I note the calls to make allowances for the airlines' difficult predicament and I have alot of sympathy with that idea. But the airlines must respect their customers and play fair. In my case, I've received two emails containing voucher codes instead of the full refund to my payment method which was promised. And Ryanair cancelled those flights, I didn't. The money in question doesn't belong to Ryanair ... it belongs to ME. I paid it over in good faith for a service which Ryanair was ultimately not able to deliver. If I make a booking with Ryanair and I'm the one who can't honour the terms of the contract, they make no special allowances for me.
Now, I'm actually not against the principle of accepting a voucher. But the deal has to be fair to both parties. The vouchers dumped on me have a value of around £280 and they expire in mid-April 2021. In theory, one year to use them. But we all know that this is complete nonsense. Summer 2020 is a virtual write-off already. And on my bookings there were three passengers, two of whom are in the C-19 vulnerable group. So that £280 must be used by me alone. IN WINTER. Even if bookings in late Summer were to be feasible, I have other unrelated trips already booked in the dates I have available. They may yet fall by the wayside too.
If Ryanair wants customers like me to go away quietly, they need to play fair with the voucher terms. And in my eyes, that means a TWO YEAR window to use them, starting from the date HMG lifts lockdown restrictions. Do this and there's a good chance I'd use them during Summer 2021. The airline would retain the funds, I wouldn't be robbed. But in the absence of this, I will push for the full refund which I was promised and which is payable to me by law. Times are difficult, but other airlines have already behaved honourably. The outliers for me are AIR EUROPA and RYANAIR which are both taking the proverbial.
And fares offered to customers redeeming vouchers MUST IN ALL CASES be priced exactly the same as those for new customers making bookings with cash.