For anyone who'd like to know, Ryanair has refunded, in full, the cost of my ticket. It took the best part of a month, though, and I don't understand why. Although I will generally defend Ryanair against the "you get what you pay for" type of criticism (instead arguing that with short-haul flights with legacy carriers you don't always get what you pay for) this is the first time I've felt that Ryanair's customer service has been poor. Perhaps the unit dealing with refunds is understaffed. If this is the case, airlines need to realise the degree to which quite small things can make a difference to how their customers perceive them. For example, I have been much less keen on BA since not receiving a meaningful reply from its Executive Club to an email I sent raising what were, to me, important issues. The adage that it's easier to keep a customer than to get a new one is one which airlines ignore at their peril!