Ryanair forces boy with leg in plaster to stand on 2 hour flight

[westie]

This is the headline in the Mail today and I have to say comes as no surprise, but apart from the normal comments on the rude attitude of cabin staff and the captain, i feel it raises some worrying safetly issues.
The paper quotes that he was 'precariously strapped upright' in for take of and landing. I'm trying to imagine this position but surely it cannot be legal. Also what would have happened if the a/c had encountered turbulence and the seat belt sign was turn on. Would he be strapped in again, but 'upright'??
I am an airline Captain myself and like to think I know the difference between a drunken lout who has no place on my aircraft, and someone who is obviously in distress and just needs a bit of help. For God's sake he is a 16 year old kid with his leg in plaster, not a member of the 18-30 club on its way to Ibiza. Unfortunately I have experienced Ryanair's unsympathetic attitude to disabled passengers having made the mistake of accompanying my mother on one of their flights. So this sort of story comes as no surprise.

[DONTTELLTHEPAX]

Why would he have to stand, I dont get it ? do you have a link
to the full story.

[gb777]

For the record:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=449790&in_page_id=1770
Ryanair forces boy with broken leg to stand on flight from Italy
by RAY MASSEY
Last updated at 22:00pm on 20th April 2007
A boy of 14 in a plaster cast from his ankle to his thigh was forced to stand for nearly two hours on a Ryanair jet.
Tom Cannon could not bend his leg but cabin crew refused to give him an extra seat so he could sit down.
Adults who were with Tom claimed staff were "rude and offensive".
His parents have complained to the budget airline about its "inhumane" treatment of the boy.
Tom's ordeal began when he was playing for a Hertfordshire youth team at an international football tournament in Milan.
He was stretchered off the pitch with a knee injury and was taken to hospital for emergency treatment. He then travelled to the airport to fly home.
One of the team organisers, Chris Hollands,who was with his own 16-year-old son Jack, said check-in staff at Bergamo Airport were "not at all sympathetic" and "reluctantly" provided a wheelchair.
He said: "Tommy was in a significant amount of pain so we sat him in the first available seats on the plane, in the first row, whilst we herded the rest of the boys on to the aircraft.
"A stewardess said, 'He cannot sit there. Move him now', without any further explanation. She did not speak directly to any particular person but shouted this as an order.
"She was extremely rude. She said, 'If you wanted an extra seat, you should have paid for it.' It was astounding and I could not believe what I had heard.
"She was unsympathetic, arrogant, rude and unaccommodating, even after hearing the story of our plight."
Matters got even worse when the flight captain intervened.
Mr Hollands said: "I explained that I was trying to arrange for the boy to be as comfortable as possible, but he cut me off midsentence and told me to 'stop it' and to 'shut up'.
'He told me that if I did not stop I would be removed from the plane. I was flabbergasted." During take-off and landing, staff insisted Tom was strapped precariously upright with a seat-belt. He stood for the rest of the one hour 40 minute flight back to Luton.
Another team organiser, Paul Gibbon, said Ryanair's behaviour was "inhumane".
Mr Gibbon stressed: "We were not Club 18-30 type people, we were not drunk or rowdy, we were just concerned parents trying to accommodate an injured 14-year-old boy."
He said there were at least three or four spare places on the 189-seat Boeing 737-800 which, with juggling, could have given Tom the extra room he needed.
He said: "We shuffled around to give a mother and child seats together. But after the rollicking we got from the stewardesses and the captain we were too intimidated to make a reasonable request to move people around again. The staff could and should have organised it."
Tom, a pupil at Verulam School in St Albans, said: "The Ryanair people were a bit hurtful.
"It was physically impossible for me to sit in just one seat. I couldn't bend my leg so I couldn't sit down. I was in a row of three seats. But only the one next to me was free - and it wasn't enough to take my plastered leg.
"So I just had to stand for the whole flight. It was very uncomfortable."
Tom's mother Mary Cannon, a health and safety manager, said she was appalled by Ryanair's "rude and contemptible behaviour" and "disgraceful attitude".
In a letter to the airline, she wrote: "It seems that commercial greed and your shareholders are the only concerns of your company, with the customer being a necessary evil and inconvenience."
A spokesman for Ryanair said: "We apologise to Mr Cannon that our handling agents in Bergamo did not follow the correct procedure by advising our cabin crew in advance of his broken leg.
"However, we are pleased that our cabin crew were nonetheless able to provide him with special seating arrangements while on board and full assistance disembarking at Luton Airport."
***************
OMG, what has happened to aviation?

