Be Careful if flying Ryanair, they are starting to oversell flights!
By Flight Expert Mr Plane Guy, full of PLANE ADVICE!
Lots of passenger are reporting that they are being told at the airport gate before they are about to board a Ryanair flight, that they are being bumoed off the flight and denied boarding for the flights they have purchased!
Now typically airlines do oversell flights, but Ryanair usually steers clear of this tactic, I assumed due to their high seat occupancy they always seem to have.
Well here we are, just when you didn’t think Ryanair could get any worse, they introduce new ways of making sure the customer follow their strict rules and policies.
Or was this a sneaky move to get more of us to splash the cash for a pre allocated seat which allows you to check-in, starting from 60 days before takeoff? Hmmmm?
So if you need to actually get on a flight that you've booked, you should really check in 60 days before and cough up and pay to pre book a seat. Maybe your like me and like to live dangerously, and love a bit of compo! Oh yes if you are denied boarding because of this you can claim up to 600 Euros and expenses and be put on the next available flight!
If you do want to still risk it and not pre book seats and check in 60 days before, then set your alarm for 24 hours before your flight, so if your on holiday, set it 1 day before flying back home, especially if your due to be back at work the next day!
Why do airlines oversell flights?
Usually, not everyone who books a flight ends up boarding the plane. It's a dolly mixture of reasons why such as missed connections, expired passports, and the classic "running late" saga.
Low cost airlines operating costs are very tight so in order to get the maximum revenue and return for each flight and to pay for Michael O’leery’s new swimming pool. it needs to be full (the flights not his pool).
So typically airlines take into account the average number of no shows on the flight, they will oversell it by this figure, which is sometimes as much as 10% of the load factor! That explains why airlines are always playing musical chairs with seats!
Also sometimes flights are cancelled and merged due to issues such as weather or technical problems with aircraft etc what airlines like to call “operational reasons.”
What should I do if my flight is oversold?
Well if you want to avoid this, check in as early as possible.
Have you ever noticed on your boarding card, it shows your sequence number? this is the exact position you checked in out of all the booked passengers, those that checked in last would be the first to be at risk.
Ryanair Check in opens 60 days before if you pay to pre book a seat, the prices vary depending on the seat you choose.
Or for a free allocated seat check in opens 24 hours before to 2 hours before when check in then closes.
What should you do if you flight has been oversold and you are denied boarding?
If you are selected to not make the flight you are booked on, you should know your rights! If you are flying into or from EU countries or the UK and Turkey then you can make a claim up to 600 Euros, the rules are a bit different for flights to and from USA and Canada.
Get Receipts, keep your boarding card, get written confirmation from the ground staff that you were denied boarding, I know you're probably in shock or angry but stay focused!
Be prepared, if like me you are a worrier, you may have had an idea of alternative ways to get to your destination. You should have packed extra snacks, medication, fully charged powerbank, emergency funds.
Know Your rights! They need to provide you with an alternative flight option or a full refund (as well as the compensation)
If you have to wait for your next flight for more than 2 hours, request vouchers for meal and refreshments at the airport, or keep the receipts of what you buy,
Are you now delayed more than 6 hours? You're entitled to a hotel at the airport and taxi back and too to the airport.
Check out my flight delay guide as its also applicable if your flight is cancelled or if you are denied boarding becasue the airline has oversold the flight.
Submit a claim with the help of AirHelp who are experts at submitting claims for compensation on delayed or cancelled flights.
Also I did put together a guide full of tips and trick for flying with Ryanair, take a look it might answer some of your questions if you didn't find the answer here.
Hello I’m Paul a Travel and flight expert, I spent most of my career working in and around planes with 15 years providing top-notch service with a London-based airline. I became an expert in travel after soaring across the Atlantic up to 10 times a month!
I’m now, producing travel content, reaching millions of viewers monthly. Reporting on travel news, sharing travel tips, reviews, and deals with a sprinkle of humour and a whole lot of authenticity!
I hope you find this useful if you ever are bumped off a Ryanair flight or denied boarding. do let me know in the comments, follow my socials for lots of PLANE ADVICE and some Memes!
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