THE AGENT CLAIMS DIRECTORY · RYANAIR

Ryanair delay of 3 hours or more — preparing a claim that survives the portal

Written for travel agents by Nathan Zarcaro, founder of MyAirAdvocate · Updated August 2026

Three or more hours late at arrival on Ryanair pays €250–€400 per passenger. Same portal-only rule as every Ryanair claim, and the same reflex first refusal — which is why the arrival evidence needs to be in the submission rather than held back.

QUALIFY IT

Arrival delay, measured yourself

The threshold is arrival delay at the final destination, doors open. Ryanair’s own records are the ones being argued against, so capture your client’s actual arrival independently.

Under three hours, no compensation is due — but care rights under Article 9 still apply on long waits.

THE MONEY

What is it worth?

€250

Under 1,500 km

€400

1,500–3,500 km

€600

Over 3,500 km

Per passenger, measured on the journey’s great-circle distance.

€250 under 1,500 km, €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km. Most of the network is the €250 band.

THE PUSHBACK

What Ryanair will say

Extraordinary circumstances, on the first pass, often without specifics. Ask which circumstance, on which flight, with what evidence.

Knock-on delays from an earlier rotation are airline-controlled and a common weak point in these refusals.

THE EDGE

What’s specific to Ryanair

Portal-only filing from a myryanair account applies to delays exactly as it does to cancellations.

No ADR body: escalation goes to the departure country’s enforcement body (IAA or CAA via PACT), which changes the tone of a second letter.

The short-haul network keeps most claims in the €250 band, which is worth telling clients up front so the expectation matches the outcome.

THE PLAY

How do you file it?

1

Record the arrival time independently, then build the pack before touching the portal.

2

Submit through myryanair with evidence attached, not promised.

3

Escalate to the enforcement body on a refusal that names no specific cause.

Or forward the booking confirmation to MyAirAdvocate and this claim is prepared for you — flights watched, the delay detected, evidence assembled, deadlines tracked.

See how it works →

AGENTS ASK

Questions agents ask

Does Ryanair pay delay claims at all?

+

Yes, when the arrival delay is three hours or more and no genuine extraordinary circumstance is proven.

Why was the first answer no?

+

A generic extraordinary-circumstances refusal is common. Ask for the specific cause and evidence.

Can we email a letter instead?

+

No — the portal is the only route that reaches a handler.

What if the delay was 2h 55m by their clock?

+

Measure doors-open at the final destination yourself. Small differences decide these claims.

Where does it escalate?

+

The national enforcement body of the departure country, or court.

General information for travel professionals, not legal advice. Compensation depends on the facts of each disruption and the airline’s evidence. MyAirAdvocate prepares claims; it does not represent passengers and takes no percentage of any compensation.