Ryanair was accused of denying passengers who filed chargebacks against it during the pandemic the right to fly on new flights this year, unless they pay their refunds.
MoneySavingExpert (MSE), a MoneySavingExpert investigation, found that holidaymakers who requested refunds from their credit cards providers have been subject to last-minute demands up to 600 to board Ryanair flights.
Ryanair continued to fly many of its routes during the lockdowns despite the fact that most tourists were prohibited from traveling by government rules.
Many passengers were unsuccessfully able to travel because the airline refused to reimburse them.
Three of the passengers who booked new Ryanair flights for this year have been informed that they cannot fly Ryanair again until they pay back the reclaimed amount. This ultimatum was issued to one passenger just hours before they were scheduled to fly.
MSE stated that Ryanairs fraud team had requested refunds of 400 to 630 in at least two cases. MSE stated that it has witnessed dozens of similar cases via its consumer forum as well as on social media.
Ryanair has stood by its position, claiming that it was always a no refunds airline when the flight started and that its terms allow for this position. MSE reported in May that Ryanair employees threatened to blacklist passengers using chargeback to obtain a refund. Ryanair denied the threat at the time.
Guy Anker (MSEs deputy editor) said that Ryanair's behavior was outrageous. These passengers were basically pushed over the barrel by Ryanair just before their holiday, which made them anxious and stressed. It showed no respect for other human beings to let them book a holiday, and then only inform them of this at the last moment.
He stated that the passengers affected claimed Ryanair offered to refund the money for this year's flights if the chargeback was not repaid, but they would lose hundreds of pounds in accommodation, car rental, and Covid testing costs if the trip was cancelled.
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The MSEs campaigns team has flagged the cases to Civil Aviation Authority.
Ryanair spokesperson stated that Ryanair flights operating as scheduled are non-refundable. This is clearly stated in Ryanairs T&Cs, which were agreed to by the customer at time of booking. They also state that you may be refused transportation if we owe you money for a prior flight due to payment being denied, dishonoured or charged against you.
The Competition and Markets Authority ended its investigation into British Airways and Ryanair's failure to refund customers who were unable to legally travel because of restrictions last week. The Competition and Markets Authority stated at the time that they should have paid back their money to the airlines.