[brakedwell]

Try this
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=449790&in_page_id=1770

[westie]

Well I think by looking at his plaster cast he would have need at least one extra seat to be able to sit comfortably, or possbily to be allowed to have sat on row 1 (which he was denied). he was also denied an extra seat as he hadn't paid for it. Whilst I accept he could have possibly paid for an extra as I assume the cost would have been covered by his insurance, I think there is an obvious lack of care on th part of all Ryanair staff.
Sorry I don't have a link as I am not that clever when it comes to computers, but it is in today's Mail Page 13 with a pic.

PS. Ah thanks for the link Brakeswell!!

[ZBMAN]

Guys, I wouldn't believe half of the stories in the dayly mail, let alone this one.

[Monkeytoo]

After reading the article (and the comments below) my question is the same as one of the comments - if indeed there were empty seats why didn't the person in the third seat along volunteer to move to one of the empty seats:confused: ..........and if there were extra seats on the flight why didn't those in charge actually buy another couple of seats for the boy. IMHO don't slate the airline there were others at fault here as well!!

[Don Coyote]

Surely it cannot be right for him to sit sideways with his leg across 2 or 3 seats for take off and landing, it would also be impossible for him to take the brace position.

If that is the case then perhaps he should not have flown at all on that flight and perhaps he should have had an aero medical flight home.

Also a possibility that the crew could have dealt with it in a different manner.

[westie]

Monkeytoo - i take your point about not randomly slating airlines but what about the safety aspect? Just how secure was the cabin for take off and landing with this pax 'precariously strapped upright'? And I ask the question again, what would have been the position had the a/cencountered turbulence?
ZBMAN - are you suggesting this story was simply made up?
Don - We do on occasion have pax buying a row of seats to cater for their leg being in plaster. Normally coming back from ski destinations.

[Monkeytoo]

westie...........obviously (from your post) it is acceptable for pax to buy a row of seats to accomodate a broken leg - this then is what the boy should have been made to do by the airline!! I have no idea how someone could be 'strapped in upright' - the mind boggles :eek: but 'unsecured' cabins happen all the time (in my part of the world) and one just has to hope that nothing goes wrong!! (and no it doesn't make it right) just a fact of life.
Perhaps the airline thought they were doing him a favour by not making him purchase extra seats (and they did give him an empty one next to him).............probably a favour not likely to be repeated!!

[Sensible]

No, I agree that if the story is true (I have my doubts) then Ryanair are clearly at fault, they should have refused him travel! There are other forms of transport available! People want to pay 3rd class prices and expect 1st class travel - that is in my view closer the real situation if the real truth be known!

[westie]

Monkeytoo - Taking my point rearding the purchase of extra seats a bit further - yes this does happen for the reasons I mentioned before, but I think in the case of the airline I fly for, the tour rep would have sorted out all formalities and obtained a medical certificate where appropriate so that everything was in order when the pax came to check in. Not the case I assume in this instance, so not totally the fault of Ryanair, but I still feel their customer service from all areas appears severely lacking.
On the issue of cabin secure.....where is your part of the world?? I have landed only once in 20 years with the cabin not being secure dues to a pax not in his seat. he was arrested upon landing, but thats another story. So I am surprised when you appear to say that it is a regular occurance to land without the cabin being secure.

[DONTTELLTHEPAX]

If Ryanair had refused him travel then they would have
got a beating from the papers, all the airline done was
try to help the boy but still got a slap from the media,
as far as row one goes its an emergency exit row
and he was far from fit.

looks to me that yet again its pick on Ryanair day.

[old,not bold]

Some of the comments here seem to miss the point...

A) The problem should never have reached the aircraft, what on earth were the ground staff doing, checking in someone who clearly could not occupy a single seat, and simply passing on the problem to the aircraft staff. I would sack the supervisor involved. This is particularly bad when they knew the flight was nearly full.

