Ryanair rating

4.6/10Axel score · #73 of 77

3.2/10Repriceability · #67

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Low cancellation rates cannot offset rigid fares and costly Basic extras

Axel sees Ryanair as a narrow budget choice for travelers with firm plans who can keep extras down. Basic includes only an underseat bag and random seating, while changes cost money and later fare drops return nothing. Cancellations were low in September 2026, but arrival punctuality was less convincing, so compare the complete booking cost rather than the opening fare.

Best
OAG reported just 0.94% of Ryanair flights cancelled in September 2026.
Children aged 2 to 11 sit beside an accompanying adult free with random allocation on the same reservation.

Worst
A later price drop produces no refund or credit.
Basic and Regular changes cost €45/£45 online per passenger, per one-way flight, plus any higher fare.
Basic excludes overhead bags, checked bags and seat selection.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

NoRepriceability 3.2/10

No. Ryanair offers no cash refund or credit when the same flight gets cheaper. Basic and Regular changes cost €45/£45 online or €60/£60 with assistance, per passenger, per one-way flight, plus any higher fare. A lower fare difference is lost. Flexi Plus waives the change fee, not that loss. Ordinary voluntary cancellation produces no refund or credit. The 24-hour window covers booking-error corrections, not free cancellation, and higher fares still apply. Ryanair Wallet disruption refunds can fund bookings for 36 months, with remaining refundable money withdrawable afterward. Family-instalment and approved bereavement credits expire after 12 months and cannot become cash. Only the registered holder can withdraw refundable funds. Use for unrelated travelers is not confirmed.

Axel's record contains fewer than 10 repricing attempts. No savings result or measurement period was supplied, so these observations do not establish an expected saving.

Ryanair fares
Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Bags	Seat
Basic	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	Fee	0	Fee
Regular	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	Included	0	Free choice
Plus	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	Fee	1	Free choice
Family Plus	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Fully paid tickets are non-refundable. Separate instalment terms provide an exception: if the balance is not paid at least 40 days before departure, the booking is cancelled and the deposit becomes noncash Wallet credit valid for 12 months.	Fee	1	Fee
Time Saver	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	Included	0	Free choice
Flexi Plus	No change fee	Non-refundable despite the change-fee waiver; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation.	Included	0	Free choice

