Ryanair-11
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 672
Likes: 73
From: East Midlands
Story from BBC news in Scotland this morning. More concerning is the fact that the luggage travelled without pax.
An Austrian airport has apologised to a Scottish family who were left "abandoned" by Ryanair after their flight to Edinburgh left without boarding disabled passengers.Katie Brown, 25, who uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, along with her father Graeme and his wife Vikki, told how they were left "stranded" in Vienna on Friday without luggage or vital medication.
The family told BBC Scotland News they were left to book accommodation and an alternative flight home, leaving them thousands of euros out of pocket.
A Vienna Airport spokeswoman said "irregularities" occurred due to a failure of the airport's wheelchair service but added that the airport would fully reimburse the family for their additional costs.
The family were offered seats on the next available Ryanair flight home.
However, they were told this would not be until five days later, on New Year's Day, meaning they would miss Katie's 26th birthday celebrations on Hogmanay.
Instead, they paid for a Jet2 flight home on Sunday.
The family were initially told their Ryanair flight home had been delayed by a technical issue
The airport spokeswoman said: "Due to a failure of Vienna Airport's wheelchair service, the passengers were brought to the aircraft late, and their luggage was not offloaded. We deeply regret this incident.
"The passengers were promptly escorted by Vienna Airport staff from the departure gate to a service counter, where an alternative flight was offered at the airport's expense. However, this offer was declined by the passengers.
"Vienna Airport will fully cover the additional costs incurred due to the passengers flight rebooking and the luggage that was not offloaded."
The family, who had enjoyed a "lovely" Christmas break in the Austrian capital, said their flight home was initially delayed by two hours due to a technical fault.
They said they were escorted by airport assistance staff to a gate along with an 84-year-old solo passenger, who was also in a wheelchair.
After the staff failed to show up to board them, they were told the flight had been cancelled.
They later learned it had taken off without them and the solo passenger.
Graeme Brown told BBC Scotland News his family were given "quite an interrogation" by passport control staff when they checked in for their replacement Jet2 flight home.
He said the security system showed the family had been stamped as leaving Austria on Friday.
Mr Brown also said Jet2 staff later described the non-removal of their luggage from the Ryanair flight as "a major security breach".
According to flightstats.com the initial flight left Vienna almost two hours and 40 minutes behind schedule, and landed almost two-and-a-half hours late.
Ryanair policy states that passengers could be entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by three or more hours.
The family said the airline denied any liability for the incident, instead blaming the airport's special assistance staff.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "Special assistance at Vienna Airport is provided by Vienna Airport's special assistance provider – not Ryanair.
"Unfortunately these passengers were brought to the gate late by the special assistance provider at Vienna Airport and as flight boarding was already closed these passengers missed their flight."
An Austrian airport has apologised to a Scottish family who were left "abandoned" by Ryanair after their flight to Edinburgh left without boarding disabled passengers.Katie Brown, 25, who uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, along with her father Graeme and his wife Vikki, told how they were left "stranded" in Vienna on Friday without luggage or vital medication.
The family told BBC Scotland News they were left to book accommodation and an alternative flight home, leaving them thousands of euros out of pocket.
A Vienna Airport spokeswoman said "irregularities" occurred due to a failure of the airport's wheelchair service but added that the airport would fully reimburse the family for their additional costs.
The family were offered seats on the next available Ryanair flight home.
However, they were told this would not be until five days later, on New Year's Day, meaning they would miss Katie's 26th birthday celebrations on Hogmanay.
Instead, they paid for a Jet2 flight home on Sunday.
The family were initially told their Ryanair flight home had been delayed by a technical issue
The airport spokeswoman said: "Due to a failure of Vienna Airport's wheelchair service, the passengers were brought to the aircraft late, and their luggage was not offloaded. We deeply regret this incident.
"The passengers were promptly escorted by Vienna Airport staff from the departure gate to a service counter, where an alternative flight was offered at the airport's expense. However, this offer was declined by the passengers.
"Vienna Airport will fully cover the additional costs incurred due to the passengers flight rebooking and the luggage that was not offloaded."
The family, who had enjoyed a "lovely" Christmas break in the Austrian capital, said their flight home was initially delayed by two hours due to a technical fault.
They said they were escorted by airport assistance staff to a gate along with an 84-year-old solo passenger, who was also in a wheelchair.
