Airlines / Ryanair
Ryanair: how to claim compensation
This page is independent. We are not affiliated with Ryanair or any airline.
- Airline type
- Ryanair DAC is an EU airline (Ireland); Ryanair UK is a UK airline
- Rules that may apply
- EU261 for flights departing the EU, and Ryanair DAC flights into the EU. UK261 for flights departing the UK, and flights into the UK on Ryanair DAC or Ryanair UK.
1. Claim directly with Ryanair
Claiming directly is free, and you keep the whole amount. Use the airline's own form:
Ryanair EU261 claim form (requires a myRyanair account) (opens in a new tab) (opens the airline's website)
- You need a myRyanair account, and Ryanair asks you to verify your travel document to confirm you were on the booking.
- To claim for a family member or friend, Ryanair says to use their own myRyanair account.
- Expenses and compensation are submitted and reviewed separately.
- Ryanair's help centre notes that claims companies may deduct up to 50%; claiming directly keeps 100%.
Mostly short and medium-haul: €250 for 1,500 km or less, €400 for over 1,500 km. Intra-EU flights over 3,500 km (for example Berlin to Tenerife, about 3,670 km) stay at €400. Check which Ryanair group airline operated your flight.
No suitable form? Use our free first-claim letter.
2. Common rejection reasons and how to respond
| What the airline may say | What to check or reply |
|---|---|
| "Air traffic control restrictions" | Ask for the slot or restriction details and how much of your delay it caused (C-315/15: only that part counts). |
| "Industrial action" | If the airline's own staff struck: under EU rules cite C-195/17 Krüsemann and C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS; under UK rules cite Civil Aviation Authority v Ryanair [2022] EWCA Civ 76 (C-28/20 came after Brexit and does not bind UK courts). |
| "Bad weather" | Ask whether weather affected your flight specifically, at that time, and why a later departure was not possible. |
| "Extraordinary circumstances" | The airline must name the event and prove it could not have been avoided with reasonable measures. |
| "We have no record of your booking or delay" | Send your booking confirmation, boarding pass and evidence of arrival time. |
The My Flight Money claim dashboard includes a prefilled rebuttal letter for each of these.
3. If Ryanair refuses or does not reply
Flights under UK rules: dispute resolution (ADR)
Ryanair is signed up to AviationADR for complaints under UK rules. You can go to ADR after the airline's final response, or after 8 weeks with no reply.
Flights under EU rules: enforcement body
Flights departing Ireland: Irish Aviation Authority. Other departures: the enforcement body in the country of the incident. Enforcement bodies monitor airlines but may not be able to make an airline pay your individual claim (C-145/15 Ruijssenaars). See the official EU list (opens in a new tab).
Court
- Ireland: Small Claims procedure in the District Court (opens in a new tab); the Irish limit is 6 years (Statute of Limitations 1957).
- Cross-border within the EU: European Small Claims Procedure (opens in a new tab).
- UK departures: Money Claim Online (opens in a new tab) (England and Wales), simple procedure (opens in a new tab) (Scotland) or small claims (opens in a new tab) (Northern Ireland).
Check your claim deadline before you start.
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