Ryanair "no show": taxes paid

Hi,

I have purchased a return ticket to France for a trip in three weeks' time
with Ryanair. However, I am now willing to cancel (or rather change the
dates). I only paid the various taxes on the ticket, because of their
promotion during the week-end (free tickets, only taxes paid).

I paid £35 for the return-ticket, while their ticket amendments cost £15 on
each leg of the trip, so there is little point amending the ticket, as they
also charge the difference in price for the ticket itself.

However, I was wondering if it is legal for them to still charge me the
various airport charges if I don't turn up at the airport, and if I notify
them in advance, by mail...

Surely, if you are not travelling on the flight, they are not paying any
taxes for the passenger, so I wonder if their integral "no refund" policy is
actually legal, in particular for the taxes...

thanks,
Seb

> I have purchased a return ticket to France for a trip in three weeks' time
> with Ryanair. However, I am now willing to cancel (or rather change the
> dates). I only paid the various taxes on the ticket, because of their
> promotion during the week-end (free tickets, only taxes paid).
>
> I paid £35 for the return-ticket, while their ticket amendments cost £15
on
> each leg of the trip, so there is little point amending the ticket, as
they
> also charge the difference in price for the ticket itself.
>
> However, I was wondering if it is legal for them to still charge me the
> various airport charges if I don't turn up at the airport, and if I notify
> them in advance, by mail...
>
> Surely, if you are not travelling on the flight, they are not paying any
> taxes for the passenger, so I wonder if their integral "no refund" policy
is
> actually legal, in particular for the taxes...
>

I have just tried to get taxes refunded on some FLybe tickets. They will do
it but will charge me an 'admin' fee of 25 GBP, more than the taxes.

> Unfortunately, however, there is no specific law under which they are
> required to refund these charges. Nor is there any law that prevents them
> from charging an adminstration charge for processing the refund. We have
> seen cases where the adminstration charge exactly equals the amount of tax
> being refunded! In any event, airlines do not routinely refund taxes, fees
> and charges to passengers who do not travel. You have to ask.

I've never had a problem getting the full airport tax refunded for a
passenger who cancelled in advance. (Note: it has to be a full
cancellation of the whole ticket, not a partial cancellation, to
qualify. You have to cancel the seat before travel and return the ticket
to the airline.)

Ryanair appeared to invent the "administration fee equal to taxes"
malarkey, obviously because anything else might look like customer
service.


Hilary

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:10:07 +0100 Seb <me@seb.com> said...

> However, I was wondering if it is legal for them to still charge me the
> various airport charges if I don't turn up at the airport, and if I notify
> them in advance, by mail...

Read the terms & conditions which came with your booking confirmation and
you'll clearly see it reads:

"All monies paid (including taxes, fees and charges) are Non-refundable-
except in circumstances where Ryanair cancels a flight."

--
Phil Richards
London, N4

RYANAIR WILL NOT REFUND TAXES

31 January 2003 Source: RTE

Ryanair has admitted it keeps the airport charges and taxes of
passengers who miss their flights.



Aer Rianta chairman Noel Hanlon accused the airline of keeping the
charges levied on 900,000 passengers who have missed flights, worth up
to €27m.



In a statement, Ryanair says Hanlon's claims are untrue, but does
concede that taxes and charges are not refunded. Ryanair says it is
made very clear to passengers when they book that fares are
non-refundable.



The airline argues that customers need not lose any money on a ticket
because it can be changed up to three hours before a flight. Aer
Lingus recently agreed to refund the tax and charges to passengers who
missed flights.

RYANAIR WILL NOT REFUND TAXES

31 January 2003 Source: RTE

Ryanair has admitted it keeps the airport charges and taxes of
passengers who miss their flights.



Aer Rianta chairman Noel Hanlon accused the airline of keeping the
charges levied on 900,000 passengers who have missed flights, worth up
to €27m.



In a statement, Ryanair says Hanlon's claims are untrue, but does
concede that taxes and charges are not refunded. Ryanair says it is
made very clear to passengers when they book that fares are
non-refundable.



The airline argues that customers need not lose any money on a ticket
because it can be changed up to three hours before a flight. Aer
Lingus recently agreed to refund the tax and charges to passengers who
missed flights.

