Ryanair Flight Delayed or Cancelled? How to Claim Up to €400 Compensation

Ryanair is Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, carrying over 180 million passengers per year. It's also one of the airlines passengers most frequently need to claim compensation from — and one of the most difficult to deal with when they do.

If your Ryanair flight was delayed by 3 or more hours, cancelled without adequate notice, or you were denied boarding, EU law says you're owed compensation of up to €400 per person. Here's everything you need to know to claim it.

Why Ryanair Passengers Are Often Owed Compensation

Ryanair's ultra-low-cost model relies on extremely tight turnaround times — typically 25 minutes between landing and takeoff. This efficiency is what keeps fares low, but it also means that even minor disruptions cascade quickly.

A late-arriving aircraft, a slow boarding process, or a minor technical issue that would barely register at other airlines can push a Ryanair flight past the 3-hour delay threshold. Multiply that across Ryanair's 3,000+ daily flights, and you have a huge volume of compensation-eligible disruptions.

Common causes of Ryanair delays and cancellations include:

• Aircraft rotation delays — one late flight creates a chain reaction
• Crew scheduling issues — particularly during peak season
• Secondary airport limitations — smaller airports have fewer resources for recovery
• Technical issues — tight turnarounds mean less buffer for maintenance
• Weather at secondary airports — which may have fewer instrument landing capabilities

How Much Can You Claim from Ryanair?

Since Ryanair operates almost exclusively short and medium-haul European routes, compensation typically falls into two brackets:

| Flight Distance | Compensation | Typical Routes | |----------------|-------------|---------------| | Up to 1,500 km | €250 | Lisbon–Madrid, Porto–Barcelona, Faro–Seville | | 1,500–3,500 km | €400 | Lisbon–London, Porto–Dublin, Faro–Berlin, Lisbon–Copenhagen |

Note: Ryanair doesn't operate long-haul flights, so the €600 tier doesn't typically apply. However, €400 per person is still significant — a family of four on a disrupted Ryanair flight could be owed €1,600.

For exact amounts on specific routes, use our flight compensation calculator.

When Do You Qualify?

Under EC 261/2004, you're entitled to compensation from Ryanair when:

Flight Delays

Your Ryanair flight arrived at its destination 3 or more hours late (measured when the aircraft doors open, not when it touches down).

Cancellations

Your flight was cancelled and Ryanair either:

• Didn't inform you at least 14 days before the scheduled departure, OR
• Informed you 7–14 days before but didn't offer re-routing arriving within 2–4 hours of the original time, OR
• Informed you less than 7 days before but didn't offer re-routing arriving within 1–2 hours

Denied Boarding

You were involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight despite having a valid booking and arriving on time.

Missed Connections

If you booked a connecting itinerary through Ryanair and missed your connection due to a delay on the first leg, arriving 3+ hours late at your final destination.

When Ryanair Doesn't Have to Pay

Ryanair is exempt only for genuine extraordinary circumstances:

• Severe weather conditions
• Air traffic control restrictions
• Security threats
• Airport closures

Not extraordinary: Technical faults, crew shortages, IT failures, or "operational" reasons. If Ryanair blames a mechanical problem for your delay, the law is still on your side.

Common Ryanair Routes from Portugal and Compensation

From Lisbon (LIS)

| Destination | Distance | Compensation | |-------------|----------|-------------| | Madrid (MAD) | 502 km | €250 | | Barcelona (BCN) | 1,009 km | €250 | | Milan Bergamo (BGY) | 1,575 km | €400 | | London Stansted (STN) | 1,581 km | €400 | | Paris Beauvais (BVA) | 1,478 km | €250 | | Dublin (DUB) | 1,646 km | €400 | | Brussels Charleroi (CRL) | 1,712 km | €400 | | Berlin (BER) | 2,317 km | €400 | | Rome Ciampino (CIA) | 1,859 km | €400 | | Copenhagen (CPH) | 2,598 km | €400 |

From Porto (OPO)

| Destination | Distance | Compensation | |-------------|----------|-------------| | Madrid (MAD) | 420 km | €250 | | London Stansted (STN) | 1,332 km | €250 | | Paris Beauvais (BVA) | 1,160 km | €250 | | Dublin (DUB) | 1,396 km | €250 | | Brussels Charleroi (CRL) | 1,402 km | €250 | | Milan Bergamo (BGY) | 1,367 km | €250 |

