Ryanair changed my flight times and they don't suit me

[Marsupial]

Incidentally are Marsupial and Dr. Strangelove one and the same person or of the same mind....they follow each other around with their "likes".

I can only speak for 50% of us, but if he's anything like me then he's an intelligent, worldly wise individual with a good understanding of how things work on Planet Ryanair. He's also aware that flying with Ryanair isn't compulsory.

(I recently booked a return flight to Seville in May for €69 return with Ryanair! At that cost I don't really care what time my flights depart or arrive at! For this kangaroo, travelling is all about the sense of adventure!)

 

[Grizzly]

I recently booked a return flight to Seville in May for €69 return with Ryanair!

Can't see those prices on Ryanair to Seville. I was there recently. Hotels (accommodation) are not cheap.

 

[Marsupial]

Can't see those prices on Ryanair to Seville. I was there recently. Hotels (accommodation) are not cheap.

That may be because I bagged the last cheap seats! Anyway I'm going to Jerez!

 

[Gordon Gekko]

That may be because I bagged the last cheap seats! Anyway I'm going to Jerez!

Almost Ryanair-esque.

Jerez is an hour from Seville!

What do they call it, ‘Seville South’?!

 

[Marsupial]

Almost Ryanair-esque.

Jerez is an hour from Seville!

What do they call it, ‘Seville South’?!

They call it the home of good sherry!

But as I can't fly there direct from Ireland, and have no great desire to transit through Stansted or Luton, a Ryanair cheapie followed by a rail connection on the excellent Spanish network is the best way to get to my double Amontillado and tapas!

 

[mendacity]

Ryanair have changed my flight times for a July flight to Bergamo. The outgoing change is inconvenient, now arriving near midnight, but I can live with it. The return flight has been changed to 7.30am in the morning which we can't make work. We are staying in Verona and can't be in Bergamo airport for a 5.30 or 6 am check in. I have been giving a free change of flight to the next day which I have accepted. However I am incurring the expense of an extra nights accommodation as a result. Is there anything I can do about this?

 

[DannyBoyD]

there anything I can do about this

I rather thought the whole point of this thread is - no you can't!

 

[WaterWater]

Four of my Ryanair flights, different months, already changed by over 4 hours, both legs.

I have also booked a later flight in the year, September.

I am actually afraid to book any hotels at this stage because I expect my flight time to be changed before September.

 

[TrundleAlong]

I am actually afraid to book any hotels at this stage because I expect my flight time to be changed before September.

We were always happy to purchase our hotel stay, pay upfront to get the lowest price, but non-refundable.

Due to Ryanair re-scheduling our flights we have had to change the way we do this. We now have to pay an additional price for our hotel room so that we can cancel our stay if needs be, if Ryanair re-schedules our flights. In fact, we are now considering staying the first and last nights in a hotel close to the Ryanair airport........just in case we get caught out and have to travel.

 

[gledswood]

In August I booked flights to Palma for next April. I paid extra to fly on a mid morning flight.

I was just checking the flight times this morning only to discover that both the outgoing flight from Dublin has been changed to an afternoon flight. The incoming flight has changed from an afternoon flight to a morning flight.

I received no notification about these changes.

I contacted customer service today by phone and was told that as I had not received any official email about these changes then I can do nothing, as the flight times might change again!

Interesting article about Quantas selling tickets for cancelled flights.

Qantas agrees to payouts for selling seats on cancelled flights | BreakingNews.ie

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued the Sydney-based airline in the Federal Court last year.

www.breakingnews.ie

If Ryanair is selling tickets for flights that only exist on paper but not actually set and then re-schedule them, are they not guilty of misleading people?

It seems from the OP's post above that his flights were re-scheduled (cancelled) but he was not notified about this. Ryanair's response to him was that there was no point in advising him that his flights were re-scheduled because they might be re-scheduled again. So why are they selling these seats until they know for certain that they will exist?

 

[WaterWater]

The thing is.....when we booked we chose the more expensive mid day flight. We could have opted for a cheaper flight later in the day.

Now our more expensive flight has been re scheduled to later in the day. The later in the day flight is €20 per person cheaper.

So they got more money out of us for a flight that doesn't exist and was only a notional flight when we booked it..

This has happened to me now also. I booked a flight 2 weeks ago with a departure from Dublin in late June. The departure was to be at 10am from Dublin. I just got notification to say its been changed to 07.45 and as we are over 2hrs from the airport this now means we pretty much have to stay up all night to catch the flight. I could have booked the day before or day after but specifically booked it the day we did as it had 10am departure which was ideal for us and we have booked our accommodation so don't want the hassle of changing that now.
I can't help but think is a sinister move by Ryanair to get people to book on the basis of a nice flight time and then change the time to less convenient for most people knowing that most people we have to stick with the flight.

There is an interesting paragraph in the Quantas story above.