B) Those responsible for the boy were incredibly stupid to think that they needed to make no special arrangements to travel for a boy whose plaster cast prevented him from using a single seat. I have liitle sympathy with their protestations and irresponsibility in booking his seat and just turning up.

C) Ryanair cabin crew have a culture of contempt (copied by ground staff handling their passengers, Ryanair or otherwise) for their customers that frequent users of their services have learned to ignore (my method is an iPod with the volume turned up), and it doesn't affect one's safety or disrupt the journey at all. It is ridiculous to buy travel on their flights with any higher expectation. This contempt springs from the notion that their customers have paid very little, when frequently the opposite is the case.

[DONTTELLTHEPAX]

How did security deal with the cast ? I might be wrong
but arnt casts ment to be split casts, not that this would
have helped his seating on the aircraft.
I agree the ground staff should have never let it get this far.

[Monkeytoo]

westie................Middle East!!
The one that amused us the most was the Saudi Airlines Flight Attendant giving the safety briefing - running down the aisle (while still giving the briefing) to take his seat as the aircraft was rotating :D
Large bottles of Holy Water littering the aisles - through out the flight - after people had made their Haj trips.
People standing up the minute the wheels touch the ground to unload the overhead lockers.

[ZBMAN]

ZBMAN - are you suggesting this story was simply made up?


Nope. What I'm suggesting is that this story has been blown out of proportion by some journo in need of some Ryanair/airline staff bashing. I doubt very much any captain would be happy to depart with what was in effect an unsecure cabin. That would amount to gross negligence.

old, not bold, I agree with your comments.

[DONTTELLTHEPAX]

wouldnt it have been better if the lad had spent afew euro's
on pre-boarding get the lad to the back of the aircraft and sat
on the aisle seat .
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_02/CannonDM2004_228x475.jpg

[westie]

DONTTELLTHEPX - yes i take your point but there is still a cabin secure issue if this boy had an aisle seat and then had to have his plastered leg protruding in the aisle for the whole flight. Those girls would have totally mangled his leg for a start when the trollies were out!!
But seriously I do think there is a lot of onus not only on the boys guardian, but alos on the check in agent responsible. All too often I am presented with a pax at the a/c door who is obviously not fit for travel due alcohol. This I think is a similar situation, but this doesn't excuse the cabin staff and the captain for their words/actions if the paper is to be believed.

[flower]

I was also under the impression that casts had to be split before flight.

It does sound as if it has been over egged but then we expect nothing less from newspapers, I have no doubt the crew weren't particularly helpful but in this case I would suggest the people he was travelling with have a lot of blame on this one.
His medical insurance should have covered extra seats if required also how did he have a fit to fly certificate without a split cast ?
If I had been travelling with his young boy I would have dealt with all of this long before i had even reached the airport to check in, but everyone loves to moan these days and blame others.

[Faire d'income]

Either the boy was standing for the flight or he was not.

If it was the latter FR should sue the Mail. If it was the former there should be an investigation into what is a serious breach of regulations and a serious threat to the safety of all passengers on board ( picture what happens a standing 16 year old in cast when you slam on the brakes at 140mph and imagine him hitting you in the back of the head ).

It would be reckless to allow any passenger to stand for flight and to be aware of this before departure and if true the Captain and the Senior could be in serious trouble.

However it is also likely that the Mail have taken a few comments and turned it into a story. If that is the case then I really hope FR use their lawyers in a useful manner for aviation for once.

As for the other comments. The nervous handwringing by FR defenders is pathetic. It is either the boys fault, his supervisors fault, security's fault or the ground handlers fault, anybody but those actually responsible when the doors close.

Just because Michael O'Leary has decided that an airline is not a service but merely a bully taking your lunch money does not make it so. This is a service industry no matter what he or his cronies think and we should be looking after our passengers, particularly injured children.

[Desert Diner]

I think I would give FR the benefit of the doubt on this sorry drama.

In a letter to the airline, she (the mother) wrote: "It seems that commercial greed and your shareholders are the only concerns of your company, with the customer being a necessary evil and inconvenience."

