Ryanair gotcha

[25F]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/real-life/friends-magaluf-trip-ruined-ryanair-27419337

Normally I am unsympathetic to those who don't read the small print but in this case it's ludicrous. Ryanair says:
I am already checked in for my flights. Can I still change them? (https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12891612722193-I-am-already-checked-in-for-my-flights-Can-I-still-change-them-) (https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12891612722193-I-am-already-checked-in-for-my-flights-Can-I-still-change-them-)Yes. Go to ‘My Bookings’ on our website or mobile App and select the flight you want to change. Please be aware that our system automatically checks you out even if you do not complete the change. If you are checked in and go to ‘My Bookings’ to look for alternative flights but without completing the change, you will need to check in again before you travel.

[davidjohnson6]

Does the Ryanair app and website give a clear and visible warning that one is being un-checked-in when browsing for a different flight ? Without having an obligation to know that one has to read the FAQ...

[PAXboy]

That does rather look like a way to catch you at the airport with a surcharge for not checking in. There are many travel websites that, if you go back a page to amend one item, then reset their default Tick Boxes and you have to untick them again.

[25F]

I don't know what the website / app say when you start the change process. I may try and find out in a couple of weeks. It does raise the question of what "checked in" means. These passengers arrived with boarding passes and allocated seats awaiting them.
Regarding the tick boxes on a website - that's actually the *default* behaviour - getting a page to "remember" what's been unticked is some extra hoops for the programmer to jump through.

[DaveReidUK]

I'm surprised this has never (AFAIK) cropped up before.

If you arrive at the airport checked in with your boarding pass in hand, that could result in an interesting conversation ...

[25F]

I had a go with a checked-in flight on the website. After hitting "change flight", one is taken to a list of alternatives. If you select one, then up pops a box saying that you are no longer checked in. So the warning is given, but it still seems a bit rubbish.

[flyingtincan]

Presumably "Checked In " means checked in for that flight with that seat etc.
If you then change your seat etc how can you now be checked in.

[PAXboy]

The problem appears to be:

Check in and print your boarding pass in good time
Something happens that means you might have to change your flight
You look at others and decide not to change BUT have not noticed that you are no longer checked in
Arrive at airport to find that you are not checked in and pay a surcharge
Worse, find that your seat has been sold as you did not check in

[25F]

That seems a good summary. In the original case:
"Something happens that means you might have to change your flight"
was possibly "you're my best mates you are, do you think we can spend another night here?" all forgotten by the next morning.
Meanwhile another PITA - one of our party is on separate flights, although I made the booking. So I got an email from Ryanair accusing me of being a travel agent and requiring said person to verify (with photo ID and uploaded photo) and transfer the booking to their own account.

[PAXboy]

Wow. It is a facet of corporates that - when they become top dog - they cannot give anything back. They have no ability to start being nice to customers as they continue using the cut-throat behaviour that made them top dog.

[25F]

@PAXboy - to be fair to Ryanair, they are *much* better than they used to be and I now see - on a regular basis - people bringing suitcases on board that make *me* start to think "no, that's taking the Michael". Only *just* able to get into the bin. (Official max size just slides in). Similarly change of name done over the phone free of charge when it was obviously a mistake to use the diminutive not the full forename.
In this case I think it a shortcoming of the system rather than a deliberate attempt to catch people out. (Other shortcomings include trying to buy an adult ticket for a registered passenger who is under sixteen at the time of booking, but over on the day of flight). I guess the original logic is "change process has started, hence not checked in", and there may be subtleties at work. Sometimes things that are obvious to the non-programmer, or even a programmer who just isn't familiar with the system, can actually be very hard indeed to implement. And sometimes this stuff runs on ancient tech that is very hard to bend to suit.

[Kiltrash]

We flew Ryan Barcelona to Stansted and at the boarding checks there were no bins to check the size of bags. Once onboard I witnessed a large bag that would not fit and the Cabin Crew took it off the passenger and sent it to the hold. However not sure if they charged a full case price for the hold of €69. Would be nice to know but SWIMBO would not let me ask the CC later 🙁

[PAXboy]

Perhaps these reports indicate a desire to lower tensions in the cabin and keep the whip hand on the Ts&Cs for online and checkin. Maybe FR are finally getting fed up with the media/twitter reports of rowdy cabin behaviour.