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Lost. On Regular, changing to a cheaper flight does not return the difference as cash or credit. The same rule applies to lower-priced optional services. The applicable change fee is still payable. Flexi Plus waives the change fee, not the forfeiture of a lower fare difference.
Same flight, lower price: Ryanair publishes no price-drop refund or credit mechanism. Its non-refundable-ticket and no-lower-fare-refund rules mean a later reduction on the exact flight does not produce a recoverable balance. This conclusion follows from those rules; cancelling and buying again normally forfeits the original ticket rather than capturing the reduction.
Credits (Ryanair Wallet): Disruption-refund balances can fund new bookings for 36 months after deposit; any remaining refundable balance can still be withdrawn afterward. Family-instalment and approved bereavement credits instead expire after 12 months and cannot be exchanged for cash.
24-hour rule: There is no general 24-hour free-cancellation promise. Ryanair allows a 24-hour booking-error correction period for dates/times and reversing an incorrectly booked route without a flight-change fee. Any higher fare is payable; a lower fare difference is not returned. Buying through the US website or paying in USD does not turn a non-US flight into a US-route booking.
Same-day change: Regular and other non-Flexi bundles use the normal change fee plus any higher fare, generally until 2.5 hours before the earlier departure. Flexi Plus waives the fee. The June 25, 2026 carriage terms require fare differences even on travel day, although a Help Centre article says same-route travel-day changes are free; the dated carriage terms are preferred. Flexi later-flight changes must precede the original departure by one hour.
Schedule changes: Ryanair offers, as applicable, acceptance of the new schedule, rerouting, a free same-route date/time change, or a refund through its notification email/My Bookings. Its general rescheduling FAQ does not publish one universal numeric refund threshold. Where EU passenger-rights rules apply, bringing departure forward by more than one hour counts as cancellation; a departure delay of at least five hours permits reimbursement if travel is abandoned. Cancellation gives a choice of reimbursement or rerouting. Eligible direct-booking refunds enter the Wallet and can be withdrawn to the original payment method.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%3.2
- Standard fare change fee: 4.0/10 · Regular: €45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.
- Lowest fare flexibility: 4.0/10 · Basic: €45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.
- Lower fare on the same flight: 0.0/10 · Ryanair publishes no price-drop refund or credit mechanism. Its non-refundable-ticket and no-lower-fare-refund rules mean a later reduction on the exact flight does not produce a recoverable balance. This conclusion follows from those rules; cancelling and buying again normally forfeits the original ticket rather than capturing the reduction.
- Credit terms: 7.0/10 · Disruption-refund balances can fund new bookings for 36 months after deposit; any remaining refundable balance can still be withdrawn afterward. Family-instalment and approved bereavement credits instead expire after 12 months and cannot be exchanged for cash.
- Cancel the standard fare: 0.0/10 · Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.
- Risk-free window: 4.0/10 · There is no general 24-hour free-cancellation promise. Ryanair allows a 24-hour booking-error correction period for dates/times and reversing an incorrectly booked route without a flight-change fee. Any higher fare is payable; a lower fare difference is not returned. Buying through the US website or paying in USD does not turn a non-US flight into a US-route booking.
- Same-day change: 7.0/10 · Regular and other non-Flexi bundles use the normal change fee plus any higher fare, generally until 2.5 hours before the earlier departure. Flexi Plus waives the fee. The June 25, 2026 carriage terms require fare differences even on travel day, although a Help Centre article says same-route travel-day changes are free; the dated carriage terms are preferred. Flexi later-flight changes must precede the original departure by one hour.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%6.9
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 8.0/10 · Covered by: EU261, UK261; The published disruption provisions primarily implement statutory rights rather than add a separate goodwill guarantee. Ryanair describes free flight changes or rerouting, meals and refreshments after qualifying waits, necessary overnight accommodation and airport–hotel transport, or reimbursement of reasonable itemised expenses when it cannot arrange care. It instructs passengers to contact it before purchasing alternatives. Where no suitable Ryanair flight exists, it says agents may authorise passengers to book replacement flights and submit receipts. No additional guaranteed cash or credit payment beyond applicable law was identified.
- Refund conduct: 7.0/10 · 2022-09-21 France DGAC $129,690; 2022-02-02 UK Civil Aviation Authority; Court of Appeal
- Refund complaints: no data, median 5.1/10 used · too few US passengers to measure
Reliability 15%6.3
- On-time arrival: 5.2/10 · 72.88% on time (2026-09-01–2026-09-30. Published as Ryanair; the table does not explicitly identify this as a consolidated group figure. Cancellation rate published directly, not derived.) · OAG September 2026 On-Time Performance rankings
- Cancellations: 9.0/10 · 0.94% cancelled (2026-09-01–2026-09-30. Published as Ryanair; the table does not explicitly identify this as a consolidated group figure. Cancellation rate published directly, not derived.) · OAG September 2026 On-Time Performance rankings
Fees and transparency 15%2.5
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 0.0/10 · Basic includes the 40 × 30 × 20 cm underseat bag. An additional overhead bag requires Priority & 2 Cabin Bags: €12.49–€36 or £12.49–£36 at booking; €19.99–€45.50 or £19.99–£45.50 afterward. The overhead bag limit is 10kg and 55 × 40 × 20 cm.
- First checked bag: no data, median 6.0/10 used · Basic includes no checked bag. At booking, a 10kg checked bag costs €10.49–€44.99 or £10.49–£44.99; a 20kg bag costs €21.49–€59.99 or £21.49–£59.99; a 23kg bag costs €28.99–€80.99 or £28.99–£80.99, per flight. Prices vary by route/date. No official USD minimum was confirmed.
- Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 · fee
- Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 · Basic provides free random assignment, not free seat choice. Current policy seats children aged 2–11 next to an accompanying adult on the same reservation free when random allocation is selected; other adults and teens may be separated. It does not extend that guarantee to ages 12–13. Reserved seats remain optional paid choices unless included in the bundle. This replaces older guidance requiring an adult to purchase a seat.
- Price shown is price paid: 0.0/10 · 2026-01-28 Brussels Enterprise Court; 2024-11-22 Spain Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030; 2024-11-14 Italy AGCM; 2022-08-08 Hungarian Consumer Protection Authority
Complaints and handling 10%5.2*
- Complaint rate: does not apply · too few US passengers to measure
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%5.4*
- Miles expiry: does not apply · Mileage expiry is not applicable because no mileage currency was identified. Prime closed to new signups on November 28, 2025. Ryanair promised existing members exclusive monthly fare offers until October 2026 and flight/seat savings for the remainder of their 12-month memberships.
- Devaluations: does not apply · No loyalty program with published terms was found
- Award pricing: does not apply · unknown

