Ryanair travel insurance reviews: Advantages & disadvantages

Have you ever experienced a last-minute flight cancellation? Did you suffer damages or delays in your luggage delivery? Have you had a medical emergency while travelling? If you can relate to any of these situations, you’ll know that travel insurance is often the solution. Since getting insurance is necessary, today we present a Ryanair travel insurance reviews: Opinions, coverage, types of plans offered, advantages and disadvantages of the service, and more. This adds to many other reviews we have on our blog.

By the way, if you’re about to embark on the adventure of discovering a new destination, make sure to sign up for Holafly’s monthly plans. You’ll get a data package suited to your needs, with internet available anytime and anywhere, no roaming charges, and no need to change plans every time you move to a new destination.

Now, let’s take a look at what to expect from Ryanair’s travel insurance. Is it reliable? Does it offer the broadest coverage? Is it good value for money? Let’s take a closer look.

What is Ryanair and what types of insurance do they offer?

Ryanair is the largest low-cost airline in Europe. As such, it not only focuses on air transport but also offers additional services. Among these is travel insurance designed to cover the basic needs of travellers looking for an affordable and accessible solution to protect themselves during their trips.

The Ryanair insurance is provided in collaboration with Allianz Partners, a renowned international insurer, which offers greater peace of mind as it’s a solid backing. It is available when booking your flights through Ryanair’s website or app, and it adapts to different types of trips, whether short, long, or business-related.

What does Ryanair’s travel insurance cover?

The Ryanair travel insurance offers comprehensive coverage that includes medical emergencies, trip interruptions, and cancellations. So, if an accident or illness occurs during your trip, you’ll be covered, as well as if you need to cancel your flight for any reason outlined in the policy. In this case, the insurance may reimburse the cost of the flight and ease the disappointment of not being able to travel. At the same time, the company provides coverage in case of theft or loss of luggage, something that frequently happens during travel. In other words, their policy covers the same situations as most other insurances.

Here’s a bit more detail on what will be covered with your Ryanair travel insurance:

• Medical expenses abroad: Covers medical treatments, hospital stays, and necessary medication during your trip, up to €150,000 ($160,500).
• Repatriation: Guarantees your return to your home country in case of a medical emergency or death. It covers transport and necessary expenses for the traveller and, in some cases, an accompanying person to return home.
• Trip cancellation or interruption: Covers non-refundable costs if you must cancel your trip for reasons such as illness or family emergencies.
• Cancellation/early return: If you need to return before your trip ends, you’ll get compensation of up to €500 ($530).
• Luggage loss or delay: Compensation if your luggage is lost, stolen, or delayed for extended periods (up to €1,500 ($1,590) for loss and €200 ($210) for delays).
• Travel delays: Financial compensation if your flight is significantly delayed.
• Liability: Covers accidental damages to third parties during your trip, up to €100,000 ($105,400).

What is not covered by Ryanair’s insurance?

Like all travel insurance, Ryanair’s has some exclusions. These include pre-existing medical conditions or health issues of a family member that force you to cancel or shorten your trip. That’s why we always recommend reading the policy document carefully to ensure that it’s the right coverage for your needs and to avoid misunderstandings. 

The following situations are excluded from the travel insurance coverage:

• Pre-existing illnesses: It doesn’t cover complications or treatments related to pre-existing medical conditions.
• High-risk sports: Activities such as extreme skiing, skydiving, or deep-sea diving are not included.
• Cancellation for personal reasons: If you decide not to travel for reasons other than specific emergencies, you cannot claim compensation.
• High-value luggage: Items such as jewellery, luxury electronics, or musical instruments typically have coverage limits.
• Incidents under the influence of alcohol or drugs: Damages or accidents occurring in these circumstances are excluded.

How is Ryanair’s customer service?

Ryanair has a digital customer service system, providing various tools to resolve issues and answer questions related to flights, travel insurance, and other services. Here’s some information about their customer service channels, response times, and the typical experiences users have when using them.

