Ryanair apologises after telling widow her late husband had to apply for a ticket refund

Independent

31-07-2025

Ryanair has apologised to a widow after denying her a refund for two plane tickets her late husband bought last year.
Yvonne Shields, 44, attempted to cancel Colin Shields's flight from Edinburgh to Venice after he died in April.
During a phone call, a Ryanair customer service agent asked to speak to the original booker, despite being informed of Mr Shields's death.
Mr Shields, who was tetraplegic after an accident 14 years ago, had booked the September flight for himself and two essential carers. He was due to represent Scotland at a power-chair football match.
After his death from a brain bleed, his wife contacted the airline to request a refund on all three tickets, but she was informed she could only get the money back for her husband's £258 ticket.
Despite this, Ms Shields said she had not received the compensation.
Upon contacting the airline again, she was reportedly told that they could not give her any information on the refund unless they spoke to the booker.
Ms Shields said she had already informed them that her husband had died, even providing his death certificate and proof she was the executor of his will.
Ryanair has since apologised to Ms Shields, saying that she should have been offered a full refund of the booking her husband had made.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: 'Mrs Shields attempted to submit a refund request on April 26 and was advised to submit a death certificate and proof of executorship.
'On 30 June, Mrs Shields was informed that a refund (£257.58) was issued and was regrettably incorrectly advised by a customer service agent who wrongly believed that the other two passengers on the booking were not entitled to a refund.
'Our customer service department would be happy to further assist this passenger to correct this customer service agent's error and assist this passenger with their refund.'