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data at all for Complaints and handling and Loyalty fairness, so they take the median of all rated airlines. No data for 2 checks (Refund complaints, First checked bag), each scored at the median of all rated airlines.

Refunds and disruptions

EU261 and UK261 cover Ryanair. Cancellation brings a refund or rerouting, while qualifying waits trigger meals, necessary accommodation and airport transport. A departure delay of at least five hours allows reimbursement if travel is abandoned. Contact Ryanair before buying alternatives. No extra goodwill payment is guaranteed.

For eligible direct bookings, Ryanair promises Wallet refunds within 24 hours of a request, then withdrawal to the original payment method within five working days. Reviewed sources do not establish routine withholding or forced vouchers in the last two years. France's DGAC imposed €131,000 ($129,690) on September 21, 2022, for refund and passenger-information failures. On February 2, 2022, the Court of Appeal backed the UK Civil Aviation Authority over compensation for 2018 pilot strikes. Ryanair dropped its further appeal in December 2022 and agreed to compensate passengers.

Regulator actions since October 2021

January 2026, Brussels Enterprise Court: In a consumer association's case, ordered Ryanair to stop misleading reference-price discounts, misleading scarcity claims and baggage-price disclosures covering only one leg of a journey. The court upheld other challenged practices, including large cabin-bag charges and paid parent seating. A €5,000 daily non-compliance penalty was conditional, not an already imposed monetary fine. Source
December 2025, Italy AGCM: Fined Ryanair DAC and its parent jointly €255,761,692 for abusing a dominant position through restrictions on travel agencies' access to and combination of Ryanair flights with other services. Conduct included verification obstacles, payment blocking and restrictive agreements between April 2023 and at least April 2025. The USD amount converts the exact official fine using Reuters' announcement-date rate of €0.8495 per dollar; Ryanair announced an appeal. Source
November 2024, Spain Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030: Confirmed a €107,775,777 penalty against Ryanair after rejecting its administrative appeal. The sanctioned practices included cabin-baggage charges, charges for adjacent seating with children or dependent passengers, price-information practices, refusal of cash payment, and Ryanair's boarding-pass reprinting charge. This confirmed the earlier 2024 proceeding rather than constituting an additional independent fine; Ryanair challenged the sanctions in court. Source
November 2024, Italy AGCM: Accepted binding commitments closing investigation PS12689 without an infringement finding. Ryanair committed to approximately €1.5 million in airport check-in redress, clearer disclosure of free online check-in deadlines and airport charges, and separate selection and pricing of priority/cabin-bag services for outbound and return flights. This was remedial redress, not a €1.5 million fine. Source
September 2022, France DGAC: Order 044 imposed €75,000 for 15 failures to refund unused tickets in money within seven days after cancellation, plus €56,000 for 14 failures to inform passengers fully of their rights. The combined €131,000 is approximately $129,690 using the IMF's rounded same-day EUR/USD quotation of $0.99 per euro. Source
August 2022, Hungarian Consumer Protection Authority: Initially imposed a HUF 300 million fine for allegedly misleading customers when passing a new departure tax onto existing bookings. The USD amount is Reuters' approximate conversion on the announcement date. This fine was subsequently annulled, so it should not be treated as an outstanding or upheld penalty. Source
February 2022, UK Civil Aviation Authority; Court of Appeal: The Court of Appeal upheld the CAA's position that Ryanair's 2018 pilot strikes were not extraordinary circumstances excusing passenger compensation. The CAA subsequently reported that Ryanair abandoned its further appeal in December 2022 and agreed to compensate affected passengers; no aggregate payout or regulatory fine was specified. Source

Reliability

OAG's September 2026 On-Time Performance rankings report 72.88% of Ryanair arrivals on time and 0.94% of flights cancelled for September 1 to September 30, 2026. Axel sees the low cancellation rate as a strength, but punctuality as middling. OAG labels the airline Ryanair without explicitly identifying a consolidated group figure.

