aer Lingus do the same with us when they completely canceled a flight to Lyon in November. They sent us an email that they put us on a flight we couldn't even take. We were offered a take it or leave it refund.
This is all round. Understanding the monster and giving your self breathing room with booking times at least gives you a chance.


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## so-crates (4 Jan 2010)

oldnick said:


> ...Having sold thousands of travel policies, I am convinced that the best way to get a refund of all your flight-tickets in the circumstances of the OP, is to kill a healthy relative and make a claim on the basis you could not travel because Auntie Concepta suddenly passed away. (killing a sick relative is no use)
> 
> Or, more painful, break a leg. Your own ,not Aunt's. A sudden accident rendering travel impossible (rather than an illness) is good for claiming a refund of flights/holidays ...
> 
> Always study the fine print of insurance policies unless you have a great travel agent ,like me, that points these things out......


 Most useful post yet - though I might be nice to my fit as a fiddle auntie and just suffer the cost instead of contemplating "justifiable" homicide


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## ChristieA (4 Jan 2010)

If the flight was with a different airline I wouldn't expect a refund. It's the fact that Ryanair cancelled the flight and offered no refund for the London Dublin flight that gets to me. Also to clear it up the flights are for MARCH 2010. I didn't miss a flight. If I missed a flight I'd pay for a new one.


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## dontaskme (4 Jan 2010)

ChristieA said:


> If the flight was with a different airline I wouldn't expect a refund. It's the fact that Ryanair cancelled the flight and offered no refund for the London Dublin flight that gets to me. Also to clear it up the flights are for MARCH 2010. I didn't miss a flight. If I missed a flight I'd pay for a new one.


 
They are two very separate flights! That's how Ryanair always works.

Airberlin fly to 15 German locations from STansted according to airberlin.com. And Germanwings used to fly there too. If you really want to go to Germany book one of those flights. 

Otherwise, please stop whinging about Ryanair terms and conditions. 50 million other passengers are subject to the same terms and conditions.


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## seantheman (4 Jan 2010)

ChristieA said:


> but seeing as they cancelled the fligths and also could resell the seats from London I think they should bear some responsibility for the loss of the flights to London that can no longer be used.


You dont seem to grasp that Ryanair can't resell your seats because you could turn up with your boarding pass for a flight you've paid for.
You say "can no longer be used" but as stated earlier, THEY CAN


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