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Ryanair is a popular low-budget airline that is a great choice when you want to fly around Europe without spending too much money, but it isn't perfect. Just like with other airlines, Ryanair flights can get delayed, disrupted, and even cancelled from time to time.

Fortunately, thanks to a regulation known as EU261, it's possible for passengers on disrupted flights to claim compensation. In fact, you could be entitled to up to €600 per person after a Ryanair flight cancellation compensation or flight delay compensation. Read on to learn how this works and how to make your Ryanair EU 261 compensation claim.

What Is Ryanair EU261 Compensation?

So, what exactly is EU261? Well, you might also hear this EU regulation referred to under other names, like EC261 or Flight Compensation Regulation 2004. It's a part of EU legislation that helps to provide protections for passengers faced with flight issues.

Thanks to this law, it's possible to obtain flight delay compensation or cancelled flight compensation if you’re booked on a flight in Europe that has some sort of serious disruption (including denied boarding because of overbooking). EU 261 has helped many travellers receive compensation to help out after their travel plans were ruined or interrupted because of flight cancellations.

Passengers waiting to take off on board a delayed Ryanair flight

Types of Compensations Covered by EC 261

EC 261 offers quite broad coverage and will help you in a wide range of situations, from simple delays of a few hours to full-on cancellation situations. Here are the four main cases in which passengers can typically make a claim under EC Regulation 261.

  • Flight delay - You can claim delay compensation with the help of EU 261 2004 in situations where your flight was delayed for three hours or longer.
  • Flight cancellations - Passengers can claim flight cancellation compensation is their flight was cancelled by the airline. You might also be able to get a full flight refund in this case.
  • Overbooking - You can also request EU261 compensation in situations of overbooking. This is when an airline sells too many tickets for a flight and you are denied boarding.
  • Missed connection flight - If you have a delayed flight, you might fail to arrive in time for a connection later in your journey. In this situation, passengers are also protected by EC Regulation 261.

 

What Should You Do in Case of Ryanair Flight Delays or Cancelations

The view out of the window on a delayed Ryanair flight in mid-air

  1. First, we recommend speaking with airline staff. They'll be able to tell you more about the situation and explain why your flight was delayed, cancelled, or disrupted.
  2. Next, you'll need to make sure to collect as much evidence as you can to support your case later on when you claim Ryanair cancelled flight compensation or Ryanair flight delay compensation.
  3. While you wait at the airport, you can also claim basic services and necessities like food and water or even hotel accommodation at no extra expense to yourself. This is part of every traveller's passenger rights, according to EU rules.
  4. Finally, you can make use of our handy Compensation Calculator to find out how much money you can get in compensation, as well as checking your eligibility for EU261 refund.

 

Ryanair EU261 Compensation - How Much Can You Claim?

According to the rules set out in EU 261, it's possible to obtain the following amounts of monetary compensation, depending on the length of your journey:

  • Flights shorter than 1,500 km - Up to €250 per person
  • Flights ranging between 1,500 km and 3,500 km - Up to €400 per person
  • Flights longer than 3,500 km - Up to €600 per person

Put simply, the amount of pay compensation you get will depend on how long your flight was, and longer flights result in more money. However, you’ll still need to make sure that your flight situation meets the necessary requirements for compensation. We’ve compiled a list of all Ryanair flights that you can check and see how much compensation you are owed in case of disruption.

You can also use our flight delay checker to find out if your flight’s delay was long enough to qualify. Then, you can use our flight delay compensation calculator to work out how much money you might be owed. 

With cancellations, it’s usually much simpler, as the airline should have to pay out compensation for almost any kind of cancellation, unlessextraordinary circumstances” are involved (which are outside the airline's control). Use our flight cancellation compensation calculator to work out how much compensation you could claim.

 

Ryanair EU261 Claim Form - How to Fill Out

A queue of passengers waiting to board a delayed Ryanair flight

In order to make a claim for EU 261 compensation, you'll need to fill in a relevant form. This can be done on the official Ryanair website, and it involves filling in various pages and providing information and evidence to support your claim.

This can be quite a complicated process, and it's easy to make a mistake. That's why we recommend using the AirAdvisor site to make your claim instead, as our experts can help to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve without any hassle. 

However, we recommend you to submit a claim form directly with Ryanair first, as this is what UK law now requires, and only after that to submit a claim with AirAdvisor. We require evidence of prior direct submission (screenshot and airline reference number sent by Ryanair to your email).

Also note that you should allow Ryanair 30 days to respond to your complaint first before we AirAdvisor can step in. This protocol is important as this is what the law requires now before a legal claim can be litigated. This passenger unfriendly rule is a result of a Ryanair court precedent in English court, aiming to discourage passengers seeking justice with professional service providers.

The good thing is that it’s really simple to fill out our EC261 Ryanair compensation claim form. All you have to do is click on our Check Compensation tool and then tell us a little bit about your flight. You'll be asked for simple info, like the departure airport, destination, and the type of disruption you experienced.

Once you've provided the relevant details, our experts will start work on your case and help you make a claim for compensation with the airline. We can do the hard work for you and give you the best chance of a proper payout.

 

What to Do if Ryanair EU261 Form Not Working

Sometimes, due to technical issues or other reasons, the EU261 form on Ryanair's site might not work. If this happens, don't despair. You can simply fill out the EC261 form via the AirAdvisor site instead, and our team will start the claims process for you.

 

FAQ / Common Questions: EU 261 Compensation

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How to claim EU261 Ryanair?

To make a claim for EU261 compensation with Ryanair, you’ll need to fill in an EU 261 form, which you can do via the EU261 Claim Help Center on the Air Advisor site. It’s also possible to do this form via the Ryanair site.

 

Has anyone received EU261 Ryanair compensation?

Yes, many travellers who have suffered delays, cancellations, and other issues have received compensation from this airline.

 

How to claim EU261 compensation from Ryanair?

To claim your compensation from Ryanair, you can file a claim on the Ryanair website or let Air Advisor’s experts handle it for you.

 

Should Ryanair compensate under EU261 for strikes?

No, EU261 doesn't usually cover flight problems caused by strikes. Worker strikes fall into the category of "extraordinary circumstances", which prevents airlines like Ryanair from having to pay. However, in the case of a Ryanair strike, you could be owed compensation.

 

Why can’t I fill in EU261 form on Ryanair website?

Sometimes, the form might not work on the official site due to technical issues. You can always choose to fill in your form here at Air Advisor instead.

 

Does Ryanair pay EU261?

Yes, all airlines operating in Europe, including Ryanair, are bound by EU laws and have to pay out EU261 compensation in the UK and the rest of Europe in the relevant situations.