Ryanair is to introduce a price promise as part of the latest phase of its 'Always Getting Better' customer service initiative.

The airline said today that if customers find a cheaper fare with another airline within two hours of their Ryanair flight departure they will refund the price difference and credit their account with €5.

Full terms and conditions of the price promise will be revealed when the initiative goes live later this year.

The airline has also promised to remove all non-recyclable plastic from its flights within five years, which will mean the introduction of wooden cutlery and biodegradable cups.

At the same time, it will launch a voluntary carbon offset scheme for customers.

As part of the 'Always Getting Better' initiative, which is entering its fifth year, Ryanair has also promised to set up a dedicated team to deal with EU261 flight delay compensation claims. It says valid claims will be processed within 10 days from April 1, down from an average of 28 days at the moment.

In response, Alex Neil, managing director of home products and services for consumers' association Which? said: "Making it easier to claim compensation for delays and cancellations is the least Ryanair can do. The poor experience of its customers with the recent shambolic flight cancellations added insult to injury.

"If Ryanair goes further and introduces automatic compensation it will be a market leading move, and we would urge the rest of the industry to follow suit."

Courtesy of Travelmole