Ryanair Charged Me for a Seat I Didn't Get. I Fought for 8 Pounds and Won.

Ryanair. I booked a flight from London to Barcelona for 35 pounds. By the time I added a seat, a carry-on, and checked in at the airport (because the online check-in failed), my total was 98 pounds. The flight itself was fine, but the fees were ridiculous.

What made me angry was the seat assignment. I paid for a specific seat. When I boarded, someone else was sitting there. The flight attendant told me to sit wherever. I was in a middle seat in the back. I paid extra for an aisle seat near the front.

I filed a complaint with Ryanair through their online form. You know what they said? "Seat assignments are subject to change." That is not what the booking page said when I paid for the seat selection.

Under UK consumer law, if you pay for a specific service and do not receive it, you are entitled to a refund for that specific charge. I cited the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Ryanair ignored me.

I then used the European Consumer Centre to file a complaint. Ryanair had to respond within 30 days under EU law. They eventually refunded the seat selection fee of 8 pounds.

Eight pounds. I spent months fighting for 8 pounds. Was it worth it? Honestly, it was the principle. Ryanair built their business on charging for everything and making refunds impossible. If everyone who got overcharged demanded their money back, they would have to change their model.