From Faro (FAR)

| Destination | Distance | Compensation | |-------------|----------|-------------| | London Stansted (STN) | 1,727 km | €400 | | Dublin (DUB) | 1,839 km | €400 | | Manchester (MAN) | 1,779 km | €400 | | Paris Beauvais (BVA) | 1,645 km | €400 | | Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) | 1,940 km | €400 |

How to Claim Compensation from Ryanair

Option 1: Claim Directly Through Ryanair

Ryanair has an online EU 261 claim form on their website. Here's what to know:

1. Go to Ryanair.com → Help → Complaints → EU261 Claim
2. Enter your booking reference and flight details
3. Describe the disruption and state your compensation claim under EC 261/2004
4. Submit and wait

What to expect: Ryanair has a reputation for being one of the most resistant airlines when it comes to paying compensation. Common tactics include:

• Long response times — weeks or months of silence
• Blanket "extraordinary circumstances" rejections — even when the cause clearly wasn't extraordinary
• Voucher offers — Ryanair may offer you credit instead of cash
• Requiring excessive documentation — asking for proof they already have

If Ryanair rejects your claim or doesn't respond within 6–8 weeks, you can escalate to the national enforcement body of the country you departed from. For flights from Portugal, that's ANAC. For flights from Ireland, it's the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

Option 2: Use FlightOwed

Why fight Ryanair alone? Submit your flight to FlightOwed and we handle everything:

1. Instant eligibility check — we verify your flight against disruption data
2. Automated claim preparation — we build your case with the right legal language
3. Direct airline negotiation — we push back when Ryanair pushes back
4. Legal escalation — if Ryanair won't cooperate, we take it further

No upfront cost. Our 25% success fee means we only get paid when you do. See how it works →

Ryanair-Specific Tips

Don't Fall for the "Technical Issue" Excuse

Ryanair frequently attributes delays to technical or mechanical issues and then claims these are extraordinary circumstances. They're not. The European Court of Justice has been clear: technical faults are part of normal airline operations. If Ryanair tells you a mechanical problem caused your delay, you're still entitled to compensation.

Track Your Actual Arrival Time

Ryanair flights often arrive at secondary airports where gate assignment can be quick or slow. What matters is when the aircraft doors open. Use flight tracking apps (Flightradar24, FlightAware) to record the actual arrival time — this data can be critical if Ryanair disputes the delay duration.

Screenshot Everything

If you're at the airport during a disruption, take photos of:

• Departure boards showing the delay
• Any Ryanair notifications or announcements
• Boarding gate information screens
• Texts or emails from Ryanair about the disruption

These aren't strictly required for a claim, but they make it much harder for Ryanair to dispute.

Remember Your Duty of Care Rights

Even while waiting, Ryanair owes you care and assistance:

• After 2 hours: meals and refreshments
• If overnight stay needed: hotel accommodation and transport
• After 5 hours: option of a full refund

If Ryanair doesn't provide these, pay for reasonable expenses yourself and keep the receipts. You can claim these back separately.

Claiming for Past Ryanair Flights

You can claim for Ryanair flights going back up to 3 years for flights from Portugal, 6 years for flights from the UK and Ireland, and 5 years for flights from Spain. Go through your email and find those old Ryanair booking confirmations — each qualifying disruption could be worth €250 or €400 per person.

Group Bookings and Families

If you booked for a group, each named passenger with a confirmed seat is entitled to their own compensation. A group of 6 friends on a delayed Ryanair flight? That's potentially €2,400 (at €400 each for a medium-haul route).

Ryanair FAQ

Can I claim if I only paid €20 for my Ryanair ticket?

Absolutely. EC 261 compensation is based on flight distance, not ticket price. A €20 ticket and a €200 ticket carry exactly the same compensation rights.

Ryanair says my delay was caused by a late-arriving aircraft. Is that extraordinary?

No. "Late arrival of the incoming aircraft" is explicitly not considered extraordinary by courts. This is an operational issue within Ryanair's control.

Can I claim for extra costs like missed hotel bookings?

EC 261 compensation is a fixed amount and doesn't depend on proving consequential losses. However, for expenses during the disruption itself (meals, accommodation), you can claim those separately under the airline's duty of care obligations.

My Ryanair flight was diverted. Can I claim?

If the diversion caused you to arrive at your original destination 3+ hours late, yes. If you were taken to a completely different airport and not transported to your intended destination, you may have additional claims beyond EC 261.

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More guides: Complete EC 261 guide | TAP Air Portugal compensation | How much are you owed?