Ryanair is sometimes struggling with customer service. Again and again, the Irish low-cost airline is sued by customers and consumer advocates. This Monday, a hearing was held in Berlin-Wedding district court concerning Ryanair customers who did not take their flight. You should not have the airline refunded taxes and fees in full.
This is special in that the non-arrival of the line did not incur any expense for the passenger in most points - such as take-off and landing fees, aviation tax or security charges.
The consumer rights startup RightNow has been sued, in which, among others, the Hanoverian investor Carsten Maschmeyer is involved. Their subsidiary "money for your flight" complains for about 100 customers who wanted to have the same fees again.
"It can not be that Ryanair retains money that they do not have to spend," says Philip Eischet, co-founder of RightNow. His company believes that the airline has to reimburse taxes and fees because the passenger has paid them in advance to the airline. This is in line with European law, says Eischet.
Advertising for the plaintiff
The fact that the lawsuit should also be advertising for RightNow is obvious. For example, the Düsseldorf-based company commissioned TV lawyer Ingo Lenßen ("Lenßen & Partner") - allegedly because he had received many such cases on the table through his TV programs. A decision was initially not made in Berlin, the court must first familiarize itself with the legal situation; also pleadings are still pending.
Whether there will ever be a result is also open. Ryanair may simply pay in these specific cases, which are dealt with in court, to avert a legally valid decision. "We have 25,000 more cases in store," says RightNow man Eischet. They want to continue and bring about a decision that could then become common case law. No way to make a comparison. Ryanair said on request that Ryanair had "no problem dealing with legitimate claims settlement companies that provide Ryanair first-hand with the passenger's direct contact and payment details".
Not only is Ryanair struggling, but other low-cost airlines have apparently budgeted for withholding taxes and fees. The reason is understandable: it's about a lot of money. For an intra-European flight, which starts, for example, in Berlin-Tegel, fall around 19 to 21 euros in taxes and fees. The cheap lines are therefore essential components of the fare.
Due to the low fares some passengers book their ticket, but they can easily forfeit. Since it is crucial if the airline refunded the entire purchase price or only part of it.
Ryanair points out that disputes of German passengers are passed on to the SOP, the arbitration body for public passenger transport. There is no bad experience with Ryanair in this matter. Although ticket cancellations by the passenger are not the subject of the mediation catalog, the Irish airline has voluntarily admitted to it and take part in mediation in such cases, says Heinz Klewe, head of the SÖP.
Hard-fought market
Thus, in the end, the process probably also serves the public perception of RightNow, because the representation of passengers and their rights in air traffic is contested. "The business has generally become more difficult," says Lars Watermann, founder of the Hamburg instant claimant EUflight. "On the one hand, airlines pay more proactively, on the other hand, there is more competition from various passenger rights portals."
In addition, customers are enlightened and today would know more ways to get their money. "You can set up a letter of formal notice about a generator on the Internet or commission the arbitration board," says Watermann. Whether Ryanair impressed when it comes to unrivaled flights, remains open. If it comes to a verdict at the District Court Berlin, this is expected in early 2020.
