Ryanair - refusal to amend flight

[skyhigh]

I was booked on a Ryanair flight back to the UK today. Due to a last minute change of plans, I wanted to amend my flight date to next week instead. Both the app and website wouldn't let me amend my flight. This was roughly 5 hours before the flight.

The terms seem to suggest that a flight can be changed up to 2.5 hours before departure.

I contacted customer service who told me that I was unable to change my flight because I had used a promotional code and that the only option was to purchase new tickets. I did this - for a cost of £220. The flight change fee should have been £90/120 (depending on how the change was made) meaning I paid at least an extra £100 for the new tickets.

Having thought about it, I checked my booking confirmation and there's no mention of a promotional code. I can't remember using one either. There also seems to be no mention anywhere in Ryanair's terms that using a promo code removes your right to amend your flight.

Were they in the right, or should I have been allowed to change my flight by paying the amendment fee?

If so, what are my chances of getting a refund of the difference and how is best to attempt this?

Thanks

 

[tutacre]

Chance of a refund is nil.

Chance of reimbursement via the County Court / MCOL is high, on your reading of events.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The flight change fee should have been £90/120 (depending on how the change was made) meaning I paid at least an extra £100 for the new tickets.

The change fee is actually that plus any additional fare due. It may be that, overall, what you did was still cheaper than changing your booking.

Chances of getting a refund from Ryanair are zero, but still worth raising a complaint to find out what the issue was. Beyond that, it would be a letter before action then a County Court claim.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The change fee is actually that plus any additional fare due. It may be that, overall, what you did was still cheaper than changing your booking.

This would only be the case where the original booking is worth less than the change fee (£90/120 as noted). Was it?

It'd actually be good service if Ryanair refused to amend such a booking and suggested you rebook instead as it's cheaper, or even better charge the lower of the two prices (taking into account that as they don't overbook as a matter of course* they can sell the old seat if you change it but not if you rebook and keep it, so it's not in their interest to price you into rebooking), but it is Ryanair we are talking about

* They do occasionally bump people but that's because they have aircraft of different capacities and a swap can cause that.

 

[skyhigh]

The change fee is actually that plus any additional fare due. It may be that, overall, what you did was still cheaper than changing your booking.

Chances of getting a refund from Ryanair are zero, but still worth raising a complaint to find out what the issue was. Beyond that, it would be a letter before action then a County Court claim.

This would only be the case where the original booking is worth less than the change fee (£90/120 as noted). Was it?

The replacement flights were €130.

The original flights were £160, plus I had paid for a hold bag and seat reservations which should transfer over with the change fee. So it was definitely cheaper to pay the change fee rather than buy new tickets and extras - unless I'm wrong?

Ryanair have replied to my complaint and closed it, totally ignoring what I said and giving me unrelated information. I have escalated the case to the aviation ADR and will see what happens with that.