How to apply and what are the rules to get a flight delay compensation with Ryanair in Ireland

If you’re flying with Ryanair from Ireland and your flight is delayed, you may be entitled to compensation under EU law. But what are the exact rules, and how do you go about claiming it?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Ryanair’s flight delay compensation process, from when you're eligible to how much you could receive.

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What is a flight delay according to Ryanair in Ireland?

In general, a flight delay is when the plane takes off or lands later than the scheduled time.

All airlines, including Ryanair, can have delays at times for a diverse range of reasons, such as bad weather, mechanical or maintenance problems, air traffic congestion and staffing issues.

When it happens with Ryanair, passengers will be notified by email, push notification or sometimes SMS, using the contact details that were provided when the booking was made.¹

In Ireland, Ryanair response to delayed flights also has to be handled in accordance with EU261, which is the European Union Air Passengers Rights Regulations. These regulations, which are part of EU law, outline common rules for airlines to follow on compensation and assisting passengers if they’re denied borders, the flight is cancelled, or there’s a long delay.

What happens if my Ryanair flight is delayed in Ireland?

When a Ryanair flight is delayed there are few different things that can happen, depending on how long the flight is delayed for and what the cause of the delay was.

• Meal coupons and overnight accommodation and transportation
• Flight rerouting and refunds
• Financial compensation

Meal, accommodation and transport coupons

If your Ryanair flight is delayed for more than a certain period of time, you will get assistance at the airport, which includes getting meal coupons. What that period of time is for getting the coupons depends on the length of the flight:

• Delays of 2+ hours for flights up to 1500 km
• Delays of 3+ hours for intra-EU flights over 1500 km
• Delays of 3+ hours for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km

If the delay then goes into the next day, they may also provide hotel accommodation and transport between the accommodation and airport. If it’s not offered, you may be able to claim back what they consider reasonable expenses by providing receipts.

Flight routing options

In addition to the airport assistance, you also have some options in regard to the flight routing²:

• Take the original flight at the new time
• Request you be rerouted to your final destination under comparable transport conditions at the earliest chance or at a later date
• Change your flight to a new time or date on the same route for free.

If the delay goes beyond 5 hours, you can choose not to travel and request a refund instead.

Financial compensation under EU261

On top of the trip options you may also be entitled to financial compensation under EU261, if the delay was due to something within Ryanair’s control. If it wasn’t within their control then there isn’t any chance for financial compensation.

How to apply for a flight delay compensation with Ryanair in Ireland

The airport coupons and routing options are something you’re best to speak to the Ryanair ground staff or customer service team about. If you want to claim back reasonable costs because accommodation or transport wasn’t offered to you, it can be done through the Ryanair Passenger Rights Claim Form in your Ryanair account.

To see if you’re entitled to financial compensation under EU261 you need to log into myRyanair and check if the cause of the delay was within Ryanair's control, because if it wasn’t, there’s no compensation.

🔎 Keep in mind: the cause of the delay may not be immediately obvious, and can take up to 96 hours for their Operations Team to determine. If it turns out you are eligible, you can apply for the compensation through myRyanair.

How much compensation will I get for a delayed flight with Ryanair in Ireland?

Focusing specifically on the financial compensation offered under EU261, this is what you’re entitled to if your Ryanair flight is delayed by 3+ hours³:

Compensation reduction

If Ryanair offers to re-route you on an alternative flight, and the arrival time of the rerouted flight doesn’t exceed the scheduled arrival time of the original flight by more than a set period of time, the compensation can be reduced by 50%.

These are the time differences that can cause a 50% reduction in compensation:

• An arrival time difference of less than 2 hours for flights up to 1500 km
• An arrival time difference of less than 3 hours for intra-EU flights over 1500 km
• An arrival time difference of less than 3 hours for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km

As an example, if you’re flying from Dublin to Rome on a different route to the original flight, and you arrived 4 hours after your original flight was meant to get there, you could be eligible for €400 compensation. But if the new route gets you there 1 hour after your original flight was due to arrive, you’d only get €200 compensation.

How long does it take to get a Ryanair delayed flight refund?

When you book directly with Ryanair and request a flight disruption refund it will go into your Ryanair Wallet within 24 hours.

To get the money from the Ryanair Wallet to the original form of payment takes up to 5 days.⁴

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Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 5 May 2025