EMBARGOED Ryanair clashes with Which? as refund row rumbles on

Ryanair and consumer watchdog Which? have become embroiled in a row over refunds following remarks made by Chief Executive Michael O’Leary during a heated exchange with the BBC.

The spiky boss of the low cost carrier told Radio 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden to ‘stop rabbiting on about refunds’ during an interview last week.

O’Leary said every customer who requested a refund had received their money, a statement contested by Burden who – much to O’Leary’s irritation – read out messages from passengers insisting they had not been paid.

In its own investigations, Which? presented three case studies which it claimed illustrated on-going issues with Ryanair refunds. 

Despite repeated requests for refunds, several customers told the consumer watchdog they were still waiting for money having initially been sent a credit voucher.

Ryanair described the case studies as containing ‘false and malicious claims’ and argued the passengers had not even requested their money back.

Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland said: "We have had more complaints about Ryanair’s handling of refunds than any other airline, with some passengers still struggling to get their money up to six months after their flights were cancelled.
 
"Airlines are facing a serious financial crisis but they are also facing a crisis of trust. Claiming all passengers who have requested a refund have received it when that’s not true is hardly going to help matters. Ryanair now risks adding insult to injury by refusing to refund passengers who can not fly this month because of the latest lockdown."

Boland added that the Civil Aviation Authority must be handed new powers so it can meaningfully clamp down on airlines’ behaviour.
 
"Major airlines have acted shamefully and without fear of consequences during this pandemic – the government must urgently review the CAA’s powers as part of its aviation recovery plan, to ensure airlines do not feel empowered to brazenly break consumer law again in the future."

Ryanair hit back by claiming two of the customers cited by Which? did not request refunds and a third had only done so on October 27 and been paid.

A spokesperson said: "Ryanair rejects these false and malicious claims made by Which?, which…… completely misdescribes 3 case studies, which in fact support Ryanair’s factually accurate position that customers who have requested refunds, have received them."

The airline reiterated that all Ryanair passengers who requested a refund since 1 June, ‘have now received these refunds’.

"There is no backlog," the spokesperson added.