Ryanair-Pilot kicked 120 pax out of the aircraft at ACE, 05FEB11
There can be no excuses. It takes quite a bit for the crew to decide to call the police for assistance. Nobody wants to be delayed or have to write reports! If the police were called and agreed with the Captain that passengers should be removed from the aircraft, I'm 100% behind them whether it's a Ryanair, BA or Aeroflot flight.
Smudger - With all due respect, if you were 'fleeced' at check-in you didn't read the terms and conditions and can only blame yourself
(by the way, I've been there too...). The 'scandalous pricing' was probably far cheaper than was available from any other operator. The low fare means no frills, not poor service.
From both the flightdeck and when regularly deadheading in the cabin, I've never seen Ryanair cabin crew treating pax badly, though I have seen tired and unmotivated cabin crew not making an effort. Mind you, I could say the very same thing about the service I've experienced on BA, KLM, Kenya, SAA and Easyjet, both short and longhaul. Generally, because it's in their interests to charm the pax into spending their money on board, the cabin crew are friendly. Often not so on the full-fat airlines.
I have seen the occasional pax on Ryanair flights behaving unreasonably and rudely towards cabin crew due to events at the departure gate or checkin. They're often a little worse for wear. KENNEDY TOWER is spot on. Paying a low fare doesn't excuse you from acting with common decency. In reality, however, 99% of pax dismembarking Ryanair aircraft smile and thank the cabin crew as they leave.
His dudeness and grounded27 -
Correct. You pay next to nothing, so you don't get the all-singing all dancing service of the 1980s. But neither do you get The Orient Express service on the 6:08 from London Liverpool Street to Norwich, which is probably 50 times more expensive per mile travelled. Opening cheap travel to the masses cannot be done without taking away the 'frills'. Seasoned travellers have figured out how to play the 'no frills' game, treat the experience as they do trains and buses, and get to their destination on time and at low cost.
Smudger - With all due respect, if you were 'fleeced' at check-in you didn't read the terms and conditions and can only blame yourself
(by the way, I've been there too...). The 'scandalous pricing' was probably far cheaper than was available from any other operator. The low fare means no frills, not poor service. From both the flightdeck and when regularly deadheading in the cabin, I've never seen Ryanair cabin crew treating pax badly, though I have seen tired and unmotivated cabin crew not making an effort. Mind you, I could say the very same thing about the service I've experienced on BA, KLM, Kenya, SAA and Easyjet, both short and longhaul. Generally, because it's in their interests to charm the pax into spending their money on board, the cabin crew are friendly. Often not so on the full-fat airlines.
I have seen the occasional pax on Ryanair flights behaving unreasonably and rudely towards cabin crew due to events at the departure gate or checkin. They're often a little worse for wear. KENNEDY TOWER is spot on. Paying a low fare doesn't excuse you from acting with common decency. In reality, however, 99% of pax dismembarking Ryanair aircraft smile and thank the cabin crew as they leave.
His dudeness and grounded27 -
Correct. You pay next to nothing, so you don't get the all-singing all dancing service of the 1980s. But neither do you get The Orient Express service on the 6:08 from London Liverpool Street to Norwich, which is probably 50 times more expensive per mile travelled. Opening cheap travel to the masses cannot be done without taking away the 'frills'. Seasoned travellers have figured out how to play the 'no frills' game, treat the experience as they do trains and buses, and get to their destination on time and at low cost.
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: world
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like others, I detest being a passanger on a commercial airline, but people have to understand there is no way to avoid the cattle wagon experience unless people are willing to pay several times more for tickets – and they aren’t.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: In transit
Age: 70
Posts: 3,052
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like many, I detest Ryanair and despise its business ethics, or rather, lack of. Therefore I don't fly on them.
That the anger of these drunken students at the airline's policies should be directed at the cabin crew is utterly unacceptable and I hope they will spend a long and miserable time in a Spanish 'carcel'. The Guardia Civil are not known for being gentle!
This may be the first and last time I say it, but 'Good for Ryanair'.
That the anger of these drunken students at the airline's policies should be directed at the cabin crew is utterly unacceptable and I hope they will spend a long and miserable time in a Spanish 'carcel'. The Guardia Civil are not known for being gentle!
This may be the first and last time I say it, but 'Good for Ryanair'.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Apparently, but not unexpectedly, the whole story is blown out of proportion.
According to the Canary newspaper "La Provinicia", which I suggest to read rather than the cherry-picking British tabloids, some passengers refused to sit down, but there was no violence on board, no use of force by the police or any arrests. As I understand, one of the group could not board with the group because of an issue with his overweight luggage and the rest of the group then did not sit down to delay the departure, foolishly believing that it would allow their friend to make the flight. But from what this local source tells us, there was no "mutiny", "fighting" etc. on board.
The really interesting issue is if indeed 120 passengers were in breach of the contract with Ryanair by not follwing instructions or if the Captain simply decided to refuse the whole group to travel. If that was the case, i.e. people were left behind simply because they were part of a group booking despite not behaving badly, I see some serious hot water Ryanair has gotten into from a legal point view.
According to the Canary newspaper "La Provinicia", which I suggest to read rather than the cherry-picking British tabloids, some passengers refused to sit down, but there was no violence on board, no use of force by the police or any arrests. As I understand, one of the group could not board with the group because of an issue with his overweight luggage and the rest of the group then did not sit down to delay the departure, foolishly believing that it would allow their friend to make the flight. But from what this local source tells us, there was no "mutiny", "fighting" etc. on board.