I guess they will feel better paying BA fares next time then.


A spokesman for Ryanair said: "We apologise to Mr Cannon that our handling agents in Bergamo did not follow the correct procedure by advising our cabin crew in advance of his broken leg.

The parents should have been at the gate to make sure the crew knew about the situation.

[westie]

Regarding the split cast point raised....i think it would be more appropriate for a medically qualified person to answer because I certainly am not, but i will offer my thoughts on the matter.....
I think it is advisable for the cast to be split if the pax is travelling with 48 hours or so of the accident, as swelling can be an issue after take off. Outside 48 hours, maybe swellin isn't such an issue, not no necessity to split the cast. I assume the issuing of a medical certificate would have taken into account the time apsect of things. It would be good for all to have to opinion of a qualified medical person on this subject.

[top jock]

If Ryanair had refused him travel you would be jumping up and down for them leaving the poor boy behind. How could he sit in row 1 as it is an emergency exit?? As somebody else has already said why didnt somebody in his group find another seat and leave him with 2 free seats. what would have happened if the flight was full?
This is just an excuse to fill up the paper and write a story bashing Ryanair.

[Stoic]

A spokesman for Ryanair said: "We apologise to Mr Cannon that our handling agents in Bergamo did not follow the correct procedure by advising our cabin crew in advance of his broken leg.


Whatever the whole truth of this story and the probability that the apology would not have been offered without tabloid interevention, congratulations to Mr Cannon for extracting an apology from Ryanair!

Is this a first?

[bomarc]

from a USA perspective


sadly, southwest airlines (the model low fare, low cost carrier) charges larger people for two seats and has made that fact well known.

as to denying flight/denying boarding, I have had to do that to a person who requested oxygen prior to flight. pax had a note from a doctor requesting oxygen. the low cost carrier within a carrier had a policy of not providing supplemental medical oxygen, while the higher cost carrier would.

I even got medical advice on the subject, and we offered to rebook the passenger on the other side of our same airline.

as to "WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO AVIATION", it is a sad state of affairs, and of course it is all about MONEY.


funny, in the USA, there was more leg room, faster flying times, better looking flight attendants, and happier passengers 40 years ago than today. EG: flight time between New York, and Miami is longer today than 40 years ago! (planes flew faster then instead of fuel efficient profiles now)


and this is progress?

[HotDog]

Nobody seems to have mentioned the most obvious point of the matter. If the lad needed two seats and sitting sidewise to allow his plastered leg to fit between the seat rows, how on earth could he have safely evacuated in an emergency? In my opinion, he should have been medivaced home by his insurance company.

[Ground Bound]

I totally agree with the comments about the ground staff. All to often I have received pax at the aircraft unfit to travel (usually through drink) They should never have been allowed to proceed this far leaving humiliation and embarrassment for the people who have to offload them, resulting in delays whilst their baggage is removed and distress to the crew and the other passengers.

If this boy had been adequately insured, his policy would have repatriated him in a safe and comfortable manner.

Much as I cannot condone the attitude of the crew, this just seems to be another press pop at the low cost carriers. The less people pay for their flights, the more they seem to expect.

[westie]

Hot Dog - As i have said before, it is a common occurance to carry pax with plaster casts on home from various ski destinations. They cant sit in seats which are solely allocated for able bodied pax ie row 1 and o'wing exit seats, but other than that they can legally sit (or lay!) in any other seat and it is quite frankly up to them to get out in the event of an evacuation. The c/s would help if at all possible.
Ground Bound - I agree but safety still has to be maintained if you're a national carrier or low coster, so I would hope the cabin secure subject would be looked at. There can be only two outcomes, either the airline is leeting its standards slip or the press have got it wrong again.

[Puritan]

HotDog - wrt to people who are invalid / infirm (be that physically and / or mentally) evacuating from an aircraft in an emergency... the plain and simple answer is that they are not going to be able to evacuate, and that's a risk that they (and those travelling with them) have to take. That said, quite whether they are aware of the risk and / or likely outcome is another matter?! :rolleyes:

Life is full of 'risk'; Nobody gets out alive! :E

[KATLPAX]

The Southwest Airlines policy for larger passengers is fair. For those pax who are large and cannot fit within one seat (ie not occupying part of seat next to him/her) the airline has a policy that is fair to the large traveler and those sitting next to the individual. Knowing this in advance leaves little for confusion and allows larger pax to plan accordingly as to guarantee space on confirmed flights. Many legacy carriers here in the US have similar policies yet do not make them well known for fear of bad publicity.