Fees

Basic includes only a 40 × 30 × 20 cm underseat bag and random seating. An overhead bag through Priority & 2 Cabin Bags costs €12.49 to €36 or £12.49 to £36 at booking. A 10kg checked bag costs €10.49 to €44.99 or £10.49 to £44.99 per flight at booking. Seat choice costs extra. Children aged 2 to 11 sit beside an accompanying adult free with random allocation on the same reservation, but ages 12 to 13 lack that guarantee. Extras raise the opening fare.

On January 28, 2026, the Brussels Enterprise Court ordered corrections to misleading discounts, scarcity claims and baggage prices showing only one leg. A €5,000 daily non-compliance penalty was conditional, not an imposed fine.

Complaints

A complaint rate per 100,000 passengers could not be measured because there were too few US passengers. Ryanair does not operate US routes. Mishandled bags, wheelchairs and scooters were not reported to the U.S. DOT in April, May, July or August 2026, nor was bumping for April to June 2026. Those gaps are not evidence of good or bad handling.

Loyalty program

No mileage-based frequent-flyer program was identified, so mileage expiry does not apply and award pricing is not confirmed. Prime closed to new signups on November 28, 2025. Existing members were promised monthly exclusive fares until October 2026 and flight and seat savings for their remaining 12-month memberships. No published mileage-program terms were found to assess devaluations in the last 24 months.

Choose Ryanair if

Travel with only the included underseat bag.
You have firm dates and accept that later price drops bring no refund.

Book elsewhere if

You want cash or credit when the fare drops.
You need refundable tickets or inexpensive changes.
You need Basic to include an overhead bag and seat choice.

Tips

Add Priority & 2 Cabin Bags at booking, when its published price range is lower than afterward.
Compare Regular with Basic plus priority and a reserved seat, since Regular includes both.
Use free random allocation for children aged 2 to 11 on the same reservation rather than buying seats solely to place them beside an accompanying adult.

Questions travelers ask

Does Ryanair charge change fees?

Yes. Basic, Regular, Plus, Family Plus and Time Saver charge €45/£45 online or €60/£60 with assistance per passenger, per one-way flight, plus any higher fare. Flexi Plus removes the change fee but not higher fares, and it remains non-refundable. The June 25, 2026 carriage terms require fare differences even for travel-day changes.

Can I get money back if my Ryanair fare drops?

No. Ryanair publishes no refund or credit mechanism for a lower price on the same flight. Changing to a cheaper flight also forfeits the difference, and the normal change fee still applies unless you booked Flexi Plus. Cancelling and buying again normally loses the original ticket's value rather than capturing savings.

How long do Ryanair Wallet credits last?

Disruption-refund balances can pay for new bookings for 36 months after deposit, and any remaining refundable balance can still be withdrawn afterward. Family-instalment and approved bereavement credits expire after 12 months and cannot be exchanged for cash. Only the registered Wallet holder may withdraw refundable funds. Whether the holder can book for an unrelated person is not clearly established.

What do I get when Ryanair cancels my flight?

You can choose reimbursement or rerouting when Ryanair cancels. EU261 and UK261 also provide applicable care and compensation rights. Ryanair describes meals after qualifying waits, necessary overnight accommodation and airport transport. Contact it before buying alternatives. Eligible direct-booking refunds enter the Wallet, where you must select withdrawal to receive money back to the original payment method.

How much do carry-on and checked bags cost on Ryanair?

Basic includes only a 40 × 30 × 20 cm underseat bag. Priority & 2 Cabin Bags adds a 10kg overhead bag for €12.49 to €36 or £12.49 to £36 at booking, rising to €19.99 to €45.50 or £19.99 to £45.50 afterward. At booking, a 10kg checked bag costs €10.49 to €44.99 or £10.49 to £44.99 per flight. Prices vary by route and date.

