The Ryanair cancellation policy does not allow you to cancel your ticket once your flight is operational, unless it has been delayed by 5 hours or more. However, you’re allowed to change the date, time, and/or route of your flight without penalty, as long as you pay the fare difference.
The major highlights of the Ryanair flight cancellation policy are provided below.
- Ryanair flights can be changed but not cancelled once operational, unless they’re delayed by more than 5 hours, in which case you are entitled to cancel and refund your flight.
- The Ryanair cancel policy allows you to cancel and refund a flight due to the bereavement of an immediate family member within 28 days of your travel date, even if the immediate family member is not travelling with you.
- You can cancel Ryanair flights (or change the travel date) in case of death or serious illness of a passenger/co-passenger, subject to the presentation of valid documentary evidence before the date of travel.
- If the Ryanair cancel policy does not allow you to cancel your flight, you can still change your flight dates, times, and/or routes up to 2.5 hours before departure and make name changes up to 2 hours before departure.
- You can make the changes to your flight by phone, online through My Bookings, and through live chat if you’ve already checked in.
- According to the cancellation policy at Ryanair, if the scheduled departure time of your flight is changed 5 hours or more, you can either opt for the alternative flight offered to you (at no additional cost) or cancel and refund your flight at no additional charge if the flight does not suit you.
- Ryanair cancellations (if Ryanair cancels your flight) entitle you to change your flight without paying any additional charges or request a penalty-free refund.
Ryanair Cancellation Policy Within 24 Hours
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 24-hour refund regulation, all flights in the United States must issue a full refund if a flight is cancelled within 24 hours of booking, as long as it is purchased directly from the airline at least 7 days before departure. This applies to all types of tickets, incl. non-refundable ones.
Although Ryanair does not fly to the U.S., it offers a 24-hour grace period to passengers who book their flights directly through Ryanair’s website. Under this policy, you can correct all minor errors free of charge—such as dates/time, and route reversal: DUB – STN to STN – DUB—as long as you do it within 24 hours of booking your ticket online via Ryanair.com. When making such changes, no change fee will apply but you will have to pay the fare difference between the original fare and the new fare. However, if the new fare is lower, you will not be entitled to any refund.
If you make any changes outside of the 24-hour grace period, the normal flight change fees and charges will apply. If you make the changes online, you will be charged €/£45 per passenger per flight and if you request the changes at the airport, you will be charged a service fee of €/£60 per passenger per flight.
How to Cancel Ryanair Flight ?
You can cancel your flight (see below) and apply for a refund:
- Online via the Refund Application Form
- By phone.
Remember, Ryanair will not allow you to cancel and refund your flight ticket unless:
- Your flight has been delayed by 5 hours or more.
- Ryanair cancelled your flight.
- An immediate family member dies within 28 days of your travel date, even if not travelling with you.
- The passenger/co-passenger dies or falls seriously ill and is unable to travel, as long as valid documentary evidence is presented before the travel date. At its discretion, Ryanair will either refund the ticket or change the travel date.
In all other scenarios, you will lose your booking fee if you don’t travel—unless you modify your booking instead.
Ryanair Refund Policy
The Ryanair policy on refunds is as follows:
- If your flight is cancelled, your refund will be issued within 5 business days to the form of payment you used to purchase your ticket. You can apply for a refund by phone or online.
- If you don’t travel on your flight, you will not be allowed to refund your airfare, fees and charges, all of which are non-refundable. However, you can apply for a refund of the government tax via this link, subject to an administration/service fee of £17/€20. If the refund amount is lower than the administration/service fee, no refund will be issued.
Ryanair Cancellation Policy Due to Death of an Immediate Family Member
According to Ryanair’s cancellation policy, if an immediate family member dies within 28 days of your travel date and you and/or your travel companion no longer wish to travel, you and/or your travel companion may be entitled to a full refund after you apply online (free) or by phone (administration fee applies). Alternatively, you can change your flight dates without penalty, as long as you do it before your travel date. In both cases, you must present valid documentary evidence.
If you’ve already started your trip and wish to travel back, contact Ryanair to arrange for a prompt return journey.