In this case, too many people made assumptions and did nothing to plan the trip home for this individual given his condition nor did the airline properly handle it.

Here is the policy for Continental Airlines (found on the net, assumed to be legit)

Customers Requiring Extra Seating

A customer flying in the economy cabin who is not able to safely and comfortably fit in a single seat is required to purchase an additional seat for each leg of their itinerary. The second seat may be purchased for the same fare as the original seat, provided it is purchased at the same time. A customer who does not purchase an extra seat in advance may be required to do so on the day of departure for the fare level available on the day of departure. The customer may instead choose to purchase a ticket for First Class/Business/BusinessFirst®, or elect to pay for an upgrade to the front cabin if there is availability to do so. Continental Airlines is not required to provide additional seats or upgrades free of charge.

A customer is required to purchase an additional seat or upgrade if they do not meet one of the following criteria:

The customer must be able to properly attach, buckle and wear the seatbelt, with one extension* if necessary, whenever the seatbelt sign is illuminated or as instructed by a crew member.
The customer must be able to remain seated with the seat armrest(s) down for the entirety of the flight.
The customer must not significantly encroach upon the adjacent seating space. See our seat maps.
Continental Airlines will not board a customer who declines to purchase a ticket for an additional seat or upgrade for each leg of their itinerary when required.

*The average length of the seatbelt extension is approximately 25 inches. As the seat designs on our aircraft vary, it is possible that the seatbelt extension presented on your flight provides less than 25 inches of additional coverage. Regardless of the actual additional length the extension provides, if you do not meet criteria #1 listed above when using the extension provided on your flight, it will be necessary for you to purchase an additional seat or an upgrade, where available.

Additional Procedures
The additional seat must be available without downgrading or unseating another customer. If an additional seat is not available on the flight for which the customer is confirmed, he or she is required to rebook on the next Continental Airlines flight with seats available for accommodation. Continental will waive penalties or fees that may otherwise apply to this change.

If the customer is away from his or her domicile and must rebook for a flight the following day, amenities including applicable meals and hotel accommodations for one night will be provided as appropriate. When the customer is able to rebook for a later flight on the same day as originally scheduled, amenities will not be provided.
__________________________________________________ __
I also found these tidbits from CO's COntract of Carriage:

RULE 21 REFUSAL TO TRANSPORT
CO shall have the right to refuse to transport or shall have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point, any
Passenger for the following reasons:
……………..
H) Safety – Whenever refusal or removal of a Passenger may be necessary for the safety of such Passenger or other
Passengers or members of the crew, including, but not limited to:
………………..
6) Persons who are unable to sit in a single seat with the seat belt properly secured, unless they comply with
Rule 6 I); (see below)

I) Passengers Occupying Two Seats
Upon request, or if determined necessary by CO, and given availability, a Passenger will be permitted to the
exclusive use of two seats subject to the payment of two applicable fares for the points between which the two
seats will be used. A Ticket will be issued for each seat and the normal free baggage allowance will apply in
connection with each such Ticket presented to CO.

[DrKev]

"I was in a row of three seats. But only the one next to me was free - and it wasn't enough to take my plastered leg."

The kid needed THREE seats.

Tom's ordeal began when he was playing for a Hertfordshire youth team at an international football tournament in Milan.

I would imagine there should have been full insurance cover for this kind of incident. Ultimate blame goes to the team staff for not taking care of the situation properly. The kid should never have been near a Ryanair check-in desk. While not absolving Ryanair of screwing up either, the real issue is the quality of care of the kids by the people who are supposed to look after them. Do they really know what they are doing?

[dumdumbrain]

If a passenger has a broken leg and due to the plaster cast, they
are unable to bend their knee, they would need to purchase an
additional two seats, giving them a total of three seats.

