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ARCHIVED - Spain fines Ryanair 40,000 euros for taking too long to reimburse flights cancelled during Covid
The Catalan government has slammed the carrier for unfairly dragging out the process
The regional government of Catalonia has fined Ryanair 40,000 euros for making it difficult for passengers to get a refund for flights that were cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic. The fine has been imposed by the Agència Catalana del Consum (ACC) following a complaint by Facua.
Thousands of flights to and from Spain were axed at the height of the health crisis, and horror stories abounded of customers waiting months for airlines to reimburse them the ticket price.
The sanction was imposed due to “unfair” commercial practices carried out by Ryanair, whether by action or omission, which left passengers unduly out of pocket.
Back in March 2020, Facua denounced the Irish airline for “excessively extending” the maximum time period for the awarding of compensation after Ryanair claimed it could take up to 28 days to refund passengers from the time they requested reimbursement. This is despite the fact that European regulations demand that customers be paid back within seven days.
It’s been a turbulent summer for Ryanair in Spain, with its cabin crew striking for the past few months, causing no end of travel chaos. The airline’s troubles are far from over, however. Just as the situation appeared to be resolving itself and the carrier reached a pay and working conditions deal with the majority union for flight attendants, the two smaller unions announced legal action against the company. USO and Sitcpla claim that Ryanair has violated the right to freedom of association by refusing to negotiate with them.
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