A Ryanair passenger was awarded £220 after they reported an innocuous-sounding comment from the pilot.
Helen Kirrane successfully claimed the cash payout after her compensation request was initially refused, following a three-and-a-half hour delay to her flight, reports the Mirror.
Despite the airline’s claims that air traffic control (ATC) restrictions were to blame – a situation that would typically see Ryanair refuse compensation – Kirrane’s meticulous note-taking told a different story.
The sharp-witted customer didn’t quit despite the pushback, presenting evidence that the flight was not delayed for the reasons Ryanair claimed. She is now due £220 in compensation.
Writing in This is Money, Helen recalled an announcement made by the pilot before takeoff indicated that the aircraft was originally scheduled to fly to Birmingham, not London, thereby undermining Ryanair’s claim that ATC was responsible.
Her careful documentation extended to text messages sent to her boyfriend during the delay, which served as crucial, timestamped proof.
Helen explained: “The texts to my boyfriend came in handy, because I was able to pin down the exact times I had taken off and landed to tot up the delay.
“The regulations state that for delays of more than three hours, on journeys of less than 1,500km – as mine was – you are entitled to compensation of £220. This is what I asked Aviation alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to demand. For flights going 1,500km or further, you can claim more – up to £520 for the longest delays.”
In the UK, passengers who disagree with an airline’s compensation decision have the right to contest the decision by going to the ADR service. To do so, you must have complained to the airline directly and then received its response, or else given it eight weeks to respond.
Customers who travel with airlines including Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and TUI are entitled to use a free Aviation ADR service, which is what Helen did. She uploaded all of the correspondence she had had with Ryanair, and included the notes she had taken.
“The ADR adjudicator agreed with my doubts about the delay’s cause. It turned out my flight had been delayed by three hours due to the late arrival of the aircraft from another flight. Ryanair decided to perform an aircraft change to minimise operational disruption. Only 14 minutes of the delay had been caused by air traffic control problems at London Gatwick,” Helen wrote.
The ADR sided with Helen, asking her to upload her bank details so that Ryanair can can pay her £220. The airline has 30 days to do so.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “We do not comment on pending legal proceedings.”