More than eight in 10 Ryanair passengers are STILL waiting for refunds for cancelled flights, says Which?

• Under law, airlines are supposed to issue refunds for axed flights within 7 days
• But Which? says only 5% of Ryanair customers have been refunded in this time
• It also says 63% of easyJet passengers are still waiting for refunds

More than eight in ten Ryanair passengers are still waiting for refunds from cancelled flights, a damning survey suggests.

Under EU laws, airlines are supposed to issue refunds within a week.

But just five per cent of Ryanair customers have had their money returned to them within this time frame, according to a poll by consumer champion Which?

Some 84 per cent are still waiting for their money back, in some cases months after they were told their flight had been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ryanair has faced fury from holidaymakers whose travel plans have been ruined by the crisis.

Customers claimed Ryanair provided refund forms that didn't work, before goading them into accepting credit note vouchers with little consumer protection.

At one point, the airline even suggested customers would not get refunds until the coronavirus crisis is over.

Earlier this month, boss Michael O'Leary warned it will take up to six months for the airline to process 25million refunds. He said the backlog is due to the sheer scale of demand and issues with staffing during the pandemic.

Other airlines have performed slightly better, although they still have a high number of customers waiting for refunds.

In the Which? survey of 2,800 travellers, 63 per cent of easyJet customers said they are still waiting for their money back and just one in seven said they had received a refund within seven days.

A quarter of British Airways passengers (23 per cent) and one in five Jet2 customers (19 per cent) are also still awaiting refunds.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the industry regulator, is investigating issues around refunds and has called on MPs to grant them new powers to take on airlines which flout the rules.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: 'The regulator and government cannot sit on their hands any longer. 

'The CAA must urgently hold airlines that are brazenly breaking the law to account, and the government must set out how it will support the industry where necessary if airlines are unable to refund their customers without fear of going under.'

A BA spokesman said: 'If a customer's flight has been cancelled, they should call us to discuss their options. 

'They can rebook, refund or choose to take a voucher to fly at a later date. Refunds can be requested at any point up to 12 months after the start date of the journey.'

EasyJet added: 'Customers on cancelled flights can transfer to an alternative flight free of charge or receive a voucher for the value of their booking online. 

'Customers may also request a refund by submitting a claim in writing via a dedicated refund webform, online. We are processing refunds for customers and aim to do so in less than 28 days.'

Ryanair said: 'For any cancelled flight, Ryanair is giving customers all of the options set out under EU regulations, including free moves and refunds in the form of cash or vouchers.

'The process time for cash refunds is taking longer due to the fact we are having to process 10,000 times the usual volume of cancellations and have fewer staff available due to social distancing measures.

'Ryanair is offering vouchers and free moves as these are automated and would give customers an alternative. Customers who choose a voucher but don't redeem it within 12 months may still apply for and obtain a refund after this 12 month period. 

'This also includes partial redemption, as the portion of the unused voucher will be refunded.'