Having just written about the worst airline in America, I can reveal that there is an airline which is even worse.
The airline in question is Ryanair. It is not the worst airline in the world because, on one occasion, rapid depressurization caused passengers to bleed out of their ears. It is not the worst airline because its cabin interiors are probably the ugliest in the sky.
It is the worst airline because it has been delaying and canceling flights as a result of staff unrest, leaving thousands stranded without compensation!
Under EU261/2004, passengers experiencing long delays are entitled to €250 – €400 EUR cash, depending upon the distance of the flight.
But Ryanair says it will reject all claims for compensation. They say: “as these flight cancellations were caused by extraordinary circumstances, no compensation is due. Under EU261 legislation, no compensation is payable when the union is acting unreasonably and totally beyond the airline’s control.”
The European Court of Justice recently ruled that wildcat strikes do not excuse an airline from responsibility for compensation under EU261. The British government and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also issued a statement urging passengers to seek EU261 compensation.
They say “When a flight cancellation is caused by strike action by the airline’s employees, the airline is required to pay compensation to passengers in respect of the cancellation of the flight, if it has not warned passengers of the cancellation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled time of departure.”
Conclusion
Whatever the outcome, Ryanair clearly does not care about their passengers and will use any excuse to avoid fairly compensating them. If you book with Ryanair… don’t say I didn’t warn you!
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