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Airline guide

Ryanair compensation

Europe's largest short-haul network also generates a lot of disrupted itineraries. The rules that apply to Ryanair are exactly the same ones that apply to full-service carriers.

Quick answer

Europe's largest short-haul network also generates a lot of disrupted itineraries. The rules that apply to Ryanair are exactly the same ones that apply to full-service carriers.

Airline
Ryanair
Main hub
Dublin
Potential compensation
€250–€600 per passenger
Route coverage
EU departures; EU-airline arrivals

Does Ryanair have to pay?

Ryanair flies from EU and EEA airports, so EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to those departures regardless of where the flight is going. Its network is dense across Ireland, the UK, Spain, Italy and Poland, and almost every route is under 1,500 km. Most of those routes fall in the €250 band, with longer ones reaching €400.

What usually decides the claim

  • Low fares make no difference: compensation is set by distance, not ticket price.
  • A very tight schedule means a late inbound aircraft is common — and that is the airline's own operation, not an extraordinary circumstance.
  • Ryanair will point to air traffic control capacity and French ATC strikes; those can be genuine, but the airline must still show it took reasonable measures.
  • Cabin crew strikes at the airline itself have been held not to excuse payment.

How to send your claim

Ryanair asks you to submit claims through its own online claim form while logged into the booking. Send your drafted letter as the written statement in that form, and keep a copy — the letter is what you will forward to the regulator if the airline says no.

If they refuse

Airlines often reject a first claim with a one-line reference to extraordinary circumstances. Ask them to state the specific cause and the reasonable measures they took. If the answer is unconvincing or none arrives within 14 days, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure — for Dublin-based flights that is the regulator of that state — or to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Common questions

Ryanair refused because my flight was 2 hours 50 minutes late. Is that right?
If the aircraft doors opened less than three hours after the scheduled arrival, no cash compensation is due. Check the actual door-open time rather than the time you got off the plane — the difference matters.
Do I have to use Ryanair's own form?
It is the fastest route and they will redirect you there anyway. Paste your claim letter into the form so the legal basis and the amount are on record.
Can Ryanair charge me a handling fee?
No. Claiming compensation under EU261 is free, which is exactly why paying an agency 25-35% is hard to justify.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.