An immediate family member can be your:
- Spouse
- Children (adopted/step)
- Parents/step-parents
- Brothers/Sisters/Step siblings
- Grandparents
- Grandchildren
- Father/Mother-in-law
- Brother/Sister-in-law
- Son/Daughter-in-law
- Civil Partner
When applying for a refund, you must provide the following information:
- Your flight reservation number
- Your relationship with the deceased
- Valid documentary evidence
- Name(s) of passengers on the flight reservation requiring a refund (full/partial)
- Death or serious illness of a customer booked to travel
Ryanair Cancellation Policy Due to Death or Serious Illness of a Passenger
If a passenger on your flight booking falls ill seriously and is unable to travel, or dies before the trip, Ryanair may (at its discretion):
- Refund the total fare for all passengers on the booking, or
- Make changes to your flight by waiving the flight change fee and other flight change restrictions that may apply
To avail of this waiver, you must provide valid documentary evidence of the illness/death before your travel date. You can apply for a refund online for free or by phone for a small fee.
Ryanair Refund Process
Ryanair’s refund process is very simple. If your flight booking qualifies for a refund, you can apply for a refund online (without paying any service fee) or by phone for a small fee.
Ryanair Delay Policy
If your Ryanair flight is delayed or disrupted for some reason, you have the following options:
- If your flight is delayed by 2 hours, you can:
- Re-route your flight with assistance from the airport staff or contact center, or
- Take the delayed flight
- If your flight is delayed by 5 hours or more, you can:
- Re-route your flight, or
- Ask for a full refund
Where can I find information on flight delays?
If your flight is delayed by 2 hours or more, you will be notified at the email address and/or phone number (via SMS) you provided when you booked your ticket. Alternatively, you can monitor your flight status:
- Online through the Flight Info page
- By checking the screens at the airport
Re-routing and Overnight Delays
If you want to re-route to your final destination through the next available flight, or if your flight is delayed overnight, Ryanair will cover the following expenses:
- Refreshments and meals, depending on your waiting time
- 2 free phone calls, emails, or fax messages
- Hotel accommodation if deemed necessary
- Transportation between the airport and hotel/place of accommodation
If you want to submit an expense claim for travel, transportation, or refreshments, or submit an EU261 compensation for flight cancellation or delay exceeding 3 hours upon arrival, use this online expense claim form.
Flight Cancellation Compensation at Ryanair | Ryanair Cancelled Flight Compensation
Under the provisions of the European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, you have special rights for delayed or cancelled flights scheduled to depart from an airport in the European Union (EU) or a country outside the EU to an airport in the EU.
If your flight is cancelled or delayed by at least 3 hours compared to the scheduled time of arrival due to no extraordinary circumstances, or if you’ve been involuntarily denied boarding, you are entitled to the following compensation:
| Flight Distance | Compensation |
| Flights not exceeding 1,500km | €250 |
| Intra-EU flights exceeding 1,500km | €400 |
| Flights between 1,500–3,500km | €400 |
50% Reduction in Compensation. The compensation mentioned above will be reduced by 50% if you’re offered an alternative flight and the difference in the scheduled arrival time of the original and the alternative flight does not exceed:
- 2 hours for flights up to 1,500km
- 3 hours for intra-EU flights exceeding 1,500km
- 3 hours for other flights between 1,500–3,500km
Reimbursement and Re-routing Rights. If your flight is cancelled or you’re denied boarding (voluntarily or involuntarily), you can additionally choose between:
- Reimbursement (within 7 days) of the full ticket price at which you purchased it for:
- The portion/portions of the trip not made, and
- The portion/portions of the trip already made if the flight no longer serves your purpose
OR
- Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest possible opportunity under comparable conditions at no additional cost to you
OR - Re-routing to your final destination at a date convenient to you, subject to seat availability
Exceptions to Compensation
You will not be entitled to any compensation if:
- Ryanair informed you of the cancellation at least 2 weeks before your flight’s scheduled departure time, or
- Ryanair informed you of the cancellation 14–7 days before your flight’s scheduled departure time and offered you an alternative flight departing within 2 hours before your original flight’s scheduled departure time and arriving within 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight, or
- Ryanair informed you of the cancellation less than 7 days before your flight’s scheduled departure and offered you an alternative flight departing within 1 hour before your original flight’s scheduled departure time and arriving within 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight, or
- Ryanair can prove that your flight was cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline’s control, such as extreme weather conditions, failure/delay of air traffic control, safety/security concerns, political instability, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
You cannot cancel your Ryanair ticket once your flight is operational, unless it is delayed by more than 5 hours or cancelled, if an immediate family member dies within 28 days of your flight date, or if the passenger/co-passenger falls seriously ill or dies, provided you can present valid documentary evidence before your travel date.
