Why does Ryanair reject so many compensation claims?

Ryanair has consistently been one of the top-ranked airlines for CAA complaints and FOS referrals. They routinely cite extraordinary circumstances for delays caused by technical faults, late aircraft, and crew issues — reasons courts and AviationADR have found are NOT extraordinary. Ryanair's claims process is also deliberately complex, requiring submission through their app, and their responses often use templated rejections that don't address the specific facts of your delay. Persistence and escalation to AviationADR is typically required.

How do I claim compensation from Ryanair?

Submit your claim through the Ryanair app or website under 'My Trips' > 'Flight disruption'. You'll need your booking reference and boarding pass. Ryanair must respond within 8 weeks. If they reject or ignore you, escalate to AviationADR (aviationadr.org.uk) — Ryanair's approved ADR scheme. AviationADR decisions are binding on Ryanair.

What if Ryanair claims extraordinary circumstances?

Challenge it in writing immediately. Ask Ryanair to specify: the exact extraordinary circumstance; why it applied to your specific flight; and what reasonable measures they took to avoid the delay. Ryanair uses extraordinary circumstances as a default rejection — in many cases they cannot substantiate all three required elements. Escalate to AviationADR if they cannot provide written evidence within 28 days.

Ryanair Delay Compensation 2025 — How to Beat Their Rejections & Claim UK261

Bottom line first

How much can I claim from Ryanair, and what's the process?

Under UK261, you're entitled to £220 (short-haul), £350 (medium-haul), or £520 (long-haul) per passenger for delays of 3+ hours, cancellations within 14 days, or denied boarding. Ryanair has the highest complaint rejection rate of any major UK airline — but AviationADR overturns many of those rejections. The process is: submit → get rejected → challenge in writing → escalate to AviationADR. Don't give up at the first rejection.

✈️ Highest complaint volume✓ AviationADR is binding⚠ Rejection is normal — appeal it

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Step-by-step

How to claim from Ryanair — and what to do when rejected

Submit via the Ryanair app or website

Go to ryanair.com → My Trips → select your booking → Request compensation. You must have your booking reference and boarding pass. Ryanair's online form is the only accepted method — they will not accept letters or emails initially.

Expect rejection — it is routine

Ryanair rejects a very high proportion of claims, often with templated responses citing "extraordinary circumstances" or "technical issues outside our control". This is usually not a legally substantiated rejection — it is a first-line defence designed to deter persistence.

Challenge the rejection in writing

Reply to Ryanair's rejection email (or use their contact form) and request: (a) the specific extraordinary circumstance; (b) documented evidence; (c) details of reasonable measures taken. Reference Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (CJEU). If they can't substantiate it in 28 days, their rejection is challengeable.

Escalate to AviationADR after 8 weeks

AviationADR (aviationadr.org.uk) is Ryanair's approved ADR scheme. File your case with your original claim, Ryanair's rejection, your challenge, and your evidence. AviationADR is free to use and their decisions are legally binding on Ryanair.

Small Claims Court as the final option

If AviationADR doesn't fully resolve it, Money Claim Online (MCOL) is fast and cheap. Filing a court claim against Ryanair puts them on notice — they settle most claims rather than spend on legal costs defending small sums.

Ryanair's rejection tactics

How Ryanair rejects claims — and how to counter each one

Ryanair's rejection reasonIs it valid?Your counter-argument

"Extraordinary circumstances applied"Usually notRequest their written evidence of the specific EC. Technical faults and late aircraft are NOT extraordinary. Cite Wallentin-Hermann.

"Technical issue outside our control"NoTechnical faults are the airline's responsibility per CJEU ruling. Only a hidden manufacturing defect qualifies as extraordinary.

"ATC restrictions"SometimesATC strikes can be extraordinary — but check NATS/Eurocontrol data for your date. Routine ATC flow restrictions are not extraordinary.

"The delay was under 3 hours"Check carefullyDelay is measured at destination arrival, not departure. Check FlightAware for your actual gate arrival time — not the block time shown.

"You're outside the time limit"Check your dateIn England: 6 years from flight date. Ryanair cannot impose shorter time limits. If within 6 years, challenge this rejection directly.

No response within 8 weeksImmediate actionSilence for 8 weeks gives you the right to go straight to AviationADR without further correspondence.

Evidence guide

Key evidence for a Ryanair claim

📋 For a Ryanair UK261 claim

Booking reference — your 6-character Ryanair booking reference from the confirmation email.

Boarding pass — digital (Ryanair app) or printed. Confirms you checked in and flew.

FlightAware/FlightRadar24 data — free flight tracking data showing your actual departure and arrival times. Essential if Ryanair disputes the delay duration. Use your flight number and date to pull historical data.

Ryanair's rejection email — keep every communication for your AviationADR submission.

Receipts for food and expenses during delay — separately recoverable as right to care costs. Keep all receipts during the delay.

FAQs

Ryanair compensation — questions answered

Ryanair said I flew from an EU airport on an EU airline — am I covered?+

Post-Brexit, UK261 covers flights departing from UK airports (any airline) and flights by UK/EU airlines arriving in the UK. Ryanair is an Irish (EU) airline. If your flight departed from a UK airport, UK261 covers you regardless of Ryanair being EU-registered. If you flew Ryanair from an EU airport to a non-UK destination, EU261 (not UK261) applies — but the rules and rates are identical.

I bought a bundle — will Ryanair count that as partial compensation?+

No. Add-ons like Ryanair's Priority boarding, reserved seats, or travel insurance are products you purchased — they are not compensation for a delay. UK261 compensation is a statutory entitlement completely separate from anything in your booking. Ryanair cannot offset their UK261 liability with products you've already paid for.

How long does AviationADR take with Ryanair?+

AviationADR typically takes 60–90 days to resolve a Ryanair case. Ryanair is a high-volume filer so cases can take slightly longer than average. Once AviationADR makes a ruling in your favour, Ryanair must pay — the decision is binding. Payment is usually made within 28 days of the ADR decision.

Related guides

Disclaimer: ClaimValue is not affiliated with Ryanair. UK261 rates are statutory. Not legal advice.