Ryanair rescheduling

[Nigel]

Does anyone know what is happening with Ryanair flight schedules? Both my wife and I had booked different flights next month (Stansted to Brno and Santiago to Stansted). We both received emails this morning rescheduling these flights to much later in the day, so that they both now arrive very late at night or early hours of the morning. This no longer works for either of us, so we will be claiming refunds. Fortunately, we can find workarounds which fit our overall itineraries. In many years of using Ryanair (I made my 50th flight with them recently), I have never had this before. Does the fact that it happened simultaneously on two completely different routes mean that Ryanair is making some changes to its schedules across the board?

 

[Tetchytyke]

Very probably. A lot of airlines are consolidating their schedules over the winter, I can’t imagine Ryanair would be any exception.

 

[Nigel]

To be fair to Ryanair, they did give me a full refund within 24 hours of me asking for it.

 

[edwin_m]

I had this in 2015 - flight to Rome brought forward by several hours so we had a very early start, but did at least have a bit more time there. Choice of a refund or accept the change, but it was only a couple of days ahead so no real chance of making other arrangements.

 

[mpthomson]

Does anyone know what is happening with Ryanair flight schedules? Both my wife and I had booked different flights next month (Stansted to Brno and Santiago to Stansted). We both received emails this morning rescheduling these flights to much later in the day, so that they both now arrive very late at night or early hours of the morning. This no longer works for either of us, so we will be claiming refunds. Fortunately, we can find workarounds which fit our overall itineraries. In many years of using Ryanair (I made my 50th flight with them recently), I have never had this before. Does the fact that it happened simultaneously on two completely different routes mean that Ryanair is making some changes to its schedules across the board?

Ryanair (and a number of other airlines) sell tickets before they've had the slots confirmed. What can sometimes happen is that these slots move or are withdrawn, tends to affect you more if you've you've booked tickets more than 6-8mths out.

 

[Nigel]

Ryanair (and a number of other airlines) sell tickets before they've had the slots confirmed. What can sometimes happen is that these slots move or are withdrawn, tends to affect you more if you've you've booked tickets more than 6-8mths out.

I can understand that, but both of the flights concerned were changed just a few weeks before their scheduled date. As I said in my original post, Ive never had that happen before so close to departure and on two completely different routes.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Ryanair (and a number of other airlines) sell tickets before they've had the slots confirmed. What can sometimes happen is that these slots move or are withdrawn

That’s the excuse they sometimes give, but Ryanair don’t tend to operate to slot restricted airports. They don’t confirm their schedule until quite close in but that’s a commercial decision by the airline.

In this case I’d bet one shiny Manx Pound that they’re consolidating flights. Given the cost of aviation fuel there’s going to be a lot of it this winter.

 

[TravelDream]

Very probably. A lot of airlines are consolidating their schedules over the winter, I can’t imagine Ryanair would be any exception.

This.

Many airlines are doing it to help drive up average fares and drive up load factors to improve profitability (or reduce losses for less fortunate airlines) given current fuel prices.

Jet fuel prices are through the roof and flights which may have run when Jet A1 was sub $100 per barrel - like just a few months ago in January - are not viable at closer to $200 which they are today.

Ryanair are in a good position compared to many airlines as they have massively hedged their fuel for this winter (they pre-bought it at a fixed price). Hedging for an airline is like gambling, but it provides certainty and lessens risk.

 

[AlterEgo]

In this case I’d bet one shiny Manx Pound that they’re consolidating flights. Given the cost of aviation fuel there’s going to be a lot of it this winter.

100%. This is leading to a lot of opportunities for airfare squatters who can manipulate rebooking policies, but it's rubbish if you're flying around confirmed plans.

 

[brad465]

This.

Many airlines are doing it to help drive up average fares and drive up load factors to improve profitability (or reduce losses for less fortunate airlines) given current fuel prices.

Jet fuel prices are through the roof and flights which may have run when Jet A1 was sub $100 per barrel - like just a few months ago in January - are not viable at closer to $200 which they are today.

Ryanair are in a good position compared to many airlines as they have massively hedged their fuel for this winter (they pre-bought it at a fixed price). Hedging for an airline is like gambling, but it provides certainty and lessens risk.

The FT are reporting trouble for this reason, with Ryanair and Easyjet among those cited as raising alarms and rescheduling as a result.

https://www.ft.com/content/847e6d14-08e4-4477-8722-40bd7162b992?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Airlines face a mounting crisis in coming months, industry bosses have warned, as persistently high fuel prices force them to cut flights, axe costs and delay payments on leased aircraft. Executives are sounding the alarm as the industry heads into its first winter season since the Iran war unleashed an energy shock that has already depressed profits. EasyJet, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, and Germany’s Lufthansa are among those scaling back capacity to navigate the winter season, a period marked by weaker demand and one that in previous years has forced carriers into bankruptcy. In a sign of the growing strains, Delta Air Lines on Friday slashed its annual profit forecast, saying that the rise in fuel prices triggered by the Middle East conflict would cost it an extra $6bn this year.

“This is a full-blown crisis,” said Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. “Everybody is going to be hurting next year . . . we are just trying to trim the ship as much as we possibly can.” Industry leaders, analysts and financiers told the FT that the spectre of airlines failing over the winter season, which begins this month and runs until late March, was higher than it had been in previous years.

As it happens I had a holiday for March cancelled by the company (Jet2, not Ryanair in this instance), and when looking for alternative dates found the destination had been dumped entirely next year, suggesting that they've withdrawn/mothballed it on cost grounds. They did give me an extra discount though for rescheduling something else at least.