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Will Ryanair Provide Alternative Travel Options If They Cancel a Flight?

Flight cancellations can seriously disrupt even the most well-organized travel plans.

It’s more than just an inconvenience; it’s the uncertainty of what’s next.

Will Ryanair provide alternative travel options if they cancel a flight? They should offer you the next available flight. However, it may take some time for them to arrange a solution, potentially leaving you waiting at the airport all day or flying only a few days later. In this article, we will explore both the ideal process and the steps to take if things don’t go as planned.

You Have a Right to Alternative Travel Options From Ryanair

Ryanair is a European airline.

If Ryanair cancels your flight, they must provide two choices for you to select from.

The first option is to get a full refund for the ticket, while the second option is to rebook the flight at no extra cost. If it is a last-minute flight cancellation, it is normal to want a flight that departs as soon as possible (the next available flight).

This is also what the law requires Ryanair to offer. It’s the same in every situation. You have the right to request a flight that takes off as close to the original scheduled time as possible.

This new flight will be provided must be for free.

As long as it’s not a non-European airline, and the flight isn’t from a third country (a country outside Europe). Because with non-European airlines these rules apply only to flights departing from Europe. Ryanair is a European airline, so all of its flights are covered by the European regulations.

By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

Alternative Travel Options with Partner Airlines

Sometimes, Ryanair may rebook you on a partner airline if no suitable Ryanair flights are available. Alternatively, they might book you on a different airline altogether.

This might be a convenient option, though it’s not always offered.

If you notice there are quicker or more convenient flight options to your destination, it’s worth mentioning this to the Ryanair staff – especially when discussing alternatives after your Ryanair flight has been cancelled. It’s particularly important to consider this when the cancellation happens at the last minute and you are already at the airport.

How should this work?

You should be on the next available flight to your destination.

With Ryanair or another airline.

It’s Taking Longer Than Expected

You are not getting alternative travel options.

Here are a few of the most likely scenarios:

  1. You can’t get in touch with Ryanair.
  2. The new flight departs hours later.
  3. Ryanair is providing a new flight a few days later which isn’t convenient for you.

The first option is complicated. You could buy a new ticket and then file a claim with Ryanair afterwards, but this might make things more difficult, as you haven’t yet checked what the airline was offering all passengers affected by the flight cancellation. Proving that the airline was unreachable and that you made the best choice might be hard.

In the second case, you can ask for another flight. As per EC261 regulations, you have the right to be taken to your destination “under similar transport conditions at the earliest convenience”. This could be with another airline and might involve a connecting flight instead of a direct one if that is the only viable alternative.

Be prepared for Ryanair to potentially refuse and insist you take their flight.

In the third scenario, your rights are the same as in the second scenario. You can request a more suitable flight at a better and more convenient time. If no solution is provided by Ryanair, you can purchase a new flight independently and later file a claim with the airline.

Try to Negotiate With Ryanair

Yes, in all cases, it’s simpler to “just book a different flight”.

But – getting your money back from Ryanair afterwards can be far more difficult than negotiating a better flight at the moment.

Always try to negotiate with the airline as soon as an issue arises. If your Ryanair flight is cancelled, speak with Ryanair staff at the airport or on the phone, discuss options that work best for you, and find the closest alternative to your original flight. Don’t be rude or harsh; always be open to feedback.

Do You Have a Travel Insurance?

If your flight gets cancelled and the airline’s options don’t fit your plans, having travel insurance for flight cancellations can be a lifesaver.

With travel insurance, you can simply purchase a new flight, and then claim the money back from your travel insurance provider. Moreover, you can still apply for a refund for flight cancellation from Ryanair and potentially receive flight cancellation compensation (if the cancellation is Ryanair’s fault and it happened less than two weeks before your departure date).

Regardless of why your flight was cancelled, with most Ryanair flights, you have the right to choose between a new flight or getting a refund.

Read more: What to Do If Ryanair Does Not Provide Alternative Travel Options?

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Ryanair Flight Cancellation Compensation

If your flight gets cancelled less than 2 weeks before its scheduled departure time, and it’s due to the airline’s fault, you often have a right to flight cancellation compensation.

You also have the option to receive both a full refund and flight compensation.

  • For European airlines, these rights apply to all their flights.
  • For non-European airlines, these rights apply to flights departing from Europe.

Ryanair Flight Cancellation Refund

First of all, a refund is different from compensation.

A refund is the money you paid for the plane ticket.

For example, if Ryanair cancels a flight, you often have the right to choose between a full refund and a new flight. You can opt for a full refund to your bank account and decline the alternative flight offered by Ryanair.

As already discussed, you can choose to get a full refund if the alternative flight doesn’t suit your schedule, you don’t want to negotiate anything else and plan to simply buy a new flight, or maybe you’ve decided not to fly at all.

You don’t have to accept coupons in this situation.

Do you have questions about your rights regarding a new flight in case of flight cancellation or Ryanair flight cancellation compensation? Feel free to ask in the comments.

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