Sources

Ryanair September Traffic Grows 4% to Over 20.1m Guests, Ryanair, 2026-10-02
Ryanair Annual Report 2026, Ryanair Holdings
What are Ryanair’s fare bundle options?, Ryanair
General Terms & Conditions of Carriage, Ryanair, 2026-06-25
Refund Policy, Ryanair
Travel Bundles, Ryanair
Family Instalment Payment Terms & Conditions, Ryanair
How much does it cost to change my flights?, Ryanair
Ryanair Wallet Terms of Use, Ryanair
General Refunds, Ryanair
Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2025-11-07
Booking Changes, Ryanair
I bought Flexi Plus. How do I change my flights?, Ryanair
My flight is/was rescheduled. What are my options?, Ryanair
Air passenger rights, European Union — Your Europe
Refunds, Ryanair
General Terms & Conditions of Carriage — fee table, Ryanair, 2026-06-25
General terms & conditions — baggage regulations, Ryanair
What is Ryanair’s Family Seat Policy?, Ryanair
Seat Rules, Ryanair
Ryanair corporate website: group description and October 2026 operating updates, Ryanair
CMA closes investigation into British Airways and Ryanair, UK Competition and Markets Authority, 2021-10-07
Update on enforcement action regarding Ryanair passenger compensation, UK Civil Aviation Authority, 2022-02-02
CAA Annual Report & Accounts 2022–23, UK Civil Aviation Authority
Ryanair to appeal against Hungary's 'baseless' consumer protection fine, Reuters, syndicated by Investing.com, 2022-08-08
Ryanair welcomes Hungarian court ruling to annul fine by the Hungarian Consumer Protection Authority, Ryanair, 2023-06-01
Ryanair does not have to pay hefty fine – Hungarian Supreme Court rules, Portfolio, 2024-01-29
Sanctions des compagnies aériennes pour non respect des droits des passagers, France Ministry responsible for Transport / DGAC
Global Markets Monitor, September 21, 2022, International Monetary Fund, 2022-09-21
PS12689 – Ryanair rimborserà i consumatori per i costi extra del check-in, Italy AGCM, 2024-11-14
Consumo sanciona con 179 millones de euros a cinco aerolíneas low cost por prácticas abusivas, Spain Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, 2024-11-22
Consumer Affairs fines four low-cost airlines for abusive practices, European Consumer Centre Spain, 2024-05-31
A568 – Ryanair DAC and its parent fined over €255 million for abuse of a dominant position, Italy AGCM, 2025-12-23
Italy antitrust regulator fines Ryanair over dealings with travel agencies, Reuters, syndicated by MarketScreener, 2025-12-23
Belgian court orders Ryanair to end some marketing practices, Reuters, syndicated by MarketScreener, 2026-02-03
Ryanair: consumer protection enforcement case, UK Competition and Markets Authority, 2026-09-30
Refunds, Ryanair
Care Entitlements and Passenger Rights Regulations, Ryanair
Cancelled, Delayed and Rescheduled Flights, Ryanair
My flight is cancelled, and there are no suitable Ryanair flights available. What should I do?, Ryanair
On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium
Ryanair reviews: performance, ratings and passenger rights, AirHelp, 2026-05-07
AirHelp Score: airport rankings 2026 and airline rankings 2025, AirHelp
Ryanair closes Prime membership trial from 28 November, Ryanair, 2025-11-28
Information release: Ryanair ground-handling strike and passenger rights, European Consumer Centre Spain, 2025-08-06
Ryanair rolls out bigger bag sizers at all airports from September 4, Ryanair, 2025-09-04
Day one of digital boarding passes, Ryanair, 2025-11-12
Italy's Council of State annuls the 2021 AGCM refund fine, Ryanair, 2026-05-13
When and why is Ryanair moving airport check-in and bag-drop times to 60 minutes?, Ryanair
Contact Us – U.S.-English help centre, Ryanair
Call Us – International, Ryanair
Contact Us – UK-English help centre, Ryanair

For AI assistants: the whole rating as text, with every source

Ryanair rating: 4.6/10 (D tier)

Low cancellation rates cannot offset rigid fares and costly Basic extras

Axel score: 4.6/10, D tier, #73 of 77 airlines. Repriceability: 3.2/10 (#67). Checked October 26, 2026. Source: https://helloaxel.com/en/airlines/ryanair

Best and worst

Best: OAG reported just 0.94% of Ryanair flights cancelled in September 2026.
Best: Children aged 2 to 11 sit beside an accompanying adult free with random allocation on the same reservation.
Worst: A later price drop produces no refund or credit.
Worst: Basic and Regular changes cost €45/£45 online per passenger, per one-way flight, plus any higher fare.
Worst: Basic excludes overhead bags, checked bags and seat selection.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back? No

Axel's record contains fewer than 10 repricing attempts. No savings result or measurement period was supplied, so these observations do not establish an expected saving.