[slj]

Most posters seem to have not seen or ignored the comments of Ryanair

"A spokesman for Ryanair said: "We apologise to Mr Cannon that our handling agents in Bergamo did not follow the correct procedure by advising our cabin crew in advance of his broken leg.

Ryanair itself seems to have accepted it failed the passenger and then go on to make the extraordinary comment

"However, we are pleased that our cabin crew were nonetheless able to provide him with special seating arrangements while on board and full assistance disembarking at Luton Airport."

Seating arrangements?

[fyrefli]

Hang on a mo, I've been reading this thread and focussing on the "who could have done what better" aspects and then a lightbulb went on in my head: just how small is the rake on FR, how tall is this lad and how thick was his cast? Why do I ask? Because my missus is 6' 2" (yep, you guessed it, she's Dutch) - and her right knee has been fused straight (okay, 2 or 3 degrees bent max) since she was a teenager. Now, we regularly sleazy it between AMS, BRS and so on and she can happily (okay, only just, but without discomfort) fit in one seat, let alone three. And no, she doesn't normally sit in the aisle seat and "cheat", as she appreciates that would be dangerous to her and everyone else, she sits with her right leg correctly under the seat in front of her.

[llondel]

In the context of the cheap seats, presumably if they were on sale at 99p plus tax, he'd have only had to pay one lot of tax as it's per passenger? Assuming availability, that's only a couple of quid extra for comfort.

Or has Gordon pulled a fast one and levied his tax per seat in use?

[essexboy]

I make no bones about it. I would have denied him travel if he could not safely seated. If the parents were that bothered they should have paid for an air ambulance or gone by train.

[fyrefli]

Oh, on the subject of split casts, it's not that clear cut (er, sorry!!). I was signed off as fit to fly four days after having my wrist put back together last year (having fallen out of the sky) but the split is for pressure, not security, as most of you realise. In my case, I had a probably 320 degree plaster of paris cast with a 360 degree no-split modern cast over the top. (Yes, it was bloody heavy!!)

[justD]

Hey guys,

I'm not a pilot, but this story just caught my eye.

From a LCC cabin crews point of view, regardless whether this story is true or not:

How on earth could he have been strapped upright??? Where???:confused: I cannot think of any spots in a plane where you can do that. Definitely not between seats... Any ideas anyone?

Every airline regularly carries people with reduced mobility, of course it is a problem when evacuating, but that is why they always sit "out of the way". Or if they are sitting in as isle seat, then have the accompanying person to sit "inside" and make them aware of the situation should an emergency occur.

He could have bought 3 seats, would have been perfectly fine, but I assume, when they bought the cheap tickets they didn't plan on coming home in a cast... A couple of days before departure you have to pay your pants off for 2 extra seats!!! Don't know how the insurance company deals with this, but the ground stuff should have told them and assisted them with the purchase of the extra seats.
In this case (if true) obviuosly they couldn't have been bothered...

On board the crew shouldn't have taken it all out on the boy, although the problem shouldn't have got that far, in cases like that you have to deal with it. Either offload him or what I would have done is ask pax to move around so he can have 3 seats at least during the flight. If the first row wasn't fully occupied how hard it would have been to seat him in another seat where he can fit for T/O and LDG and let him sit in row 1 for the rest of the time? Done that before. Although he wasn't in a cast but couldn't bend his knee.

Oh, and what is that crap about "special seating arrangement"???

Anyway, it'll be interesting to find out if this is true...

[EIDW RJ85]

The Child was Injured - Then why pay for a 2 cent seat home on a budget airline that does not even have reclining seats? Did they not have travel Insurance??? The Child should have been on board an a/c on a stretcher or travelled home by road/rail?
This is a prime example of stupid parents jumping on the ryanair bandwagon, and running to the press as soon as something happenes like this?:ugh: :ugh:

Now not only did they get their injured child home for 2 cent but they have most likely made money on the whole situation by selling the story to the press. And I strongly doubt that the child was strapped in somewhere in an upright position for the flight ... this is an unsecure cabin and if it turns out that this happened, the capt. and no. 1 need to answer some q's.:rolleyes:

[captjns]

This could have been avoided if the ground handling staff either advised the crew or denied this individual passage to LTN. Remember none of us on this thread was present during this fiasco. So we don’t tone of the exchange.

