The deadline is for booking only but flight can be later. Still very bad value compared to say Wizz Air which add 20% extra to the fare portion and don't have expiration date.

So it is pretty much 2 years and someone wants 3.

How is it bad value when you getting what you paid for ?

Just 1 bird on the roof is not as good as a bird in the hand.
When accepting a voucher instead of a cash refund you are taking a risk and one would expect a premium for that.
You might have a return trip Dublin-Copenhagen booked but with a voucher for the same money and the price rises expected due to separation and low loads you might only get a one way, if even, for your voucher.
I could go on.

If a flight is cancelled, and a customer fills in a form on the web requesting a refund (and confirms that the card number hasn't changed), could someone explain to me why an employee of the airline needs to be involved in processing the refund ? Selling tickets which involves taking payment from a debit/credit card doesn't seem to involve a human

I would have thought most big airlines would have automated this kind of thing ages ago so as to eliminate the need for a human being (who demands to be paid for their time)

I find it ridiculous that in Europe none of this can be done online.

In Asia they use whatsapp to process refunds - all automated.

Could be that Ryanair are purposely not making it easy - to reduce claims. Remember they used to only accept complaints by FAX (!) for a number of years until it became too laughable.

So that leaves next year, which again, to get back home means being tied to one airline and again means going via Bologna or Marseille (wrong direction, added expense of an overnight stop unless the flight times change), meaning a voucher is next to useless for me too.

Getting what is paid for means flying on the originally scheduled sector as the originally scheduled time. Ryanair haven't been able to do this, meaning that in fairness here, they owe a refund, as they can't offer the flexibility of their competitors in booking options on most of the routes we'll use.

We are all crew here, and flexibility is key to most of us due to how we work. Being able to get both flights done in a day in both directions vs an overnight stop in 2 directions where the operating carrier only operates 2 days a week on each isn't flexible at all, and although Ryanair may be used on 1 of the 2 sectors for this, there's no guarantee.

Once again, with a potential decrease in flight prices looking very likely, I very much doubt we'll get through £200 with Ryanair even in 2 years for now. If we do (and if the 'voucher' prices are the same price, which we know from experience they likely won't be if their re-booking process is anything to go by) then I will openly apologise.

Voucher is for value so how you wish to use will be up to you will it not ? Nothing states it has to be a return flight.

I think the idea that a huge decrease in flight prices may be something you wish for but not something that may be reality. If airlines know limited people are travelling why would you offer cheaper prices knowing that only 100 people will fly anyway. Airlines will need to rebuild cash reserves so loss making routes and very low fares may not be on the agenda.

One word "Fraud" by people using online methods to scam and steal from business.

Some good news here. Just received a batch of emails from Ryanair / Laudamotion / Malta Air. Vouchers previously offered will now revert to full refund if unused within twelve months. Balance on partly-used vouchers will be either refunded or replaced with new vouchers. Those options address my previous concerns since I am a frequent user of Ryanair services. I was worried that since I had a substantial number of refunds due I might struggle to use them within the window available between the resumption of normal travel and the expiry date of the voucher(s).

My only slight criticism is that each seperate email does not specify the booking reference to which it applies. However, it does appear possible to discern this from the long sequence of digits in the acceptance link. I've got a whole batch of these rolling in!

I'm now content to allow Ryanair this medium-term loan on the understanding that my vouchers won't expire worthless before I can use them. Sensible outcome.

Most airlines are making it up as they go along, but on balance seem to be doing ok by the customers. Governments are also making it up as they go along, death toll especially in UK shows they not doing ok.

Sorry to go slightly 'off topic' but there was a discussion on the reasons for the high UK death toll on Radio 4's Today programme this morning.

The interviewee from the WHO suggested it could be because the UK health service is, in normal times, more effective in prolonging lives than some other countries so had a higher proportion in its population with underlying health problems when Covid-19 struck.

I think you also have to consider the population size and density in the UK as being a factor.

The standard from Ryanair has been that they are slow in issueing refunds due to unprecedented numbers. That should mean that some are actually given refunds. However it seems they have been using the time to lobby governments about getting out of it altogether instead:
"Irish Government backs airlines in battle over customer refunds"
https://www.independent.ie/business/...-39167865.html
And not only lobbying the Irish government but also others where they have umbrella airlines, AOCs and/or bases:
"Other countries behind the request are Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Portugal."
Plus unbelievably an alliance with BA's Aer Lingus and probably Air France/KLM since its also signed by the governments in France and the Netherlands.

In their eyes I'm sure a good cost saving measure, but not a great signal about the Ryanair financial strength due to its rumoured cashpile.

I've had confirmation from RyanAir that my fare will be refunded. The route to the refund is using the Chatbot, which asks reason(s) for the conact and what you want. Took 3 days to be able to get through but was eventually successful.
BUT- got to wait until the Corvid 19 cancellation backlog is cleared. :hmm:

Ryanair and O'Leary had litle choice about promising refunds after Varadkar went out and said changing the laws and regulations retroactively could not be done, leaving Ryanair's attempt to bring a change to the EU refund policy dead in the water for past bookings.