Flight time has been changed - Ryanair refuses to cancel

I have received today an email that my flight time has been changed from 10:50 to 12:15. Even if it is 1 hour and 25 minutes I wanted to cancel my flight (Flight is only about 1 hour). The airline (in this case Ryanair) gave me only two options:

Confirm the change that is made by them.
I can reschedule the flight.

They have refused to cancel my flight. They are arguing that the change in the flight is less than 2 hours and they cannot cancel the flight for free of cost. So what are options I have in this case? Is there is any EU law which disclaim the ryanair argument?

air-travel eu cancellations ryanair

Best Answer

Under Regulation 261/2004, you're only entitled to a refund if the delay exceeds five hours:

Article 6

Delay

When an operating air carrier reasonably expects a flight to be delayed beyond its scheduled time of departure:

…

passengers shall be offered by the operating air carrier:

…

(iii) when the delay is at least five hours, the assistance specified in Article 8(1)(a).

(Article 8(1)(a) is a refund.)

Of course, the airline is free to offer other options on top of what the regulation requires to keep a customer happy, but IMHO it's pretty unlikely they would let you cancel for free just because of such a small change (comparable with ordinary operating delays).

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Flight time has been changed - Ryanair refuses to cancel - Man in airport waiting for boarding on plane

Can I cancel my flight if Ryanair change the time?

Can I cancel my Ryanair flight? Once a Ryanair flight is operational, and does not have a delay exceeding 5 hours, then it is not possible to get a refund. All Ryanair flights are changeable but they cannot be cancelled.

What happens if Ryanair change flight times?

If you are changing your flight date, or time, we will waive the flight change fee. However you will be charged any price difference between the original fare paid and the lowest total price available on your new flight. Please note that if the fare/fees on the new flight is lower, no refund will be made.

Can I cancel my flight if it was changed?

Except in the case of "minor flight schedule change", you can get a refund when the airline modifies the schedule of your flight. In other words, you're entitled to a refund in cases of "significant flight schedule change" and flight cancellations. Note that the airline may offer you a rerouting instead of a refund.

Can I get a refund if my flight is rescheduled?

In case your domestic flight is delayed over 6 hours, the rescheduled time will be informed to you before your original scheduled departure time. Also, the airline is entitled to offer you an alternative flight within that time or a full refund of your ticket.

Ryanair Refund Policy | How To Get Full Refund From Ryanair Cancellation

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Josh Sorenson, Marc Linder, LT Chan, JESHOOTS.com