Ryanair cancelled flights – how to claim compensation if your holiday has been affected by the strikes

RYANAIR strikes by both pilots and cabin crew this summer have seen hundreds of thousands of passengers' holidays thrown into chaos.

While the airline promised to refund or reschedule flights for any travellers affected, they have also refused to pay any compensation for flights cancelled.

While the Ryanair has promised to refund or reschedule flights for any travellers affected by the recent strikes, they have also refused to pay any compensation for flights cancelled

Under EU261 legislation, passengers who've had their short-haul flights cancelled with under 15 days' notice, or who arrive at their destination more than three hours late can claim €250.

While Ryanair says it does not have to pay out over the strikes because they are due to unforeseen circumstances, the Civil Aviation Authority says the firm they must pay compensation as strikes by employees are its responsibility - so it is important to still file a claim.

If your flight has been cancelled with less than 15 days’ notice then you should complain to the airline first.

Ryanair may well turn down your application for a claim, but if it does then you then make a subsequent claim via the dispute resolution scheme - AviationADR, as any decision that body makes will have to be followed up by the budget airline.

So how to I make a claim for my Ryanair flight?

You must first make a claim via Ryanair for compensation, through their EU261

You will be asked to fill in a number of details, including the flight number, your reservation number and your bank details.

You then have to have received a final written response (sometimes referred to as a ‘deadlock letter’) or given the airline eight weeks to respond to your dispute before taking the matter to the AviationADR.