Row one without the fake wall is considered to be an emergency exit row which means that this individual would have been ineligible to sit there. Since the tray tables are located in within the arm rests he would not be able to put his leg across the row of seats.

After it was apparent that the lad could not sit, in his seat for takeoff, why did not one of the adults off load themselves along with the lad and opt for a train ride instead? Who held a gun to the chaperone’s head to force this kid to stand for 1:40 to LTN? If anything there is contributory negligence here.

[DaveO'Leary]

Might be an interesting read...... http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=3&pagetype=90&pageid=1344

[Final 3 Greens]

Why has this thread been transferred to SLF???

It is about whether an airline complied with aviation law and should be in one of the professional fora.

[MarlboroLite]

Two years ago i was ski-ing in Sauze D'oulx and on the second from last day, i had the misfortune to fall over and Strain the ligaments in my left knee.

On checking the flight back to the UK, i asked the rep what arrangements could be made with First Choice Airways as i had my leg in a travel cast and would not be able to bend it. First Choice were marvelous, they had no spare seats on the flight back to Stansted, but also checked their other flights (manchester and Gatwick i believe) but no spare seats again.

The rep (also first choice) asked me what airports were convinient for me to fly back into, so gave her the list, Luton,Stansted,Heathrow,Gatwick,Manchester and Birmingham, which are all within a 2 hour drive to my home.

They had arranged for me to come home on the Easyjet Turin-Luton flight and the staff couldn't have been more helpful, apart from giving me a sandwich and some pringles on the house, i also got a coffee and a couple cans of coke for the journey in the chauffer driven mercedes home.

The staff on this Easyjet flight were a credit to their company, and have shown that allthough you maybe travelling on a Low Cost carrier, the level of service doesn't have to be "poverty spec"

[jumbojet]

the mother was 'a health & safety manager' and the story comes from the Daily mail. Plenty of scope for 'yellow jacket' bullsh#t here then!

[JDB1052]

Whatever about the rights or wrongs of this situation, one issue is pretty plain - had Ryan's handlers and crew (cockpit and cabin) treated this situation with an iota of common customer service, we would not be reading about it in the papers. Their standard bullying over-aggressive attitude towards anything out of the ordinary is consistently delivered. All this would have taken was calm heads, some sympathetic comments and a bit of help and this customer (for that is what he was) could have been accommodated with little or no fuss, or calmly denied boarding for well-explained safety reasons. In typical Ryanair fashion, it became an incident, with the usual pounds, shillings and pence grabbing attitude shown by telling the customer he "should have bought extra seats".

Ryanair are a very efficient operation - they could be a good airline for their customers if they tried to lose some of their backsteet terrier dog attitudes and actually got customers to enjoy the experience. It costs nothing to smile and be polite, and be firm when professionally needed.

Training cabin crew is not all about how to sell muffins, coffee and scratch cards to as many passengers as possible.

[PAXboy]

At the risk of being bashed as an FR basher ... they could be a good airline for their customers if they tried to lose some of their backsteet terrier dog attitudes and actually got customers to enjoy the experience. It costs nothing to smile and be polite, and be firm when professionally needed. Very true - but they cannot do it. Company culture is set from the outset. In the UK you can see the culture of Marks & Spencer is almost undimmed. Look at Micro$oft - their rapacious attitiude is set in stone and however much they say that they are a cuddly company that loves their clients - their almost every action denies that. So it is with FR.

They are brilliant at what they do and have a unique style. If you do not like it, shop along the road because they ain't gonna change!

[SXB]

The Child was Injured - Then why pay for a 2 cent seat home on a budget airline that does not even have reclining seats? Did they not have travel Insurance??? The Child should have been on board an a/c on a stretcher or travelled home by road/rail?
This is a prime example of stupid parents jumping on the ryanair bandwagon, and running to the press as soon as something happenes like this?

EIDW
I think you're spot on, this party of kids and parents obviously did not have medical evacuation insurance, that is extremely irresponsable and risky.

The fact that RYR didn't handle the problem in a professional way shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.....