Q I have in the past received emails from Ryanair for booking. I used Tesco dial-up for my mail and web browsing, but I recently converted to broadband with BT. I registered my new address with Ryanair but I have received no communications from the company to my new BT address. I am finding it difficult to speak to anyone connected with Ryanair to sort out my problem. Can you help?
Bob Falkner

A The problem with email is that it isn’t a very reliable way to communicate. Unlike some Post Office and courier services, there’s no guarantee of delivery, so you’re left to hope that emails you’ve sent, or are expecting, get through. In this case, assuming you’ve typed the correct email address into Ryanair’s website (it’s always worth going back to the sign-up page and checking), it sounds like the message is being stopped by a spam filter somewhere along the line.

Although spam filters are designed only to kill off emails selling dodgy fake medicines and so on, they sometimes get over-zealous and delete stuff that looks like spam, but isn’t (such as Ryanair’s marketing emails). If you’re using Outlook Express, check your Junk mail or Spam folders, if you have them, or your Trash or Deleted Items folder, just in case the incoming emails have been moved there by mistake.

How to stop it depends on what spam filter you’re using. It may have come with a security or anti-virus program, in which case you’ll need to find out which one you’re using, open its setup page, and add the Ryanair newsletter address to the list of allowed or approved senders (which may be called a whitelist). The method varies depending on the program.