RYANAIR passengers have claimed they are being refused refunds for their cancelled flights until the coronavirus crisis is over.
Customers are being sent e-mails advising that anyone requesting a cash refund will be put in a queue until the pandemic has stopped.
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In e-mails seen by the Irish Times, the low-cost airline would not be processing refunds until “the Covid-19 crisis has abated”.
The airline explained: “As our payment agents are required to stay at home in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, payment security restrictions prevent us from processing cash refunds.”
Passengers are being urged to accept vouchers instead.
If not, they will be placed in a “cash refund queue” until the pandemic has passed.
Sun Online Travel contacted Ryanair for comment.
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The airline has been forced to ground 90 per cent of their fleet, with a limited schedule running between London airports and Ireland.
The reduced service also includes flights to Amsterdam, Lisbon, Brussels and Berlin, although these are mainly for passengers trying to return to the UK.
While this is in place until April 16, it is likely to be extended with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary claiming a normal schedule of commercial flights won’t return until at least June.
Passengers who have their flights cancelled are allowed to claim a refund under EU law EC261.
However, Airlines UK, which has members including British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair, has begged the government to allow them to keep passenger’s money until the crisis has passed.
In a letter seen by Sky News, they asked: “Carriers should also be permitted to issue vouchers instead of refunds and, should refunds be required, carriers should be permitted to defer payment until the crisis period is over and as defined by air traffic volumes, rather than time period.”
ABTA has also warned that holiday providers could go bankrupt if forced to offer refunds to travellers, meaning millions of trips could be cancelled.
Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, explained: “We know the Government has a lot to manage with the current crisis, but its failure to make these temporary changes to refund rules defies logic and is leaving the consumer in no-man’s land.
“The rules around 14-day refunds were never designed for the mass cancellation of holidays, which we’re now seeing as result of Government measures to contain the pandemic.”
He warns that the taxpayer could be forced to pick up the £4.5 billion refund bill if changes are not made.
He continued: “It’s important to reiterate, this is about supporting businesses through an entirely unforeseeable and short-term cashflow crunch – customers will not lose their right to a refund, and their money is not at risk.”
