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RollingNews.ie

Ryanair will book passengers onto rival airlines - but says it probably won't need to

Ryanair last week announced it plans to cancel 40-50 flights daily for the next six weeks.

THE UK AVIATION authority says that Ryanair has confirmed it will book passengers whose flights are cancelled onto rival airlines.

Ryanair last week announced it plans to cancel 40-50 flights daily for the next six weeks (to the end of October) to improve its punctuality.

The airline said its punctuality has fallen below 80% in the first two weeks of September.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said tonight that it would abide by a European Commission directive. Following an intervention from the CAA, Ryanair has confirmed to the UK regulator that it will reroute passengers on other airlines.

The directive effectively ensures that where there is a significant difference in the time that a re-route can be offered on the airline’s own services, then it would be reasonable to ask them if a re-route could be made on another airline.

Decisions on rerouting would be dependent of the specific circumstances and the differences in times and frequency of available flights.

The CAA told TheJournal.ie, it would be monitoring the situation closely, to ensure that Ryanair is offering the best rerouting options available to the passenger. The CAA has said that if Ryanair does not fulfil its legal obligations, it will consider its next steps which includes enforcement action.

CAA chief executive Andrew Haines, said:

“Passengers affected by the disruption caused by Ryanair’s cancelled flights are protected under EU law.

The welfare of passengers must be the priority for any airline experiencing disruption and we fully expect all EU airlines to meet their obligations regarding passenger rights.

“Ryanair is well aware of these passenger rights and we have written to the airline to clarify their legal obligations and seek assurances on how and when they will provide alternative flights with other airlines.”

A Ryanair statement said:

“Given the fact we have already re-accommodated 75% of our affected customers and given the size of our network, it’s unlikely we will need to, but will do so if necessary, and have been doing so, in full compliance with EU261 legislation.

“Any customers whose flights have been cancelled have been contacted, and we advise customers to liaise with our customer service team so that we can take all necessary steps to re-accommodate them. Ryanair fully complies with all EU261 legislation.”

Read: Ryanair wants to prevent further flight cancellations – by taking back pilots’ holidays

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    Mute dangermouse
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:28 PM

    Fair play too MOL he took a kick to the balls .
    He didn’t push any journalists out of the way too his 350million pound boat like sir Philip greed .
    Ryanair broke the back of expensive flying opened up europe gets people home for nothing less than 50 euros what more do people want. There’s always issues with flying if it be weather security etc .

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:32 PM

    @dangermouse: calm down Michael O’L.

    94
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    Mute Centerro
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:35 PM

    @dangermouse: doesn’t give him the right to treat customers and pilots with utter contempt? No time for any company that offers zero hour contracts. Absolute shambolic performance from Ryanair and the PR fallout that is coming down the track will be well deserved.

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:38 PM

    @Centerro: PR fallout down the track? The PR fallout is now. Follow the money. If they were fluiched, so would their share price be. They have a big IR headache to overcome and once that’s sorted, it’ll all be forgotten.

    24
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:46 PM

    @Elma Phudd: but will prospective travelers feel confident that future tickets will be honored?

    But a ticket but you may not be able to fly.

    29
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    Mute Damien Aulsberry
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:08 PM

    @dangermouse:

    He has fucced up Gerald Ratner style and he knows it.

    21
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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:32 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: yep. I think in time yes. I’d say about 90% of people who travel with Ryanair have at one time said they’ll never travel with Ryanair again. It’s like the 46A not turning up. It’s a bus service.

    11
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    Mute James O'Brien
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 11:17 PM
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 11:42 PM

    @Elma Phudd: cheap but nasty. Treatment of employees is exploitative.

    19
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    Mute Kieran Conroy
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:30 PM

    When this mess is sorted out all the people who screamed “never again Ryanair” will be sneakily looking at the price comparisons and booking flights with,oh no,Ryanair.

    121
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:36 PM

    @Kieran Conroy: this crisis is going to last a lot longer than 6 weeks.

    HR Departments have started asking key employees traveling with Ryanair to have contingency plans worked out so as to get home on time if Ryanair fails to fly.

    My partner and I have cancelled an October holiday in Italy. It’s too uncertain.

    The explanations received are not transparent and upfront.

    Of course, many can and will take a chance but there is and can no no guarantee of flight availability. A ticket does not mean that a flight will be available.

    58
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    Mute bmul
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:40 PM

    @Kieran Conroy: dint like the way Ryan air is ran only use as a last resort once in last 4 years

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    Mute Kieran Conroy
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:33 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: I’m booked for Budapest in mid-November.I’ll keep my fingers crossed! Kind of ruins it though.Part of a holiday/trip is looking forward to it and I can’t now.Ah well.Before someone predictably says 1st world problem (stupid expression) I’ll admit it wouldn’t be the end of the world!

    16
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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 9:46 AM

    @Fiona deFreyne: complete over reaction. Your blinded by your hatred of capitalism. You should never have booked with Ryanair in the first instance because it’s against you staunch principles but you gave in to the almighty dollar because it was cheaper and more convenient.
    Who’s laughing now?

