Essential Travel covers Ryanair travellers

As Ryanair announces its intention to cancel bookings made via third party websites, today Essential Travel reassures its customers that if they bought travel insurance before 6th August and are bumped by Ryanair, they are fully covered.

It is estimated that around 1,000 people a day use third party websites – such as Lastminute.com and Opodo – to book Ryanair flights: with seats booked an average of 20 days in advance, this means up to 20 000 travellers could be effected.

“That’s a significant number of unhappy customers” warns Essential Travel director Stuart Bensusan: “It’s also a significant amount of disruption and chaos at UK airports. Ryanair’s decision not to honour their customers’ booking is baffling and irresponsible: and this at a time when the British travel industry is doing all it can to counter widespread credit crunch anxiety and keep holiday-makers travelling”.

Although Bensusan says a refund will not make up for the bitter disappointment and frustration of a missed holiday, he says at least it means British holiday-makers and business travellers won’t be out of pocket. It also sends a message to the travelling public, that they’re not at the mercy of Michael O’Leary and his toys out the pram bully-boy antics.

“The travel industry and economy as a whole faces a serious downturn” warns Bensusan, “This is a time to encourage British holidaymakers, not to put obstacles in their path”.

For more information, log on to Essentialtravel.co.uk.