A Ryanair flight from Alicante to Newquay diverted to Dublin, then headed for Bristol, and finally returned to Alicante, leaving passengers eight hours onboard and right back where they began.
Are there restrictions on which crews can operate a flight? Ryanair has those cheap fares people constantly claim to be so wonderful because it sources labor cheaply.
@ George Romey -- Yeah, crews can only operate on the air operator certificate of the subsidiary they work for, as I understand it.
Pay for what you get, unfortunately.
Actually EC261 compensation does apply. In the end, Ryanair decided to fly back to Alicante due to operational reasons.
Ryanair had multiple opportunities to bring their passengers to Alicante:
Translation from German:
“To invoke force majeure, the airline must demonstrate that the event was entirely beyond its normal sphere of operations and that it took all reasonable measures (e.g. deploying replacement aircraft, rebooking passengers onto trains or other airlines) to avoid the damage.”
Of course, I'm a huge fan of EU261. If Ryanair wants to argue the defense of 'extraordinary circumstances' here to avoid statutory compensation, that's their burden (to prove it was the weather). However, there is no exception for duty of care; Ryanair must reimburse out-of-pocket hotels, meals, prompt rebooking for all the affected passengers, if applicable.
EC261 compensation is pretty much always payable. The bar for claiming extraordinary circumstances is very high: the airline must have taken all reasonable measures to get passengers to their destination as quickly as possible, despite the weather.
Put more vividly: unless you end up stranded on Midway Atoll in the middle of the night due to engine failure while all global air traffic is suspended because of a UFO sighting, you’re probably entitled to EU261 compensation. (Well, as Long as you are flying with an European airline/departed from Europe/ will have a connecting flight from a European airport.
(Oh, cool, hyperbole...) It's a bit more nuanced then you suggest, but, sure, EU261 is usually a great consumer protection. However, it doesn't cover everything. For instance, if an itinerary starts and ends outside the EU—even if booked through an EU carrier and with a connection in the EU—ironically, EU261 protection doesn't apply (AirHelp v. Austrian Airlines, C-451/20). Wish they'd've closed a few of those loopholes during the latest re-affirmation of the regulation...
While I see the financial advantage of sometimes flying budget airlines vs regular carriers, the main thing that comes to mind is optionality. Being based at MSP, many times I am tempted to fly Sun Country vs Delta but then I realize Delta has many flights per day to a destination when Sun Country only has one very two days. Thus, in the event of something going wrong with Sun Country, I am in a much worse situation than if the same happens to Delta. In Europe is a bit different since budget airlines usually fly to unique destinations that most regular carriers don't but again that is a risky situation if something goes bad.
Also in europe it’s a bit different because budget airlines have to rebook you to the next available flight. And if they don’t, you can book a flight for yourself (and get the cost reimbursed).
At least for now.
In 2027, there will be a Price Cap of the original ticket Price of 400%. Good Lobbying, Ryanair.
Passengers who choose to re-route at the earliest opportunity must be offered an alternative route within three hours. This may include re-routing to an alternative airport, a different route, the services of another airline or other means of transport. The re-routing must be provided at the airline’s expense and under comparable conditions of carriage. Passengers, for example, should not be forced to take multiple connecting flights if they have booked a direct flight. Travellers may also be upgraded to a higher class of service at no extra cost.
“If an airline does not offer an alternative flight within three hours, passengers may arrange their own alternative flight and claim a refund of up to 400 per cent of the original ticket price,” states the EU Council.
Ryanair flyers don't love themselves enough.