A travel expert says rules around a 'chargeback' issue with Ryanair are not clear.
The Irish airline has moved to ban customers who received chargeback refunds for flights they did not take during the pandemic from flying with them unless they settle their debt.
Reports have emerged that customers in Britain, who booked flights during COVID-19 travel restrictions and later requested chargeback refunds, will not be allowed to travel with the carrier unless they give the money back.
A chargeback is a charge which is returned to a card after a customer successfully disputes an item on their account.
This money is usually charged to the retailer's bank.
Travel expert Eoghan Corry told Newstalk Breakfast the rules around this are 'foggy'.
"Chargebacks are a little bit more complicated than what we would have come across all of last summer.
"It hits the airline or the merchant with an extra charge - in other words people [who] booked on their credit card, they go seeking the refund, when they don't think they're getting the refund they use the chargeback option on their credit card.
"It's open to all of us who use credit cards.
"Ryanair would dispute that some of the money paid back by credit card companies, their customers - in their view - were not entitled to it.
"They have a long memory, so when that customer comes to book again they say 'OK, we want that money back before we allow you to fly'".
But he says the rules around this are not clear.
"There's no doubt that this is so foggy... it's not clear cut.
"Ryanair have argued on your programme, and on many programmes, that when Government advice... not to travel was in place, and people chose not to travel and the aircraft took off they were not liable for a refund.
"What some people did was got the refund off the credit card company.
"Ryanair say that doesn't change anything legally, but we are now looking for that money back".
And Eoghan says that legislation in Ireland is really out of date.
"The Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980 - which applies in Ireland - is really before credit cards were ubiquitous.
"This is pretty much an area where legislation is different throughout each of the European countries".
He adds that he believes the chargeback option was 'probably used by hundreds of people' in the UK, with no case of it applying to Ireland.
