How to claim compensation from Ryanair
If a Ryanair flight was delayed by three hours or more, cancelled, or you were denied boarding, you may be owed a fixed cash payment on top of any refund. Ryanair rejects a large share of first claims, so knowing the exact steps — and how to push back — matters.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Short answer: Collect your booking reference, flight number, route, and proof of the actual arrival time, then submit a written EU261 (or UK261) claim through Ryanair's own online form. If Ryanair refuses or goes quiet, escalate to the UK Civil Aviation Authority for UK departures or Ireland's Commission for Aviation Regulation for Irish departures. Compensation is EUR 250–600 or GBP 220–520 by distance, unless the disruption was a genuine extraordinary circumstance.
Which rules cover your Ryanair flight
Ryanair is Europe's largest airline, carrying roughly 180–190 million passengers a year, headquartered in Dublin with its biggest base at London Stansted. Because it flies so heavily between the UK, Ireland, and the rest of Europe, two different regimes apply and the departure airport decides which one:
- Departing an EU or EEA airport (Dublin, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, and so on) — EU261 applies, with amounts of EUR 250, EUR 400, or EUR 600. Ireland departures are EU261, in euros.
- Departing a UK airport (Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, and the rest) — UK261 applies, with amounts of GBP 220, GBP 350, or GBP 520.
So a Stansted–Dublin flight pays in pounds on the outbound and in euros on the return. Our explainer on which rules apply to Ryanair covers the mixed itineraries in detail.
One thing to confirm first: the operating carrier is liable (C-532/17 Wirth). Ryanair Group flights are operated by Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz, or Lauda — check the "operated by" line, because that is the entity you claim against.
How much you can claim
Compensation depends on the great-circle distance of the flight, not the fare. For a journey with a connection on one booking, it is the delay at your final destination and the distance to that final destination that govern (C-11/11 Folkerts).
| Distance / route | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | EUR 250 | GBP 220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km, and intra-EU over 1,500 km | EUR 400 | GBP 350 |
| Over 3,500 km | EUR 600 | GBP 520 |
Ryanair may lawfully cut the amount by 50% (to EUR 300 on the top band) under Article 7(2) if it re-routed you and the delay at your destination stayed within set limits. Check a figure with the flight compensation calculator. Compensation sits on top of your Article 8 right to a refund or re-routing and your Article 9 right to care — meals, calls, and a hotel once waits pass 2, 3, or 4 hours by distance band (C-12/11 McDonagh confirms care is owed even in extraordinary circumstances).
Step by step: how to claim
1. Gather your evidence
Collect the booking reference (PNR), the Ryanair flight number (FR…), the date, the full route, and your boarding pass. The single most important item is proof of the actual arrival time at your final destination — a flight-tracker screenshot or Ryanair's own delay notice. Keep every email or SMS in which Ryanair announced the delay or cancellation, and all receipts for meals, transport, or a hotel you paid for yourself.
2. Submit Ryanair's EU261 claim form
Ryanair asks passengers to file through its online EU261/UK261 claim form rather than by post. State the flight, the delay length, the regulation (Articles 5 to 7), the amount you want, and your bank details. If you booked through an online travel agent, Ryanair requires you to verify your identity and payment details through a myRyanair account before it will pay — set that up early to avoid a stalled claim. Set a clear response deadline and save copies of everything. Our Ryanair claim form walkthrough shows what to enter in each field.
3. Escalate if Ryanair refuses or goes quiet
If Ryanair rejects the claim, ask it to state the exact reason and prove it. A vague "operational" or "weather" line is not enough — the airline must show the cause and that it took all reasonable steps (C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann). A routine technical fault normally does not excuse it (C-257/14 van der Lans). If you are stuck:
- UK departures — refer the case to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
- Ireland departures — refer it to the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) at aviationreg.ie.
- Other EU departures — use the national enforcement body of the country you left.
Read what to do when Ryanair rejects your claim before you reply to a refusal. Watch the clock too: time limits to bring a claim vary by country, so act promptly rather than assume you have years.
Strikes and extraordinary circumstances
Ryanair is regularly hit by strikes. A strike by the airline's own pilots or cabin crew is not an extraordinary circumstance (C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS), so those cancellations are usually still payable. Genuinely external events — an air-traffic-control or airport strike, severe weather, or a bird strike — may excuse the airline. Do not accept "strike" as an automatic no.
Ryanair runs a public campaign warning passengers about "claims chasers." Keep it in perspective: your right to compensation exists regardless of who helps you claim, and no-win-no-fee representation is a legitimate, established option.
Lost or damaged baggage is separate
Baggage sits under the Montreal Convention, not 261. File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport before you leave, then claim within 7 days for damage and 21 days for delay; the liability ceiling is about 1,519 SDR (since 28 December 2024) and the time bar is 2 years.
How ClaimWinger helps
ClaimWinger runs Ryanair claims on a no-win, no-fee basis: no upfront cost, and a commission only if we actually recover money for you. We confirm the operating carrier, distance, and cause, assemble the evidence, and push back on weak refusals. Start with our Ryanair compensation guide or check a delayed flight now at /delayed-flight.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions
How much can I claim from Ryanair?
EUR 250–600 for flights departing the EU, or GBP 220–520 for flights departing the UK, depending on distance. A possible 50% reduction under Article 7(2) applies if re-routing kept your delay within set limits.
Ryanair asked me to set up a myRyanair account — is that normal?
Yes, if you booked through an online travel agent. Ryanair uses the account to verify your identity and payment details before releasing money, so it is worth setting up early.
Ryanair blamed a strike — can I still claim?
Often yes. A strike by Ryanair's own pilots or cabin crew is not an extraordinary circumstance, so the cancellation may still be payable. External strikes, such as air-traffic control, may be treated differently.
Where do I escalate a rejected claim?
To the UK CAA for UK departures, or Ireland's Commission for Aviation Regulation for Irish departures. For other EU countries, use the enforcement body of the country you departed from.
Sources
This guide reflects the legal position in 2026: the 3-hour arrival-delay threshold and the EUR 250/400/600 and GBP 220/350/520 amounts remain in force, and the proposed EU261 reform (including any longer delay thresholds or the 9-month claim and 30-day response rules) is not yet applicable. It is general information, not legal advice.