My complaint:
On 28 November I bought a round trip from Edinburgh to Frankfurt via Dublin, flying out on 2 December and back on 7 December 2021.
I found the trip on SkyScanner. It was sold by Trip.com (booking no. 16897422120) and all flights were provided by Ryanair (flights FR381 and FR383 out; FR381, FR816 return).
The connection time at Dublin was 55 minutes. There was a warning that this is short but, at the time of booking, 55 minutes appear to me adequate to arrive at one gate and leave from an adjacent gate with the same airline.
The sellers failed to take into account, and I did not know until I got there, that transit at Dublin is not allowed! Trip.com should know this and plan for flight connection at Dublin to take at least 90 minutes.
On the outgoing trip I made the connection by the skin of my teeth, even though the incoming flight was slightly early. I had to sprint the length of Terminal 1, pass through customs and immigration, then turn around, come back through the security check, and sprint the full length of the terminal again. There were no delays at all, but the gate was closed when I arrived. Ryanair was kind enough to let me on anyway.
I did not want to risk being stranded at Dublin on the way back, so I asked Trip.com to rebook that journey by another route. The answer was an email saying they hoped to help me within 72 hours, which was too long, so I rebooked the trip myself on Air France and EasyJet via Paris, giving myself 2 hours for the transit. That worked well.
I should never have been offered the trip from Edinburgh to Frankfurt via Dublin as a viable route. This is mis-selling by Trip.com, so I hold them responsible. I have asked for a refund, in the sum of £63.80 for the unusable return flight, comprising half of the flight costs £27.40, plus £36.40 paid to Ryanair for cabin bags on the unused return leg.
Trip.com has so far declined to accept responsibility, saying that Ryanair does not provide for cancellation. But I did not cancel willingly! I travelled that day but was obliged to take another route due to no fault on my part. The flight I booked to replace it cost about £200, so that would be suitable compensation. Had I known that a reasonable route would cost £400 both ways I would not have made the trip at all!
Trip.com bought the four flights from Ryanair under separate booking numbers (out UFUQJX, G68S7S; return R9VTTM, E5J5UI) so it is understandable that Ryanair does not feel responsible for (or even knew about) the connection. However, Ryanair could do more to make purchasers aware that connection in Dublin is not possible in under 90 minutes and spot separate bookings that appear to imply a connection (same customer flying out shortly after arrival).
SkyScanner regards Trip.com as a partner so does not take responsibility, but I think they might do more to vet partners’ offerings and terminate the partnership in cases of mis-selling through SkyScanner.
Suggested solution:
Apology, refund, and compensation in the sum of £200.
