With Ground rules on Ryanair’s crisis

AFTER 2,000 axed flights, the shambles at Ryanair may not be over yet.

The budget airline faces having to cancel departures in November as its staffing crisis rumbles on.

I’ve been bombarded with letters and emails from angry Ryanair customer whose travel plans are now in tatters. They want to know what are their rights and how to escalate their complaints. 1. Your right to compensation If your flight has been cancelled within 14 days of departure, you will be entitled to compensation. In all other cases, you won’t be. 2. Your right to a refund or alternative flight On confirmation that your flight has been cancelled you are entitled to a refund of the ticket or to be booked on to an alternative flight. There are some important rules surrounding this as follows.

Ryanair must tell you of all the next alternative flights, including those with other airlines.

The alternative flights must be of “comparable t ransport conditions” – so you must be offered the same class of travel.

Complain

It is entirely up to you whether you have a refund or alternative flight. Ryanair cannot decide for you. They cannot provide an automatic refund. They must allow you to consider the relevant alternative flights before making your choice.

4. If you elect to be re-routed on an alternative flight and the ticket on the new flight is a greater price than the original Ryanair ticket, Ryanair have the responsibility for paying the difference, not you. 3. How to escalate your complaint If you feel you’ve been shortchanged by Ryanair, contact their customer services department and formally complain.

If the response is to reject your complaint, otherwise known as a deadlock letter, or they fail to respond within eight weeks, you can f i l e a complaint with AviationADR.

This service is free to consumers and can be accessed online at www. aviationadr.org.uk, via phone on 020 3540 8063 or by post.

The good news is t hat AviationADR’s decision, in relation to your complaint, will be binding on the airline if it finds in your favour.