After the staff failed to show up to board them, they were told the flight had been cancelled.
They later learned it had taken off without them and the solo passenger.
'Major security breach'
Graeme Brown told BBC Scotland News his family were given "quite an interrogation" by passport control staff when they checked in for their replacement Jet2 flight home.
He said the security system showed the family had been stamped as leaving Austria on Friday.
Mr Brown also said Jet2 staff later described the non-removal of their luggage from the Ryanair flight as "a major security breach".
According to flightstats.com the initial flight left Vienna almost two hours and 40 minutes behind schedule, and landed almost two-and-a-half hours late.
Ryanair policy states that passengers could be entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by three or more hours.
The family said the airline denied any liability for the incident, instead blaming the airport's special assistance staff.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "Special assistance at Vienna Airport is provided by Vienna Airport's special assistance provider – not Ryanair.
"Unfortunately these passengers were brought to the gate late by the special assistance provider at Vienna Airport and as flight boarding was already closed these passengers missed their flight."
Joined: Apr 2003
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 10,564
Likes: 798
From: Northumberland
However, typical media trying to make out it was entirely the airlines fault without allowing anyone to think for just a minute.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 672
Likes: 73
From: East Midlands
Again, technically incorrect. Theres failures, but tbe outsourced companies work for a wide range of airlines and thus could have happened to anyone of them. The only way this can be resolved is with a change of procedure at this airport. I'm certain Ryanair will be scrutinising the procedure there from now on. Its highly unlikely that airlines will go back to head counting, unless requested for a particular reason. Believe it or not, it was seen as a failed procedure in itself, with constant inaccuracies. Humans will be humans afterall.
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,039
Likes: 63
From: On the road
This is absolutely the fault of the airports assistance provider as well as the ground handling agents failing to communicate. This could have happened on any airline and unfortunately has on a number of occassions. It just happened on this occasion to be a Ryanair flight. The thing is, with the passengers most likely "boarded" into the system by the handling agents, no discrepancy on the missing passengers to bags loaded would have shown up. As its rare these days for any airline to do a seat count, the "boarding complete" message would have been passed to the dispatcher and to the crew. There are that many people that book assistance that dont actually end up requiring it, or where they only believe to require it at one end of the journey and so the crew will not have been phased as to why no assistance team came to the aircraft with customers. The assistance passengers will have been in a different location to the actual boarding gate once they had been processed. As someone who has travelled through VIE many times, i can say this is most certainly the case. Those responsibile will be very embarrassed and will need some tightening up of their procedures. However, typical media trying to make out it was entirely the airlines fault without allowing anyone to think for just a minute.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 672
Likes: 73
From: East Midlands
Well then you have zero understanding how the operation works. The airline puts the trust in the hands of their handling agents. Yes they have the responsibility of representing their airlines and following strict procedures to ensure everything should match up. However, clearly on this occasion it didnt. Its not the first time and it certainly wont be the last time. If you think any other airlines procedures are so exclusively different here and how for example it wouldn't have happened on for example an easyJet flight on the same route, please do tell?
Joined: Apr 2003
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 10,564
Likes: 798
From: Northumberland
Again, technically incorrect. Theres failures, but tbe outsourced companies work for a wide range of airlines and thus could have happened to anyone of them. The only way this can be resolved is with a change of procedure at this airport. I'm certain Ryanair will be scrutinising the procedure there from now on. Its highly unlikely that airlines will go back to head counting, unless requested for a particular reason. Believe it or not, it was seen as a failed procedure in itself, with constant inaccuracies. Humans will be humans afterall.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 672
Likes: 73
From: East Midlands
Joined: Apr 2003
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 10,564
Likes: 798
From: Northumberland
I know how long it does to do a headcount, done loads. You've not answered my point. Why not do it? Just saying nobody does, isn't really an answer.
At the end of the day the buck stops with the airline. Anything else is just excuses.
At the end of the day the buck stops with the airline. Anything else is just excuses.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 672
Likes: 73
From: East Midlands
Ok, lets put it this way so its more easy for you to be able to understand... why do a headcount when all the figures would have showed to be correct? I.e everyone they expected to be onboard, were onboard. Not every flight operates 100% full you know.
Joined: Apr 2003
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 10,564
Likes: 798
From: Northumberland
You do it as a cross check to make sure you are leaving with the right number of passengers. That's one of your basic responsibilities.