However, you can make changes to your flight date, time, and/or route, as long as you pay the flight change fee and the fare difference.
You cannot cancel a flight with Ryanair because all tickets are non-refundable, However, you can cancel and refund your flight if it has been cancelled or delayed by more than 5 hours, or if an immediate member of your family dies within 28 days of your travel date, or the passenger/passenger’s companion falls ill or dies, in which case you must be able to present valid proof before departure.
All passengers are allowed to change their flight dates, times, and/or routes up to 2.5 hours before departure, as long as they pay the change fee and the fare difference.
You cannot cancel any Ryanair flight on domestic and international routes because all tickets are non-refundable. In exceptional cases, you are permitted to cancel and refund your flight, such as:
1. Flight delays exceeding 5 hours
2. Cancellation of your flight
3. Death of an immediate family member within 28 days of travel
4. Death or serious illness of a passenger/co-passenger
Ryanair does allow you to change your flight dates, times, and/or routes, provided you pay the change fee (online: €/£45, through a reservation center: €/£60) and the fare difference.
You cannot cancel flights with Ryanair unless your flight has been cancelled or delayed by more than 5 hours, or due to serious illness or bereavement of a passenger/co-passenger, or a family member’s bereavement within 28 days of travel.
You can, however, make changes to your flight date, time, and/or route as long as you pay the change fee (online: €/£45, through a reservation center: €/£60) and the difference in fares.
Ryanair does not allow you to cancel and refund your flight ticket, except in the following circumstances:
1. Cancellation of your flight by the airline.
2. Cancellation due to flight delays exceeding 5 hours.
3. Cancellation due to the death of an immediate family member within 28 days of departure.
4. Cancellation due to the serious illness/death of a passenger/co-passenger.
However, you’re allowed to make changes to your flight dates, times, and/or routes, as long as you pay the change fee and fare difference between the original and the new fare.
If you’re eligible to cancel your flight and get a refund, you will need to apply for a refund online (without paying any service fee) or by phone for a small administrative fee.
In case of flight cancellations by Ryanair, you can re-route your flight without additional charges or ask for a full refund.
Ryanair tickets are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled except in special circumstances, such as flight cancellations or delays exceeding 5 hours, death of an immediate family member within 28 days, or serious illness/death of a passenger/co-passenger. All such cancellations qualify for a full penalty-free refund, less nominal administrative/service charges.
If you fail to show up for your flight (no-show) and do not make any changes to it before travelling, the entire booking fee paid by you (except government taxes) will be forfeited.
You can, however, make changes to your flight up to 2.5 hours before departure after paying a change fee of €/£45 if you make the changes online and €/£60 if you make the changes through a reservation center or at the airport counter.
You cannot cancel a Ryanair flight after booking it, unless it’s been cancelled or delayed by more than 5 hours, due to the death of an immediate family member within 28 days of departure, or serious illness/death of the passenger/co-passenger.
You can, however, make changes to your flight date, time, and/or route for a small fee plus the applicable fare difference.
You cannot cancel a Ryanair flight within 24 hours of booking but can make changes to it within 24 hours of booking your ticket (without penalty), provided you do it online via Ryanair.com. The changes include:
1. A change of date and/or time
2. A reversal of routes, such as from DUB – STN to STN – DUB
If your flight was disrupted after November 2021, you will be issued a refund via Ryanair Wallet. After you receive your refund, you can withdraw it to your original form of payment. Alternatively, you can use the balance in your Wallet to purchase a new flight.
If your flight was disrupted before November 2021, you would already have been issued a COVID-19 travel voucher or a cash refund.
If you booked your ticket through a travel agent, you can either contact them directly to process your cancellation/refund request or verify your ID online with Ryanair for a service fee of €0.35. Alternatively, you can opt for a free manual verification by uploading your ID proof and starting the process.
