‘I never want to fly with Ryanair again’ (From Swindon Advertiser)
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‘I never want to fly with Ryanair again’
10:00am Thursday 6th August 2009 in News
Claire Randall
A ROW has broken out after a blind woman missed a flight to her friend’s wedding.
Claire Randall, who has been completely blind since birth, said she would never use the budget airline Ryanair again after she missed the flight to Porto in Portugal on Friday.
The 35-year-old, of Wynwards Road, Abbey Meads, north Swindon, claimed long queues at Ryanair flight desks meant her family could not hand over bags in time for the flight.
However, a spokesman for the airline claimed every other passenger scheduled for the flight made it on board, and accused Mrs Randall of arriving late.
Mrs Randall, her husband David, 35, and six-year-old son Nathan paid £300 for the flights from Stansted Airport, near London.
She claimed the family had checked in online so only had to hand their luggage in at a drop-off point after arriving at the airport at 5pm for the 6.35pm flight.
When they arrived at the airport all Ryanair customers were queueing to drop their bags at the same unspecified destination desks, she said.
Certain flights were being called out periodically by Ryanair staff, she said.
Mrs Randall added the family was forced to abandon their journey as, by the time they reached their flight desk, they were told the flight had closed, and they would not be entitled to a refund.
She said: “It was absolutely horrendous. It wasn’t an experience I will ever repeat – I will never fly with them again.
“I would say don’t do budget airlines. I want to get my money back because I feel Ryanair has not provided the service I have paid for – I was there in good time to board the flight.”
Last Saturday, 700 Ryanair passengers, including BBC Question Time presenter David Dimbleby, watched their flights from Stansted Airport leave without them. Ryanair communications manager Daniel Carvalho admitted there had been queueing problems on Saturday, but said there was no indication of problems on Friday.
He said: “We really regret the inconvenience suffered by Mrs Randall due to her being late – her fellow passengers weren’t and they travelled. She missed a wedding, which is very sad.
“One hundred and eighty six passengers did not find any problems – all the other passengers on her flight made the flight.”
Comments(20)
bigbossman
says...
10:35am Thu 6 Aug 09
I used but you still have to queue to hand your bags over for just as long. they told me I could arrive an hour before but I still got their 2 hours before and it was tight to make the plane.
I have to say though, if I was in her situation I would have arrived more than an hour and a half before the flight, I would be thinking more 2 and a half hours.
She was with her family however who I assume are not blind and they were there to show her the way etc so I dont see what her being blind has to do with missing the flight?
saymybit
says...
10:40am Thu 6 Aug 09
Catch it
says...
11:27am Thu 6 Aug 09
Well good for her, cutting off her nose to spite her face. Immature much?
I have been to Stanstead and flown with Ryan Air many times. There has never been a problem- I get there early, check in and maybe havetime for some food and drink before I board the plane.
All this story does is hightlight the inability of Mrs Randall and her family to follow proper procedure.
I'd think very carefully before contacting the local rag with a story that made me look incompetent.
DeborahB
says...
11:50am Thu 6 Aug 09
Ryanair charge MONEY for an online check-in, and Ms Randall arrived at the airport well within the time given on RyanAir's website for baggage drop on online checked baggage. If RyanAir could not manage the queue in that time, that is their responsibility. Having a bad reputation doesn't absolve them of the legal requirement to deliver the services that people have paid for.
And as for the argument that disabled passengers should only buy services from a restricted number of alternative companies - that is completely against the spirit and letter of the DDA, and explains why some disabled people have less choice and less opportunity, and find life more expensive. it may or may not be that Ms Randall's visual impairment is relevant in this case, what is relevant is that having paid the airline for a service, and arrived in the time given by the ailine to drop checked in bags, they did not deliver that servioce and should offere her family a refund.
I have a disabled son, and would not consider travelling with RyanAir, ever, but it makes me angry that companies get away with this level of dishonesty.
PaulD
says...
12:08pm Thu 6 Aug 09
Bobfm
says...
12:09pm Thu 6 Aug 09
Of course that does not make it right, but her blindness clearly isn't a factor and should never have been mentioned. As for the DDA, it is probably the most abused piece of 'equality' legislation ever.
Python
says...
12:34pm Thu 6 Aug 09
I genrally agree with your comments about the ladies disability - but RyanAir is cavalier with its passengers and service. I travel a lot and have found them completely at a loss about customer service (as have a lot of airlines) - a year ago I bought a one way ticket from Dublin to East Midlands for 55Euros, by the time I had paid all the surcharges and increased baggae payments the fare was 225 Euros - I travel from overseas for two weeks at a time - so check on is impossible and two weeksd of clothing weighs a bit. I never paid for the tranatlantic portion and that fare was only 150 Euros more. The airlines need to become tranparent and honest in their delaings with the public. Needless to say, I will not be using them again.
ifuwantblood
says...
1:00pm Thu 6 Aug 09
Having said that, I think its sensible to arrive at least 2 hours prior to departure time to allow for delays, and this party didn't. Her blindness seems to be irrelevant.
But the Adver does love a good 'whinge' story doesn't it?
Mr Blackwell
says...
1:41pm Thu 6 Aug 09
The Randall family thought they'd get away with 1 hour 30 minutes.
They were wrong.
bigbossman
says...
1:45pm Thu 6 Aug 09
I flew ryanair and as I did online check in I called them to see how long I should arrive prior to my flight, They told me 1 hour would be enough!
However I still got there 2 hours before and was tight for time.
My only point is Ryanair say 1 hour is enough so they can't be blamed for that.
Python
says...
2:10pm Thu 6 Aug 09
You're absolutely right - 1 hour is what they post. It's absurd that they make the rules at the gate!! I bet the flight was oversold>>>
DeborahB
says...
3:33pm Thu 6 Aug 09
If RyanAir ever took responsibility for the chaos and upset they cause it would be (almost) fair enough. But they don't.
docklander2
says...
4:45pm Thu 6 Aug 09
Raef Barnes
says...
5:11pm Thu 6 Aug 09
What I want to say relates to another story, the bloke who's just been sent to prison for 3 years for ending a child's live. Just because he killed the little child via his awful driving why does he get such a short sentence? Unbelievable, he'll be out before he knows it.
teatime12
says...
5:32pm Thu 6 Aug 09
Unfortunately customer service is practically non existent in this country - look at the ryanair website - it specifically states you only need to be there an hour before your flight if you have checked in online yet they were there 90 minutes before....
It seems you get what you pay for - Ryanair probably pay their staff next to nothing so what do they care if you miss your flight?
helldriver
says...
5:39pm Thu 6 Aug 09
Tonyblairisthedevil
says...
10:13am Fri 7 Aug 09
Its a false economy. I had the mispleasure of flying easyjet and it was such a horrible airline. Full of chavs in football tops and kids high on Sunny D.. never again..
bilzinusa
says...
9:07am Sat 8 Aug 09
minitheminx
says...
5:21pm Sat 8 Aug 09
To add to this story, I have known Mrs Randall for a number of years (10+) and she is a lovely person.
Jo-Ent says...
10:14am Thu 6 Aug 09