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Essex
basic reason to not do one is error ratio of doing so.
an airline not Irish used to have an SOP of head counts and often a second was required as the first showed wrong, majority being crew miscount
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,841
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
Reported on BBC
Will be interesting if they achieve a conviction, although the amount sought seems fairly low.
Ryanair sues 'unruly' passenger over flight diversion
Ryanair is pursuing legal action against a passenger who allegedly caused a major disruption on a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote. The airline is seeking Ł12,500 in damages to cover expenses incurred when the plane had to divert to Porto, Portugal.
On Wednesday, the airline announced it had filed proceedings against the passenger, whose behaviour on the flight last April was described as "inexcusable" and "completely unacceptable". Ryanair stated that it will "continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft" in an effort to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers.
The airline said the passenger's behaviour forced the flight in question to divert to Porto, where it was delayed overnight, and caused 160 passengers to "face unnecessary disruption as well as losing a full day of their holiday". The damages sought would cover the cost of overnight accommodation and other expenses for the passengers affected by the diversion.
On Wednesday, the airline announced it had filed proceedings against the passenger, whose behaviour on the flight last April was described as "inexcusable" and "completely unacceptable". Ryanair stated that it will "continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft" in an effort to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers.
The airline said the passenger's behaviour forced the flight in question to divert to Porto, where it was delayed overnight, and caused 160 passengers to "face unnecessary disruption as well as losing a full day of their holiday". The damages sought would cover the cost of overnight accommodation and other expenses for the passengers affected by the diversion.
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 74
Likes: 29
From: Manchester
I feel the outcome is somewhat academic to the overall aim. As you say the value being claimed is relatively now. I think they want the publicity of the attempt to sue with the idea being to punish one, to correct one hundred. Hoping this will rectify or temper other people's possible future misbehaviour.
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,841
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
Ryanair calls for limit of two alcoholic drinks at airports in Europe
I doubt that they 'fail to understand ...' why airports need to make more money from passengers and who they learnt that from.
Airline asks authorities to impose new curbs as it seeks to recover €15,000 in costs related to diverted flight
The airline has called on European authorities to bring in new curbs on alcohol to stop passengers getting drunk before boarding a plane.
Airlines reserve the right to deny boarding to anyone they deem to be excessively intoxicated. However, Ryanair now wants airports to require boarding passes be shown when passengers purchase alcohol at airport bars and pubs as they are in duty free shops.
“We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe,”the airline said on Monday.
“During flight delays, passengers are consuming excess alcohol at airports without any limit on purchase or consumption,” it added.
The airline has called on European authorities to bring in new curbs on alcohol to stop passengers getting drunk before boarding a plane.
Airlines reserve the right to deny boarding to anyone they deem to be excessively intoxicated. However, Ryanair now wants airports to require boarding passes be shown when passengers purchase alcohol at airport bars and pubs as they are in duty free shops.
“We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe,”the airline said on Monday.
“During flight delays, passengers are consuming excess alcohol at airports without any limit on purchase or consumption,” it added.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 70
From: Warwickshire
Anyone know why FR have suddenly chopped a whole host of flights from different UK bases to Morocco, Albania and Northern Ireland? My flights BHX-TIA-BHX have been cancelled in April, BHX has also lost AGA, RAK and LDY
The email states "commercial reasons" but seems very odd that so many flights from so many airports are chopped overnight (BHX-TIA was still on sale at 9pm last night)
Have FR cocked up and been told they have to operate G registered aircraft on these routes? Seems coincidental that EDI and MAN aren't affected (G registered aircraft bases)
If so I'm not particularly impressed that smacks of piss poor planning to me by FR
The email states "commercial reasons" but seems very odd that so many flights from so many airports are chopped overnight (BHX-TIA was still on sale at 9pm last night)
Have FR cocked up and been told they have to operate G registered aircraft on these routes? Seems coincidental that EDI and MAN aren't affected (G registered aircraft bases)
If so I'm not particularly impressed that smacks of piss poor planning to me by FR
Joined: Apr 2003
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 10,564
Likes: 798
From: Northumberland
RYR have previously been operating these routes with EU registered a/c, presumably on a temporary dispensation from the CAA which has expeired or been withdrawn.
Without wanting to stray too far into Jet Blast territory, another "Brexit bonus"
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Without wanting to stray too far into Jet Blast territory, another "Brexit bonus"
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