You cannot cancel Ryanair flights within 24 hours of booking, but you can make changes to your flight booking within 24 hours without any penalty, as long as you do it online via Ryanair.com.
Unfortunately, the U.K. does not have a 24-hour flight cancellation law. The cancellation policies vary by airline. Some airlines allow passengers to cancel their flights and claim a full refund within 24 hours of booking, while others don’t.
You cannot cancel a flight within 24 hours on Ryanair but you can make changes to it, provided you do it online via Ryanair.com.
As of the date of writing this article, Ryanair does not fly to the United States, so the 24-hour cancellation policy does not apply yet. However, you can make changes to your flight date, time, and/or route, as long as you do it online via Ryanair.com and you pay the fare difference.
You can change but not cancel your flight within 24 hours on Ryanair. Flight changes can only be made online through Ryanair.com, and include changes in dates, times, and/or routes and are subject to the difference in fares.
Ryanair is not cancelling flights in most cases, except due to extreme weather conditions that may endanger passenger safety, or other reasons beyond its control.
Ryanair tickets are non-cancellable and non-refundable. However, in the following cases you can cancel your flight for free and receive a full refund:
1. Your Ryanair flight is cancelled.
2. Your Ryanair flight is delayed by at least 5 hours.
3. Your immediate family member dies within 28 days of departure.
4. A passenger/co-passenger falls ill seriously or dies.
You will find your 6-character Ryanair booking reference (or booking reservation number with numbers and letters) in the booking confirmation email you would have received after booking your ticket. If you’re unable to locate your email, check your junk mail.
Ryanair delay refund applies to flights that have been delayed by 5 hours or more. In other words, if your flight has been delayed by at least 5 hours, you can ask for a full refund.
Additionally, if your flight falls under the European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 and is delayed by 3 hours or more, you may be entitled to compensation ranging from €250 to €400, depending on the flight distance.
A Flexi Plus ticket allows you to change your flight or route free of charge, as long as it departs 1 day before or 1 day after your original flight, subject to seat availability.
If you change to a later flight, you can make changes to your ticket up to 1 hour before departure, and if you change to an earlier flight, you can make the change up to 40 minutes before your new flight’s departure at the airport and up to 1 hour before the new flight’s departure through a contact center.
If you change to a later flight which is more than 1 day after or before your original flight, you will not be charged a flight change fee but you will need to pay the fare difference.
If you’ve already checked in for your original flight online, you must contact Ryanair for unchecking your flight before making the required changes. Remember, a Flexi Plus ticket allows you to check in for free at the airport.
Flexi Plus tickets allow you to change your flight route online via My bookings. However, after you take your flight, you can make changes to your return flight route only by phone or at an airport desk. Flight route changes are allowed between the same countries of departure and destination.
If your Ryanair flight is cancelled, you can either take the alternative flight offered to you at no additional cost or cancel and fully refund your flight.
In case of a flight delay by Ryanair, your rights as a passenger are as follows:
1. A flight delay of 2 hours entitles you to either re-route your flight or travel on the delayed flight.
2. A flight delay of 5 hours or more entitles you to either re-route your flight or request a full refund.
A 2-hour flight delay on Ryanair does not entitle you to receive any compensation. However, you will be offered the option to re-route your flight at no additional cost or accept the delayed flight.
If your flight departs from an EU airport or a country outside of the EU to an airport in the EU and its arrival has been delayed by 3 hours or more in relation to your original flight (without any extraordinary circumstances), you are entitled to a compensation of:
€250 if the flight distance is up to 1,500km
€400 if the flight distance for an intra-EU flight exceeds 1,500km
€400 if the flight distance for other flights is between 1,500-3,500km
The above compensation will be reduced by 50% if you’re offered an alternative flight that lands no later than 2 hours if the flight distance is up to 1,500km, 3 hours if the flight distance for an intra-EU flight exceeds 1,500km, and 3 hours for other flights between 1,500-3,500km.
Ryanair’s late flight compensation (by 3 hours or more) for flights departing from an EU airport or an airport outside of the EU to an airport in the EU is €250 for flights within 1,500km; €400 for intra-EU flights exceeding 1,500km; and €400 for other flights between 1,500-3,500km.