"“Qantas’ conduct was egregious and unacceptable. Many consumers will have made holiday, business and travel plans after booking on a phantom flight that had been cancelled,” she added."

I think that the regulators need to look at what is happening to people and do something about it.

 

[Laramie]

OP is stating that Ryanair have changed the flight time but haven't notified OP.
Furthermore, they have told them that they cannot claim a refund until they are 'officially notified'.
And yet they are selling tickets for the same flight at a different time from what OP is saying.

How can you sell tickets for the flight at a different time if you haven't changed the flight time?

What is the difference in what Ryanair did and what Quantas did?

"Qantas let down customers and fell short of our own standards. We know many of our customers were affected by our failure to provide cancellation notifications in a timely manner and we are sincerely sorry,” Ms Hudson said,"

 

[Laramie]

Interesting thread here on Tripadvisor about Bait and Switch tactics used by airlines.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k14664688-Victim_of_bait_and_switch-Air_Travel.html

 

[Marsupial]

Interesting thread here on Tripadvisor about Bait and Switch tactics used by airlines.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k14664688-Victim_of_bait_and_switch-Air_Travel.html

I haven't read all of the 131 posts on that link, but it appears to be about dodgy tactics by some travel agents rather than by airlines.

 

[Marsupial]

What is the difference in what Ryanair did and what Quantas did?

You'd probably need to compare the terms and conditions of sale applied by both airlines to get a full answer to that.

 

[Odea]

In August I booked flights to Palma for next April. I paid extra to fly on a mid morning flight.

I was just checking the flight times this morning only to discover that both the outgoing flight from Dublin has been changed to an afternoon flight. The incoming flight has changed from an afternoon flight to a morning flight.

I received no notification about these changes.

So you have no idea when your flights were cancelled because they did not send you an email? You found out by accident.

So who is to know when Ryanair actually cancelled these flights?

or

If they ever existed?

After reading this today I think that the Irish Aviation Authority needs to investigate the practice of airlines selling notional flights.

On Monday, Qantas announced it had come to an agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to resolve the court proceedings lodged in August last year, alleging it had advertised and sold tickets for more than 8,000 flights that it had already cancelled in its internal system, revelations which precipitated the early retirement of the former CEO, Dubliner Alan Joyce.

 

[SoylentGreen]

This happened to me before. I noticed the flight time change on the Ryanair website about a month before I received the email from Ryanair informing me of same. The email came about a month before flying.

This is what the watchdog found with Quantas.

"The watchdog also alleged that for more than 10,000 flights scheduled over the same period in 2022, Qantas did not notify existing ticketholders that their flights had been cancelled for an average of about 18 days, and in some cases for up to 48 days.

This is what Quantas said.

"Qantas, in its defence to the legal action, claimed it doesn’t sell customers tickets to any particular flight, but rather a “bundle of rights” that includes alternative options in the event of cancellations, as it responded to allegations it sold tickets to thousands of already cancelled flights."

"In what was a compromise deal, the ACCC agreed to drop its allegation that Qantas had charged fees for no service, while the airline dropped its defence that it only sells a bundle of rights rather than a ticket to a specific flight."

 

[Bronco Lane]

In August I booked flights to Palma for next April. I paid extra to fly on a mid morning flight.

I was just checking the flight times this morning only to discover that both the outgoing flight from Dublin has been changed to an afternoon flight. The incoming flight has changed from an afternoon flight to a morning flight.

O.K.

Just back from our April trip to Palma, Majorca. Ryanair changed the time of our flights over by 4 hours and also the return journey by 4 hours.

Because of this we incurred extra costs. Taxi from airport to resort instead of bus €50. Taxi back to airport instead of bus €50. We had to cancel one night of our €110 hotel room on the coast and replace with one night in Palma due to early flight. Cost of this was an extra €70.

Also as soon as our €78 mid day flights were re-scheduled to afternoon flights the cost of these flights dropped by about €26 each. (€52 in total). No refund offered.

So the additional cost to us because Ryanair re-scheduled our flights was €222.

We have been notified of a similar change to our flights to France at the end of this month also. Expecting to incur more costs because of these changes also.

 

[elcato]

So the additional cost to us because Ryanair re-scheduled our flights was €222.

But had you booked the flights later you would not have had any cost. That's the chance anyone takes with advanced booking.

As an aside, I used to go to 6 nations rugby matches back in the day and booked ryanair flights before the fixtures came out in the hope of getting a bargain. Sometimes it worked but I don't expect a refund.

 

[Bronco Lane]

But had you booked the flights later you would not have had any cost

Not true. They can re-schedule flights up to two weeks before departure.

As an aside, I used to go to 6 nations rugby matches back in the day and booked ryanair flights before the fixtures came out in the hope of getting a bargain. Sometimes it worked but I don't expect a refund.

This is about Ryanair re-scheduling flights. Not about booking actual flights that aren't re-scheduled.