Ryanair fares

Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Checked bags	Seat
Basic	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	fee	0	Fee
Regular	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	included	0	Free choice
Plus	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	fee	1	Free choice
Family Plus	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Fully paid tickets are non-refundable. Separate instalment terms provide an exception: if the balance is not paid at least 40 days before departure, the booking is cancelled and the deposit becomes noncash Wallet credit valid for 12 months.	fee	1	Fee
Time Saver	€45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.	Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.	included	0	Free choice
Flexi Plus	No change fee	Non-refundable despite the change-fee waiver; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation.	included	0	Free choice

Key facts

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Lost. On Regular, changing to a cheaper flight does not return the difference as cash or credit. The same rule applies to lower-priced optional services. The applicable change fee is still payable. Flexi Plus waives the change fee, not the forfeiture of a lower fare difference.
Same flight, lower price: Ryanair publishes no price-drop refund or credit mechanism. Its non-refundable-ticket and no-lower-fare-refund rules mean a later reduction on the exact flight does not produce a recoverable balance. This conclusion follows from those rules; cancelling and buying again normally forfeits the original ticket rather than capturing the reduction.
Credits (Ryanair Wallet): Disruption-refund balances can fund new bookings for 36 months after deposit; any remaining refundable balance can still be withdrawn afterward. Family-instalment and approved bereavement credits instead expire after 12 months and cannot be exchanged for cash.
24-hour rule: There is no general 24-hour free-cancellation promise. Ryanair allows a 24-hour booking-error correction period for dates/times and reversing an incorrectly booked route without a flight-change fee. Any higher fare is payable; a lower fare difference is not returned. Buying through the US website or paying in USD does not turn a non-US flight into a US-route booking.
Same-day change: Regular and other non-Flexi bundles use the normal change fee plus any higher fare, generally until 2.5 hours before the earlier departure. Flexi Plus waives the fee. The June 25, 2026 carriage terms require fare differences even on travel day, although a Help Centre article says same-route travel-day changes are free; the dated carriage terms are preferred. Flexi later-flight changes must precede the original departure by one hour.
Schedule changes: Ryanair offers, as applicable, acceptance of the new schedule, rerouting, a free same-route date/time change, or a refund through its notification email/My Bookings. Its general rescheduling FAQ does not publish one universal numeric refund threshold. Where EU passenger-rights rules apply, bringing departure forward by more than one hour counts as cancellation; a departure delay of at least five hours permits reimbursement if travel is abandoned. Cancellation gives a choice of reimbursement or rerouting. Eligible direct-booking refunds enter the Wallet and can be withdrawn to the original payment method.

Score breakdown

Pillar	Weight	Score
Repriceability	35%	3.2/10
Refunds and disruptions	20%	6.9/10
Reliability	15%	6.3/10
Fees and transparency	15%	2.5/10
Complaints and handling	10%	no data (median 5.2 used)
Loyalty fairness	5%	no data (median 5.4 used)

Repriceability: 3.2/10

Standard fare change fee: 4.0/10 (Regular: €45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.)
Lowest fare flexibility: 4.0/10 (Basic: €45/£45 online or €60/£60 assisted, per passenger/one-way flight; higher fare extra.)
Lower fare on the same flight: 0.0/10 (Ryanair publishes no price-drop refund or credit mechanism. Its non-refundable-ticket and no-lower-fare-refund rules mean a later reduction on the exact flight does not produce a recoverable balance. This conclusion follows from those rules; cancelling and buying again normally forfeits the original ticket rather than capturing the reduction.)
Credit terms: 7.0/10 (Disruption-refund balances can fund new bookings for 36 months after deposit; any remaining refundable balance can still be withdrawn afterward. Family-instalment and approved bereavement credits instead expire after 12 months and cannot be exchanged for cash.)
Cancel the standard fare: 0.0/10 (Non-refundable; no credit for ordinary voluntary cancellation. Statutory disruption rights and limited exceptional credits are separate.)
Risk-free window: 4.0/10 (There is no general 24-hour free-cancellation promise. Ryanair allows a 24-hour booking-error correction period for dates/times and reversing an incorrectly booked route without a flight-change fee. Any higher fare is payable; a lower fare difference is not returned. Buying through the US website or paying in USD does not turn a non-US flight into a US-route booking.)
Same-day change: 7.0/10 (Regular and other non-Flexi bundles use the normal change fee plus any higher fare, generally until 2.5 hours before the earlier departure. Flexi Plus waives the fee. The June 25, 2026 carriage terms require fare differences even on travel day, although a Help Centre article says same-route travel-day changes are free; the dated carriage terms are preferred. Flexi later-flight changes must precede the original departure by one hour.)
What Axel saw: does not apply (fewer than 10 attempts). Source: Axel repricing attempts

