Ryanair Criticized for 'Inhumane' Policy After Denying Refund for Deceased Son

A United Kingdom mother has publicly denounced Ryanair as "inhumane" after the budget airline refused to refund her canceled flight following the death of her teenage son, whose passing occurred just outside the airline's strict 10-day bereavement policy.

Tina McDermont, 45, had booked a flight with Ryanair from Newcastle to Alicante, Spain, for August 30. However, her son, Billy McDermont, died unexpectedly on August 19 at the age of 18, forcing her to cancel the trip. McDermont stated that she was in no condition to travel and needed to arrange her son's funeral.

McDermont attempted to secure a refund for the £350 ($467) flight cost, believing the circumstances warranted an exception. Upon contacting Ryanair, she discovered the airline's policy requires the death of an immediate family member to occur within 10 days of the scheduled flight departure for a refund or travel credit to be issued.

"I hit these barriers because of this 10-day policy that I hadn’t been aware of," McDermont told Kennedy News. "If he’d died a day later, I would’ve got my money back. It’s a blanket policy, but it isn’t human."

She expressed that the situation felt like "a slap in the face" and described the airline's stance as "disgusting" and "petty." McDermont added that the money was intended to help cover funeral costs.

A Ryanair representative explained that the airline's bereavement policy allows for travel credit when a death occurs within the specified 10-day window. As Billy McDermont's death fell outside this period, the passenger was deemed ineligible. The airline advised McDermont to pursue a claim through her travel insurance provider.

"£350 for a huge company like Ryanair is chicken feed. They’re greedy," McDermont lamented, emphasizing the lack of compassion in the airline's rigid adherence to its policy. She advocated for a case-by-case review of such situations and called for the inclusion of a "special circumstances clause" for close relatives.

McDermont vowed to never fly with Ryanair again. This incident echoes a previous case in 2024 where a UK woman reportedly faced charges from Ryanair to amend a booking after her sister, the intended traveler, had died.