A THIRD national lockdown in England has caused holiday chaos again for travellers who’d hoped to getaway for some winter sun.
The UK is currently under a travel ban, meaning you can’t go on a staycation or travel abroad.
Ryanair expects to operate just one per cent of its planned flights between April and June this year
Ryanair is yet to issue an update on what the restrictions mean for customers but it has so far not cancelled any upcoming flights.
Getting a refund for flights you can no longer go on depends on whether the company or yourself cancels the trip.
Here, we take you through your rights if you can no longer go on your Ryanair holiday.
My flight’s been cancelled – can I get a refund?
If an airline has cancelled your flights then you are entitled to a full refund.
Before January 1 2021, customers could claim a refund under the European Union’s Denied Boarding Regulation.
This covers flights booked with a European airline or ones that have departed from, or landed in, an airport in the EU.
Passengers travelling from the UK are still covered under the same consumer rights now that it has left the EU.
Under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the rules over compensation stay the same, according to legal site Lexology.
“However in theory, airlines could lobby at a later date for a restriction on aspects of these rules, like the size of the compensation payouts,” Martyn James, consumer expert at complaints site Resolver, told HOAR.
Currently, airlines still have seven days from when they cancelled your flight to refund the money.
In some cases, you’re legally entitled to compensation if the flight has been cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure.
But because the coronavirus pandemic is considered to be an “extraordinary circumstance”, airlines won’t have to pay out more than the cost of your flight.
Why is Ryanair offering me a voucher?
Many airlines are offering customers credit notes or vouchers instead of a refund if it has had to cancel flights, which you can use to book a holiday at a later date.
Previously when Ryanair has been forced to cancel flights due to lockdown rules, passengers were offered vouchers equal to the cost of the grounded flights that is valid for 12 months.
They could then choose to use them to book new flights in the future or, if they’re not used within 12 months, they will be automatically exchanged for a cash refund.
But the risk is that the credit notes are invalidated if the airline goes bust, leaving passengers out of pocket.