Refunds and disruptions: 6.9/10

Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 8.0/10 (Covered by: EU261, UK261; The published disruption provisions primarily implement statutory rights rather than add a separate goodwill guarantee. Ryanair describes free flight changes or rerouting, meals and refreshments after qualifying waits, necessary overnight accommodation and airport–hotel transport, or reimbursement of reasonable itemised expenses when it cannot arrange care. It instructs passengers to contact it before purchasing alternatives. Where no suitable Ryanair flight exists, it says agents may authorise passengers to book replacement flights and submit receipts. No additional guaranteed cash or credit payment beyond applicable law was identified.)
Refund conduct: 7.0/10 (2022-09-21 France DGAC $129,690; 2022-02-02 UK Civil Aviation Authority; Court of Appeal)
Refund complaints: no data, median 5.1/10 used (too few US passengers to measure)

Reliability: 6.3/10

On-time arrival: 5.2/10 (72.88% on time (2026-09-01–2026-09-30. Published as Ryanair; the table does not explicitly identify this as a consolidated group figure. Cancellation rate published directly, not derived.)). Source: OAG September 2026 On-Time Performance rankings
Cancellations: 9.0/10 (0.94% cancelled (2026-09-01–2026-09-30. Published as Ryanair; the table does not explicitly identify this as a consolidated group figure. Cancellation rate published directly, not derived.)). Source: OAG September 2026 On-Time Performance rankings

Fees and transparency: 2.5/10

Carry-on in the lowest fare: 0.0/10 (Basic includes the 40 × 30 × 20 cm underseat bag. An additional overhead bag requires Priority & 2 Cabin Bags: €12.49–€36 or £12.49–£36 at booking; €19.99–€45.50 or £19.99–£45.50 afterward. The overhead bag limit is 10kg and 55 × 40 × 20 cm.)
First checked bag: no data, median 6.0/10 used (Basic includes no checked bag. At booking, a 10kg checked bag costs €10.49–€44.99 or £10.49–£44.99; a 20kg bag costs €21.49–€59.99 or £21.49–£59.99; a 23kg bag costs €28.99–€80.99 or £28.99–£80.99, per flight. Prices vary by route/date. No official USD minimum was confirmed.)
Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 (fee)
Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 (Basic provides free random assignment, not free seat choice. Current policy seats children aged 2–11 next to an accompanying adult on the same reservation free when random allocation is selected; other adults and teens may be separated. It does not extend that guarantee to ages 12–13. Reserved seats remain optional paid choices unless included in the bundle. This replaces older guidance requiring an adult to purchase a seat.)
Price shown is price paid: 0.0/10 (2026-01-28 Brussels Enterprise Court; 2024-11-22 Spain Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030; 2024-11-14 Italy AGCM; 2022-08-08 Hungarian Consumer Protection Authority)

Complaints and handling: no data (median 5.2 used)

Complaint rate: does not apply (too few US passengers to measure)
Mishandled bags: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
Bumping: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April to June 2026

Loyalty fairness: no data (median 5.4 used)

Miles expiry: does not apply (Mileage expiry is not applicable because no mileage currency was identified. Prime closed to new signups on November 28, 2025. Ryanair promised existing members exclusive monthly fare offers until October 2026 and flight/seat savings for the remainder of their 12-month memberships.)
Devaluations: does not apply (No loyalty program with published terms was found)
Award pricing: does not apply (unknown)