A Ryanair passenger has revealed how they managed to turn a delayed flight into a money-making opportunity. The traveller was due to embark on a 45-minute domestic flight within the UK, having paid just £30 for their ticket. They took to Reddit to share their story, explaining that their journey was delayed by three hours.
Passengers were informed of the delay via email, which included a small credit for food and drinks at the airport (£3), according to the passenger’s post. However, the savvy traveller noticed some fine print at the bottom of the email regarding compensation rights in the EU. They realised they could be entitled to compensation if their flight was delayed by at least three hours.
Despite initial concerns about whether they would qualify for the compensation, given the UK’s departure from the EU and the exact three-hour delay, they decided to pursue it.
They wrote: “We touched Tarmac at 2hr58min late, but stopped moving at 3hrs2min so I was confident they’d try to use this to get out of paying.”
After landing, the passenger filed a complaint with Ryanair, providing their booking number and bank details. The traveller added: “You have to check in on your claim yourself as they don’t send you updates.”
After a fortnight, they chased up Ryanair and was informed it could take 30 days to process. “But then later that day the money appeared in my account!” they recalled, revealing they received £205 in compensation.
The passenger added: “Anyway, if you’re flying in the EU and it’s delayed it’s definitely worth filing for compensation!”
Others chimed in with their experiences of claiming money for delayed flights.
One wrote: “Nice! I had similar with a WizzAir flight a few years ago, only cost me £20 for the flight from Prague to Luton but I got £220 back in compensation.
“FYI – the exact moment they use as the arrival time for compensation is when one of the doors is opened at the gate or remote stand. It’s not when it first touches down or taxis.”
Another said: “Had something similar with Ryanair, only that I contacted the APF (I’m Austrian). They took care of it within two weeks and I had my money within a month. Gotta love consumer rights protection.”