Available customer service channels

• Online Help Centre: Ryanair has an accessible Help Centre on its website and mobile app. Here, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions such as booking changes, insurance claims, or coverage queries. It’s available anytime, allowing you to resolve common issues without direct intervention, although it may be limited for more complex or personalised queries.
• Live chat: Available both on the website and the app. Initially, it connects the user to a virtual assistant. If the issue isn’t resolved, the system redirects the query to a human agent.
• The average response time is between 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the volume of queries. It’s a good tool for resolving quick inquiries or urgent matters, such as last-minute changes or travel insurance questions.
• Contact form: Here, you can detail the reason for your query or complaint and attach relevant documents. The response time is generally between 24 to 48 hours.
• Phone line: Available for urgent queries in several languages. Numbers vary depending on the country and can be found in the contact section of their website. Customer support is typically available Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (though this may vary by region), and the average wait time is 10-20 minutes.
• Social media: Through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, users can send direct messages with their queries. This channel is useful for less complex or general issues.

User reviews of customer service

• Positive aspects:
  • “I had a great experience with live chat. I was quickly connected to an agent who solved my issue in under 10 minutes.” — Laura Pérez, Trustpilot.
  • “The claims form was easy to complete, and I received my refund in a week.” — John Miller, Google Reviews.
• Negative aspects:
  • “I waited over 30 minutes on the phone before speaking to an agent.” — Sofía Gómez, Facebook.
  • “The chatbot didn’t understand my query, and it took two days to get a response by email.” — Carlos Hernández, Trustpilot.

In conclusion, we can say that while Ryanair tries to maintain reasonable response times and offers a practical approach to its customer service channels, user experiences aren’t always positive, particularly in complex situations that require personalised attention. Although their digital system is effective for standard issues, phone lines and human support on live chat sometimes experience delays.

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Ryanair Travel Insurance: Opinions on Its Website and Platform

Ryanair’s website and mobile app are designed to enhance the user experience in all aspects related to flight bookings, purchasing additional services, and managing travel insurance. However, like any digital tool, it has its strengths and areas for improvement.

The design of Ryanair’s website is simple, but not particularly aesthetically pleasing, with an intuitive structure that allows users to quickly find what they’re looking for. The travel insurance section is accessible from the main menu and is presented as an add-on during the ticket purchase process. This is particularly useful for travellers who want to add insurance coverage while booking without any extra hassle. However, some users have pointed out that the amount of pop-up ads and promotions can be annoying, sometimes hindering smooth navigation.

How to Purchase Travel Insurance

The process for purchasing travel insurance is straightforward. During the flight booking process, the system automatically offers the option to add travel insurance, showing the details of the coverage. Ryanair’s website provides basic information about the coverage during the purchase, but for more specific details, you’ll need to access the link that redirects to the Terms and Conditions. This may be seen as an inconvenience since key information, such as exclusions and claims processes, is not directly visible.

An important advantage is that the system automatically calculates the cost of the insurance based on the trip’s duration and destination, making it easier to make decisions. However, some users have mentioned that detailed information about specific coverages could be made more visible during the purchase process.

Payment Methods

Ryanair allows payments through various methods, including:

• Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.).
• Digital methods like PayPal and Apple Pay.

This flexibility is appreciated by international users, who find it convenient to pay in their local currency. However, some customers have highlighted that currency conversion fees or additional charges are not always clear from the start.

Registration and Tracking of Purchased Services

Ryanair makes it easy to manage purchased services, including travel insurance, through its “My Ryanair” platform. Through this tool, you can review your booking details, update personal information, and download the insurance policy. The mobile app also allows you to manage these tasks, which is especially useful for frequent travellers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ryanair Travel Insurance

Ryanair’s travel insurance is a convenient and affordable option for those using the airline for their flights, but it may not be suitable for travellers with more specific needs or complex itineraries. Its simplicity is both an advantage and a limitation, depending on the user’s requirements.

