Ryanair is the airline whose own terms say the most about how you must claim. Its conditions of carriage ask you to file the claim yourself first, and they decide whose bank account the money goes to.
Knowing those clauses before you start saves a rejected claim.
Which rules cover a Ryanair flight
Ryanair is a group of airlines: Ryanair DAC (Ireland), Ryanair UK, Buzz (Poland), Malta Air and Lauda Europe (Malta). All sell seats under the FR code.
- Flights leaving an EU or EEA airport: EU261 applies whatever the destination (Art. 3(1)(a), Regulation 261/2004).
- Flights into the EU from outside it, such as from Morocco or Jordan: EU261 applies when the operating carrier holds an EU licence (Art. 3(1)(b)).
- Flights leaving a UK airport: UK261 applies, with amounts in pounds.
Not sure which one fits your trip? The rights calculator works it out from the route.
How much Ryanair owes
Compensation is due when you reach your destination 3 hours late or more (CJEU, Sturgeon, C-402/07), when the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure (Art. 5(1)(c)), or when you are denied boarding against your will (Art. 4).
| Flight distance | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km, and flights within the EU over 1,500 km | €400 | £350 |
| Other flights over 3,500 km | €600 | £520 |
The amount is halved if Ryanair reroutes you and you arrive within 2, 3 or 4 hours of the original time, depending on the band (Art. 7(2)).
Good to know
A reform of EU261 adopted in 2026 keeps the three-hour threshold and these amounts; its new rules do not apply yet.
Nothing is owed if Ryanair proves extraordinary circumstances such as an airport closure or an air traffic control restriction (Art. 5(3)). Care is owed anyway.
In McDonagh v Ryanair (C-12/11) the Court of Justice held that the duty to provide meals and accommodation has no time or money limit, even during the 2010 volcanic ash closure.
Where to file
Use Ryanair’s EU261 claim form. It sits inside the myRyanair account, so you need to log in. The same form takes expense claims for meals, hotels and transport.
Have this ready:
- Booking reference and flight number.
- Names of the passengers you are claiming for.
- Receipts, if you are claiming expenses.
- Bank details of a passenger on the booking.
What Ryanair’s terms require
These points come from Article 15.2 of Ryanair’s General Terms & Conditions of Carriage:
- You must submit the claim directly and allow 14 days for a reply before engaging a third party (clause 15.2.2).
- One passenger may claim for the others on the booking; Ryanair may ask for proof of consent (clause 15.2.5).
- Payment goes to the bank account of a passenger on the booking, and Ryanair may ask for proof the account is theirs (clause 15.2.8).
- A third party must show documents proving its authority to act (clause 15.2.6).
Good to know
If you later hand the case to a claims company, note one ruling: a jurisdiction clause in Ryanair’s terms does not bind a company that has bought the passenger’s claim (CJEU, Ryanair v DelayFix, C-519/19).
If Ryanair refuses or does not answer
- Flights from Ireland: complain to the Irish Aviation Authority, the national enforcement body, through its online portal. It advises raising the matter with the airline first.
- Flights from another EU country: the enforcement body of the country of departure is competent. The European Commission keeps the list.
- Flights from the UK: the Civil Aviation Authority lists Ryanair, Buzz, Lauda and Malta Air as members of AviationADR. You can go there if you have had no reply after eight weeks, and within 12 months of a final response.
- Court: for a cross-border claim inside the EU, the European Small Claims Procedure covers claims up to €5,000 (Regulation (EC) No 861/2007).
Tip
Put the demand in writing first. Our claim letter gives you the wording, and the step-by-step guide covers the order to do things in.