The really interesting issue is if indeed 120 passengers were in breach of the contract with Ryanair by not follwing instructions or if the Captain simply decided to refuse the whole group to travel. If that was the case, i.e. people were left behind simply because they were part of a group booking despite not behaving badly, I see some serious hot water Ryanair has gotten into from a legal point view.
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Join Date: May 2007
Location: On the western edge of The Moor
Age: 67
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Reading into the reports I think it is more a case of 20 being offloaded, but all luggage offloaded and the remaining passengers asked to identify their own luggage before reboarding
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No, 66 travelled and 100 were offloaded according to Ryanair's own website (and various other sources). Whether this was at the request of the police - as Ryanair says - is not clear because the local press gives the whole story a somewhat different spin (no resistance, no arrests etc.)
The figure of 20 relates obviously to those who Ryanair refused to re-accommodate after the intervention of the Belgian authorities. Which makes the point even more interesting if it was a smart move by Ryanair to off-load the whole group rather than only those who caused the problem.
The figure of 20 relates obviously to those who Ryanair refused to re-accommodate after the intervention of the Belgian authorities. Which makes the point even more interesting if it was a smart move by Ryanair to off-load the whole group rather than only those who caused the problem.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting. Nevertheless, all the press headlines are now "Ryanair off-loaded 100 passengers" rather than "Spanish police ordered 100 passengers off Rxanair plane".
If the old wisdom that there is no such thing as bad press still applies in such a case is doubtful. Ryanair will get another bashing by the press as by now there appears to be some sort of presumption that they are always screwing their passengers.
If the old wisdom that there is no such thing as bad press still applies in such a case is doubtful. Ryanair will get another bashing by the press as by now there appears to be some sort of presumption that they are always screwing their passengers.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Central London
Posts: 460
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm 100% behind the crew and the airline. You fly low cost and get what you pay for. I would not want to be cabin crew on those cheap resort flights.
I'm sure most crew reading this have similar tales to tell about obnoxious people. You meet them everywhere in life.
As other have said if you don't want to fly lost costs spend a lot more money elsewhere.
I'm sure most crew reading this have similar tales to tell about obnoxious people. You meet them everywhere in life.
As other have said if you don't want to fly lost costs spend a lot more money elsewhere.
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Bath, UK
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If people are travelling in a group, they have to expect to be treated as a group when this kind of situation arises. An aircraft is not the place to start shouting the odds about excess baggage charges or any other perceived injustice: basically you sit down, shut up and do what you're told.
Ryanair may not be the world's favourite airline, but I can't imagine any other carrier would have tolerated this situation or dealt with it any differently.
The BBC report suggests the captain was a woman, btw - not that it matters, but like others I made the usual assumption.
Ryanair may not be the world's favourite airline, but I can't imagine any other carrier would have tolerated this situation or dealt with it any differently.
The BBC report suggests the captain was a woman, btw - not that it matters, but like others I made the usual assumption.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If they applied the carry on policy at check in rather than wait to the gate to fleece the pax then this event would never have happened!
I believe in life treat people how they treat you! Funny this is not the first involvement of the police sorting out arguments over petty crap on a ryan plane recently!
I believe in life treat people how they treat you! Funny this is not the first involvement of the police sorting out arguments over petty crap on a ryan plane recently!
If the pax had not tried to board with overweight/oversize bags, which appears to be what happened, the incident would not have occurred. There is no requirement to check in with carry on luggage.
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NE of SW
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ryanair business model seem to bring the worst out of their passengers, and I am afraid this is not the last time we will hear about incidents like this on board their aircraft. Unfortunately they are not paying their crews enough money considering they have to deal with air rage too.
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: France
Age: 63
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The students were not drunk, according to the traveler in a response to our editors, or noisy. And not particularly well co-operate.
The original is:
Dronken waren de studenten niet, aldus de reiziger in een reactie aan onze redactie, luidruchtig wel. En niet bepaald medewerkzaam ook.
The students were not drunk, according to the traveler whom we interviewed, but they were noisy. And not particularly co-operative either.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If people are travelling in a group, they have to expect to be treated as a group when this kind of situation arises.
The students were not drunk, according to the traveler whom we interviewed, but they were noisy
Maybe the pax confused it with taped messages selling game cards, train tickets and the like 
P.S.: Just noted on BBC World on TV that they have in a news banner reporting the story. It says it was a row over "hand baggage fees" - not that the BBC gives MOL some ideas
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: London
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SMUDGER,
I am not jumping on you personally, but you raise an interesting point wrt sources of frustration of people at the gate, which, when combined with tiredness of alcohol and/or travelling stress, can often lead to ugly confrontation scenes.
Why do passengers think they can turn up with hand-luggage that is either a little over-sized, or a little over-weight from the published dimensions, and get onto the a/c with impunity? Fair enough to take being "caught" and charged with good-humour, but to get abusive with the staff................
I am not jumping on you personally, but you raise an interesting point wrt sources of frustration of people at the gate, which, when combined with tiredness of alcohol and/or travelling stress, can often lead to ugly confrontation scenes.
Why do passengers think they can turn up with hand-luggage that is either a little over-sized, or a little over-weight from the published dimensions, and get onto the a/c with impunity? Fair enough to take being "caught" and charged with good-humour, but to get abusive with the staff................
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bedford
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh to have allocated seating,proper onflight meals and passengers who respected the captain and crew. Now they get on board rushing and pushing and act as if they own the plane. Cheap flights yes but we have lost manners and decency it has all become so arrogant and complacent.
Fed up with the whole airport experience,lucky I lived thru the days of Dan-Air,Britannia,Monarch(old school) and Courtline now that was travel.
Fed up with the whole airport experience,lucky I lived thru the days of Dan-Air,Britannia,Monarch(old school) and Courtline now that was travel.