A couple have accused Ryanair of “profiteering” off the pandemic after attempting to charge them almost triple the value of their original flights to re-book.
Jay and Janet Youll's flights to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands – totalling £291 – were cancelled last summer due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Rather than take a refund they accepted a voucher as they'd flown with the airline before and were happy to help out with the travel industry struggling.
But on attempting to re-book for earlier this month, the couple, from Poole, Dorset, were told they needed to pay another £285 on top of what they'd already paid, despite having cashed the voucher.
Reluctantly, they forked out the extra money and were due to jet off for seven days on June 11.
However, the Government then announced Spain was being placed on the amber list for when non-essential foreign travel was re-opened on May 17, meaning quarantining is required.
Have you had a similar experience to Jay and Janet? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk
And with Janet vulnerable due to systemic lupus erythematosus (LSE), a condition where the body fights its own immune system, they got cold feet and decided to try and re-book for next year.
Ryanair then told them that to change their flights to the same time next summer, they would have to pay another £260 “as an admin charge”, they claim.
“We tried to get in touch with Ryanair and customer services have been absolutely disgusting, just fobbing us off – their party line is 'we don't give refunds',” Jay, 51, told the Mirror.
“To me that's profiteering from Joe Public.
“If Australia were accepting tourists, we could fly to Australia for what we're paying to fly to Fuerteventura.
“[Ryanair said] because the flight is still operational, it's not law that you can't fly to an amber country,” continued Jay, who drives and maintains armoured vehicles for the MoD.
“They're still going ahead with the flight and we're going to have to cancel it and lose nigh on £600.”
Until the couple had received their second jab last month, Janet, 46, has been shielding throughout the pandemic, while working from home in operations and planning for a health insurance company.
Jay said that, even though he explained their concerns over Janet's condition, Ryanair were “not bothered”.
“Even explaining we couldn't get travel insurance because it's an amber country, the government have advised not to do it, the FDA say insurance won't be valid.
“Our insurance company turn round and say we won't cover any costs if you choose to go to an amber country.
“It just seems that all they [Ryanair] are after is our money and profiteering off the pandemic and people who have had to move holidays,” he added.
Jay said “the thing that gripes” him the most is he has contacted the hotel in Fuerteventura – where they've paid £750 to stay – and staff have been “absolutely fantastic”.
“They've moved it free of charge until next year, they've sorted out new transfers at no extra cost whatsoever.”
Jay said they had flown with Ryanair before multiple times “but this now, never again”.
He has also called on the Government to tighten restrictions on travel to amber and red-listed countries or ban it all together.
A Ryanair spokesperson said their booking cost a total of £577, with the value of the original booking being subtracted to come up with £285.
That's despite it being at the same time of year and to the same location as the original.
And if they want to make changes to next year the standard terms and conditions apply.
They said: "Mr and Mrs Youll received a refund voucher for the full value of their cancelled booking, which they put towards the cost of a new flight.
"In order to provide as much flexibility and assurance as possible, Ryanair has extended the zero change fee until 31st October 2021, so should Mr & Mrs Youll wish to travel prior to the end of October, they could do so with a zero-change fee and only pay the difference in fare.
"If Mr and Mrs Youll wish to move their booking to June 2022, then standard T&Cs apply."
