News that Ryanair is to appeal a court judgement that it cannot limit the time permitted to claim compensation for flight delays does not come as a surprise.
After all, yesterday’s test case ruling in Manchester means the low-cost airline now faces a bill of around £610m from disgruntled flyers.
The Irish company had defied an EU regulation stating that passengers can claim for up to six years after their delayed flight by writing a clause into its terms and conditions putting a two-year time limit on any requests for compensation. The case was originally taken to court in 2014, five years and eight months after the passengers in question were delayed by almost 10 hours on a flight from Reus in Spain to London.
Travel experts say the ruling – described by Ryanair as "unnecessary and unreasonable" - will benefit all passengers since a win by the airline would have led to a reduction in claim time across the industry.
Ryanair, of course, has a lot to be proud of. Over the last 20 years it has revolutionised the airline business with its low-cost, high-volume model, giving people from all walks of life the chance to travel around Europe as never before. Thanks to Ryanair and its competitors, jumping on a plane is now almost as common as jumping on the bus. In many cases, flying is cheaper than taking the train.
This ruling, however, can’t help but remind one of the more negative aspects of the firm’s customer services policy. Over the years, Ryanair, led by flamboyant and outspoken chief executive Michael O’Leary, has consistently annoyed customers with its hidden charges and extreme “no frills” service. Past controversies have included not providing wheelchairs for disabled passengers, the abolition of airport check-in desks and charging customers premium rates to contact them. The company’s cavalier PR strategy, meanwhile, has included a stream of made-up stories.
This reputation for squeezing every penny out of customers means Ryanair is unlikely to garner much public support in its bid to overturn this latest judgement.
It should also be noted, of course, that it was EU deregulation of the air industry that allowed Ryanair to grow from tiny Irish carrier to European giant in the first place. With this in mind, after six long years and the addition in 2011 of €2 to every booking to cover compliance with the EU regulation it later decided to contravene, the company should accept this ruling and move on.
Go on, Ryanair, cough up – it’s the least your customers deserve.
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