Ryanair forces boy with leg in plaster to stand on 2 hour flight
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Ryanair forces boy with leg in plaster to stand on 2 hour flight
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.
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.
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For the record:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_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?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_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?
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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!!
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!!
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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
..........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!!
..........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!!
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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 
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!!
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!!
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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!
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Last edited by old,not bold; 21st Apr 2007 at 10:12. Reason: Another Typo
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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.
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.
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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
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.
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
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.
Last edited by Monkeytoo; 21st Apr 2007 at 10:36.
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Originally Posted by westie
ZBMAN - are you suggesting this story was simply made up?
old, not bold, I agree with your comments.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.