This compensation will only apply if the flight delay is not due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline’s control, and will be reduced by 50% if an alternative flight offered to you gets delayed by:
2 hours for flight distances of up to 1,500km
3 hours for intra-EU flight distances exceeding 1,500km
3 hours for other flights between 1,500-3,500km
If you miss your Ryanair flight, it will be treated as a no-show and the booking fee paid by you will be forfeited.
Ryanair tickets are non-cancellable and non-refundable. However, you are allowed to cancel and refund your ticket if:
1. Ryanair cancels your flight.
2. Your flight is delayed by at least 5 hours.
3. An immediate family member passes away within 28 days of your travel date.
4. The passenger/co-passenger travelling on the same booking falls ill seriously or dies.
You can only get a refund on Ryanair flights that have been cancelled or delayed by 5 hours or more, or in case of the death of an immediate family member within 28 days of your travel date, or serious illness or death of a passenger/co-passenger.
You cannot refund Ryanair flights except in case of flight cancellations, delays exceeding 5 hours, bereavement of an immediate family member up to 28 days before travel, or serious illness or death of a passenger or the passenger’s travel companion.
However, you’re allowed to make changes to your flight, as long as you pay the change fee and the difference in fares.
No, you cannot cancel a Ryanair Plus (i.e., Flexi Plus) fare, except under the circumstances mentioned above. However, you can make changes to your Flexi Plus ticket (incl. route) free of charge, as long as you pay the fare difference.
Ryanair flights are non-cancellable and non-refundable, except in case of flight cancellations, delays by 5 hours or more, and emergencies like death and/or serious illness.
If you’re requesting a refund for a cancelled flight online, your refund request will be processed within 5 business days and made to the form of payment you used to book your ticket.
If your flight qualifies for a refund, you can request it online for free or by phone for a small administration fee.
If your flight qualifies for compensation under European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, you may receive the compensation within 7 working days.
If you have a no-show for your Ryanair flight, the booking amount paid by you will be forfeited.
Ryanair tickets cannot be cancelled except in special circumstances. Cancelling a ticket under special circumstances entitles you to a full refund minus administrative/service charges.
If Ryanair cancels your flight, you are entitled to a full refund which you can request online for free or by phone by paying an administration fee. You also have the option to take the alternative flight offered to you by the airline at no additional charge, if you wish.
If your flight is cancelled by Ryanair, you will be informed via email and/or SMS, depending on the contact details you provided to the airline at the time of booking your flight.
You can access the refund application form at Ryanair via this link.
If your Ryanair flight is delayed by 2 hours, you have the right to re-route your flight at no additional charge or take the delayed flight if it still suits you.
Ryanair’s compensation for a cancelled flight departing from an airport in the EU or arriving from outside the EU to an airport in the EU is €250 for flights up to 1,500km, €400 for flights exceeding 1,500km within the EU, and €400 for other flights between 1,500-3,500km.
You cannot cancel a Ryanair flight ticket after purchasing it unless you’re cancelling and refunding your ticket under special circumstances. In such cases, you can request a refund online for free or by phone by paying a token administration fee.
If your Ryanair flight has been cancelled, you will be notified by email and/or SMS, depending on the contact details provided by you at the time of booking your ticket. You can also check the status of your flight online via Ryanair’s Travel Updates page.
If your flight is cancelled, you have the option to cancel your ticket and obtain a full refund or take the alternative flight offered to you at no extra cost.
You can register a complaint with Ryanair via:
1. The Online Query/Complaint Form (approx. response time 10 days)
2. E-mail at customerqueries@ryanair.com (response time 3-5 business days)
3. Customer Service at +44 1279358395
4. Ryanair Live Chat
5. Ryanair Twitter page
Ryanair doesn’t allow you to cancel flights, except in special circumstances that qualify for a full refund. If you don’t want to travel on your flight, you should either not show up for it (in which case the booking amount will be forfeited), or you should change your flight date, time, and/or route before your travel date to avoid the forfeiture of your travel funds.
You can access the My Bookings page as follows:
1. Go to Ryanair’s homepage, Ryanair.com
2. Click on the My Bookings tab on top
3. Log in with your:
(i) myRyanair Account (via Google or Facebook), or
(ii) Email and password, or
(iii) Reservation Number (after selecting the option)
The My Bookings page will appear on your screen.
Yes, you can cancel a Ryanair flight by phone.