Here’s a table outlining its main advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages and disadvantages of Ryanair

Ryanair Travel Insurance: User Reviews and Experience

Next, we present some conclusions based on user reviews of Ryanair travel insurance. As you can imagine, there are all kinds of experiences, so whether or not we recommend this service is quite subjective. If you like, you can compare it with other insurances we’ve reviewed at Holafly (available on the blog), such as Assist 365 or Heymondo and draw your own conclusions.

Ryanair Travel Insurance: Opinions on Customer Service and Medical Expenses Abroad

One essential aspect that good travel insurance must guarantee is that, in the event of illness or a medical emergency, you’ll be covered. Often, the excitement of discovering a new place leads to taking some “risks,” like twisting your ankle while hiking or eating a dish your stomach isn’t used to. In such situations, that’s when you’re grateful you took the decision to get travel insurance.

Regarding this, several users praised the quick response in emergencies from Ryanair’s insurance, highlighting that they received medical attention abroad, especially in urgent cases during trips to European countries. Others noted that the basic medical coverage is sufficient for short trips, general consultations, and minor emergencies. However, some feel that the coverage is limited for more complex cases or countries outside Europe. We also found users who had communication issues, particularly when trying to arrange medical attention.

Therefore, whether or not you choose this insurance will depend on the type of trip you’re planning. For example, if you’re planning to ski in the Pyrenees, it’s better to look for insurance that covers winter sports. Or, if you’re diabetic and need medication during your trip, it’s better to opt for a policy that covers pre-existing conditions.

Luggage protection and tools

Luggage damage or loss is a common issue that causes distress to travellers. No one wants to lose their suitcase or see it damaged when they pick it up. That’s why another aspect a decent insurance policy must cover is offering compensation in these situations.

According to user reviews of Ryanair’s travel insurance, many reported an acceptable resolution for delayed luggage, stating that the claims process was simple and compensation was appropriate. In cases of permanent loss, some customers have received reimbursement in line with the declared value.

However, one aspect many users highlighted is the bureaucracy in the claims process, which makes everything slower and more tedious. Also, some travellers mentioned that the maximum compensation is limited, as it didn’t cover the actual value of the lost or damaged items.

So, if you’re travelling with valuable items or electronics, it’s better to look for insurance that provides more security against luggage loss, damage, or theft. On the other hand, if you’re going on a short trip and don’t have anything too valuable, Ryanair’s insurance will likely be fine for you.

Ryanair Travel Insurance: Opinions on Trip Cancellation and Refunds

Imagine that dream trip suddenly being cancelled due to a family emergency or another serious issue. On top of that, you lose the money spent on flights, accommodation bookings, tours, or transfers. Fortunately, many travel insurances compensate travellers who face this situation.

What do users say about Ryanair’s insurance in this regard? Some say the coverage is efficient for justified cancellations, and in cases of illness or family emergencies, the insurance quickly reimbursed flight costs. They also appreciate that the insurance is directly linked to the ticket, making the cancellation process easier.

On the downside, several customers expressed dissatisfaction after discovering that only certain reasons, such as severe illness, are valid for requesting refunds. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it’s smart to read the Terms and Conditions carefully to know in advance which situations are covered. Additionally, some users reported long waiting times to receive their money, causing financial inconvenience during their trips.

Activities and public liability

Most travel insurances offer liability coverage, but not many cover high-risk activities. Users note that Ryanair’s insurance is suitable for common recreational activities (hiking, urban tourism, and low-risk sports). However, travellers engaging in extreme sports or adventure activities have pointed out that the insurance doesn’t cover these events, prompting them to seek additional options.

As for third-party liability coverage, some users appreciated the peace of mind knowing they had protection in case of accidental damage to third parties. On the other hand, others pointed out the lack of clarity regarding liability, as the specific conditions regarding third-party damages aren’t well explained.

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