    3
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:38 PM

    Telling ground staff that they may need to take a 6 week unpaid holiday and no social welfare is not conductive to employee commitment.

    Designating what are employees as self employed contract workers has a sell by date.

    91
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    Mute Hurt Stoogie
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:39 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: have you nothing else to do only comment on every article, multiple times, every moment of the day?

    47
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    Mute Paul
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:40 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: even worse if they take the option of temp work in Europe they have to fund hotel and meals.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:47 PM

    @Paul: true. It is real employee exploitation.

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    Mute Franklin Roosevelt
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:54 PM

    Imagine if Ryanair employees were unionised?

    The workers would be damned and the multi-millionaire CEO would be the victim.

    Nothing like cutthroat capitalism to come back to haunt O’Leary for a change.

    50
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:00 PM

    @Franklin Roosevelt: a good point and well made.

    Ryanair has designated many of its employees as independent contractors who can be let go without protection of employment and Labour protection regulation. They can’t qualify for trade unction membership because they are notionally self employed.

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    Mute Martin Flood
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:03 PM

    @Franklin Roosevelt: Imagine the hike in fares too.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:11 PM

    @Martin Flood: in looking at the €1.2 billion plus net profits of Ryanair, a few Aviation experts who have crushed the numbers say that unionization and improved terms and conditions of employment would only out a very tiny dent in the profits without any increase in air fares.

    We should not forget employee welfare and protective employment laws.

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    Mute Martin Flood
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:35 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: Then why don’t other airlines have similar profits? Once Unions get their foot in the door, that’s the end of value for money.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 2:16 AM

    @Martin Flood: Depends on what you think a fair price is, Aer Lingus to Málaga with a suitcase €240 return. That’s fair and guaranteed to happen.

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    Mute Martin Flood
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 3:12 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe: Not bad, not bad at all. Though I did the very same trip with Ryanair last March for €88 (albeit with only a carry-on bag). And no complaints about the trip at all.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:57 PM

    Fair dues to Ryanair for helping it’s competitors but it would be nice if Ryanair would better treat its employees and the employees who are treated as contractors.

    29
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    Mute Liam McGowan
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:03 PM

    Micko decides if you get the dole now!

    24
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:12 PM

    @Liam McGowan: no one would ever get the dole if Michael O’L had his way.

    29
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    Mute Mark Dawson
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:30 PM

    Mol is a very clever business man you can be sure behind the scenes heads rolled and to save the company image he played the humble fool he dosent have anything to do with day to day running hes been very clever taking responsibility

    18
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 11:45 PM

    @Mark Dawson: Michael O’L is a Superman, a genius, a hero, amazing, brilliant, just wonderful and a truly modest human being with a decent humanitarian outlook.

    10
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    Mute Mark Dawson
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 4:32 AM

    You all scream for privatisation of public transport and cheaper flights this perfect example of the result be careful what u wish for

    14
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    Mute John Considine
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 3:12 AM

    Ryanair will book passengers onto rival airlines – but says it probably won’t need to.

    That’s complete horseshite. Utter lies and actionable in itself given they are required, by law, to try and book you on the next available service, *with any airline*, and they are only begrudgingly booking people on flights with their own airline.

    It’s corporate criminality, plain and simple. They know, for a fact, that they are doing wrong but they are doing it that way because they think it will suit their bottom line. It is truly discouraging to see people lauding Ryanair in here for doing “the right thing” when all they are doing is pretending that offering people with a weekend getaway booking a flight on their next available service on Tuesday of the following week. Joke.

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    Mute Morizy
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 9:50 PM

    Great news for those that thought they going somewhere but are now not so they will be able to destination meow.

    6
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    Mute Morizy
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:03 PM

    @Morizy: apologies not sure what’s going on there.

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    Mute Toon Army
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:18 PM

    @Morizy: being Saturday night too many beers I’d hazard?

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    Mute Toon Army
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:19 PM

    @Toon Army: I mean Friday, not sure what was going on there..

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    Mute Morizy
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:25 PM

    @Toon Army: not even started yet unfortunately seems you’re there lol

    7
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 3:41 PM

    @Morizy: I like that. The new verb for moaning about Ryanair mistakes? We should set up a support group called Destination Meow.

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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:04 PM

    1 Million seats @€9.99 hallo

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    Mute Morizy
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:05 PM

    That’s a decent gesture despite what people think of Oleary just think people like moaning in here.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Sep 22nd 2017, 10:13 PM

    @Morizy: Michael O’Leary is Ireland’s great rest humanitarian.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 3:44 PM

    @Morizy: What’s a decent gesture? Compliance with a much-needed EU rule to treat your customers fairly to the best of your ability? The article says that the UK regulator had to get on the case to give them a push in the right direction.

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 5:45 AM

    Ryanair are saying “we ain’t got a clue”

    2
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Sep 23rd 2017, 3:47 PM

    @Brian O Reilly: “but we probably don’t need to….”

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    Mute Mary Carmel
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    Sep 24th 2017, 2:45 AM

    Amazing. All along everyone on this site has been praising Ryan Air and bad mouthing Aer Lingus. How fickle we are.

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