Yahoo Finance Ryanair apologises for flight cancellation chaos with £40 voucher for passengers
Ryanair is offering passengers caught up in its flight cancellation chaos £40 vouchers to say sorry.
The no-frills carrier is emailing thousands of letters – signed by boss Michael O’Leary – apologising to travellers who saw their plans ruined by the bungle over pilot holiday rosters.
The letter begins “as one of our valued customers…” and goes on: “we wish to apologise sincerely for the inconvenience we caused you”.
MORE: Ryanair attempts to win back customers with £5 flights to France and Germany
It also includes a link to a travel voucher for £40 or €40 per passenger per flight cancelled — though terms and conditions apply.
Ryanair says that 97% of the 315,000 passengers affected by the cancellations have been “re-accommodated or refunded”.
In excess of 2,000 flights were axed by the airline up until the end of October following the blunder over pilot holidays.
Some passengers were informed just hours before their plane was scheduled to take off, leaving some stranded abroad while others missed out on holidays and business trips.
MORE: Ryanair publishes full list of more than 2,000 cancelled flights
The letter says: “We hope you will use this travel voucher, which we send with our deepest apologies for the disruption we caused you.
“Rest assured, there will be no repeat of last week’s roster related flight cancellations.”
The voucher, according to the letter, can be used between October and March 2018. However, according to the Independent, it cannot be used between 20 December and 7 January, covering the busy Christmas and New Year period.
Customers should receive an email letter by the end of the week. However, many travellers have vowed never again to use Ryanair.
MORE: Summer holidays to Spain will cost 10% more next year, Thomas Cook warns
O’Leary has admitted responsibility but says it was by no means his “biggest cock-up” as boss of the airline.
Ryanair pilots have also rejected a €12,000 bonus to defer their holidays until next year in order to dig the carrier out of its hole.
O’Leary says he plans to force them to work or leave. A reported 700 pilots have already left Ryanair for rival Norwegian, which offers better rates and a full-time contract – unlike Ryanair pilots who are, in effect, self-employed.
