A dad with cancer has criticised Ryanair for not issuing a refund following his cancelled flight just 14 days after an operation to remove cancer.
John Bigland booked three return flights so that he could spend time with his son, Sonny, over the Christmas period. His tickets were booked to fly out from Manchester on Christmas Eve and return on December 27th. He also booked to return to Dublin on January 2nd to return with his son the following day to visit the grandparents. He also booked a trip for January 6th to take his son home before returning to England the next day.
He then learned that a space for emergency cancer treatment had become available at Manchester hospital. The operation to remove damage caused to his pelvis due to radiation burns to his bowls was scheduled for December 18th.
He applied to Ryanair for a refund and sent the airline a surgeons letter together with documenting photos.
The airline agreed to refund him for two of the trips, but refused to refund him £65 for the middle trips.
This is my brother, John Bigland. He lives in Urmston. He suffered from Rectal Cancer at the age of 31. He got admitted…
Posted by Jessica Mortimer on Sunday, 28 January 2018
John said, “My surgery was planned for 2018 but I had no idea I would be operated on that soon.
“I can’t fathom why they rejected one of the refunds. The evidence I gave them for all three was the same and it’s frustrating because you can’t even talk to a human.
“My surgery was planned for 2018 but I had no idea I would be operated on that soon.
“I can’t fathom why they rejected one of the refunds. The evidence I gave them for all three was the same and it’s frustrating because you can’t even talk to a human.
“It’s not even the amount. I know that £65 is not a lot to most people but that’s not the point. I was only going to use it to book another flight.
He added: “To be treated the way I have is just out of order.
“It’s not like I’m out partying with my money at the moment – I only use it to see my son.
“Me and my ex-partner are loyal customers who’ve been going back and forth for the best part of five years.”
Ryanair released the statement, “Any claim like this must be accompanied by the appropriate medical documentation.
“That documentation was provided for two different claims for this customer but not the third and the two valid claims were processed. When the required documentation is provided, we will review it and provide a refund if the claim is valid.
“Our customer service teams work hard to process all claims fairly and quickly but all claims must be supported with the required documentation.”