"Phil Richards" <philrichards1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MPG.19d0c98fcece24d7989a65@News.CIS.DFN.DE...
> On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:10:07 +0100 Seb <me@seb.com> said...
>
> > However, I was wondering if it is legal for them to still charge me the
> > various airport charges if I don't turn up at the airport, and if I notify
> > them in advance, by mail...
>
> Read the terms & conditions which came with your booking confirmation and
> you'll clearly see it reads:
>
> "All monies paid (including taxes, fees and charges) are Non-refundable-
> except in circumstances where Ryanair cancels a flight."

However, such a clause is subject to the "Unfair Terms in Consumer
Contracts Regulations 1994". The OFT have told airlines that this act
does apply to them and that they need to change their contracts in
certain areas to comply. One of these areas is the refund of Taxes.
The airlines are reluctantly making these changes. The can though,
charge an admin fee for the cost of processing the refund and whilst
the taxes remain at the level that they are (about 25 quid) RA policy is
probably just OK, but should taxes and user fees rise (as seems to be the
preferred option of some) you can expect OFT intervention to get this
clause changed.

Tim


>
> --
> Phil Richards
> London, N4

"Seb" <me@seb.com> wrote in message
news:3f6638bc$0$255$cc9e4d1f@news.dial.pipex.com.. .
> Hi,
>
> I have purchased a return ticket to France for a trip in three weeks' time
> with Ryanair. However, I am now willing to cancel (or rather change the
> dates). I only paid the various taxes on the ticket, because of their
> promotion during the week-end (free tickets, only taxes paid).
>
> I paid £35 for the return-ticket, while their ticket amendments cost £15
on
> each leg of the trip, so there is little point amending the ticket, as
they
> also charge the difference in price for the ticket itself.
>
> However, I was wondering if it is legal for them to still charge me the
> various airport charges if I don't turn up at the airport, and if I notify
> them in advance, by mail...
>
> Surely, if you are not travelling on the flight, they are not paying any
> taxes for the passenger, so I wonder if their integral "no refund" policy
is
> actually legal, in particular for the taxes...
>
> thanks,
> Seb
>
from what I understand, ryanair have a very strict 'No refunds' policy. I
have heard that people have been unable to get any refund from them at all.
Try and see. It would be interesting to see the result

"ramraideruk" <ramraideruk@ramraideruk.plus.com> wrote in message
news:KWJ9b.6424$vX3.865776@wards.force9.net...
>
> "Seb" <me@seb.com> wrote in message
> news:3f6638bc$0$255$cc9e4d1f@news.dial.pipex.com.. .
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have purchased a return ticket to France for a trip in three weeks'
time
> > with Ryanair. However, I am now willing to cancel (or rather change the
> > dates). I only paid the various taxes on the ticket, because of their
> > promotion during the week-end (free tickets, only taxes paid).
> >
> > I paid £35 for the return-ticket, while their ticket amendments cost £15
> on
> > each leg of the trip, so there is little point amending the ticket, as
> they
> > also charge the difference in price for the ticket itself.
> >
> > However, I was wondering if it is legal for them to still charge me the
> > various airport charges if I don't turn up at the airport, and if I
notify
> > them in advance, by mail...
> >
> > Surely, if you are not travelling on the flight, they are not paying any
> > taxes for the passenger, so I wonder if their integral "no refund"
policy
> is
> > actually legal, in particular for the taxes...
> >
> > thanks,
> > Seb
> >
> from what I understand, ryanair have a very strict 'No refunds' policy. I
> have heard that people have been unable to get any refund from them at
all.
> Try and see. It would be interesting to see the result

Whilst I have no problem with airlines such as Ryanair, EJ etc having a no
refunds policy, the taxes collected are on behalf of HMG, they would have
been paid to the treasury had the person actually travelled, and therefore
were never going to belong to the airline anyway.

I would be interested to learn on what basis they claim it as their money.

Rob

In message <bk7tf5$mof$1@titan.>, Rob <rob@anisp.com>
writes
>I would be interested to learn on what basis they claim it as their money.

I would be interested to learn where they claim it's their money?

Ryanair flights are from 1p + taxes and charges. What business can
afford to do all the admin. at no cost, in order to refund the tax, and
be left with the 1p you paid for the ticket to cover expenses? You want
to be able to get the taxes back on a flight you didn't take? Pay the
BA ticket price and let them keep the x pounds seat price in return for
your getting the tax back.
--
Malcolm