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AIBU?

To hate RyanAir with a vengeance

62 replies

Gangle · 28/01/2009 21:08

Tried to fly with RyanAir from Stansted to Grenoble today with 10 month old DS for a few days skiing. Complete mission negotiating luggage, pushchair and a baby whose into everything but as DH was meeting us at Grenoble airport I thought I would cope. Got to the airport and checked it at a new check-in machine (the only option available). Entered my reference number and the machine printed tickets in my married name whilst my passport is in my maiden name. I noticed this (DH had made the booking and obviously forgotten to remember to book in my maiden name) but assumed it was ok otherwise the machine would not allow me to check-in. Anyway, went to bag drop a few minutes later where they noticed the discrepancy and told me to go to ticket sales and pay £145 for a name change. I tried arguing against this for a minute and offered other ID to show I was the same person but they refused - only a marriage certificate would do and I didn't have it with me. So, off I go to Ticket Sales, baby and luggage in tow, queue for about 10 minutes then finally get to talk to someone re the name change, which I was pretty peeved about as I don't see how this change justifies a whopping charge of £145, more than the flight itself. Spoke to the rudest, stupidiest woman I've ever met (would have got more sense talking to a brick wall) who told me there was no other way and I had to pay and then spent ages trying to change the name. I checked the time (9.45, flight was at 10.10. tight but I assumed ok as I was checked in and there was no queue through departures) and she looked up and said, oh, you've missed the flight as you're not checked in. I said, I am checked in; she replied, I unchecked you to change your booking and now check in is closed and so there is nothing we can do. Then she added, we've charged you the admin fee though. So, they wanted me to pay an extortionate admin fee for a change of name (though same person) regardless of the fact that they had made me miss the check in for this flight by kindly "un-checking me". Being extremely sleep deprived and fraught, I got angry then burst into tears, and the DS. No other flights from Stansted to Grenoble today and we were only gpoing until Saturday so not really worth going tomorrow. Beyond furious. I will NEVER fly this horrible crappy airline again.

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mm22bys · 28/01/2009 21:11

Ryanair is crap, I agree, and I refuse out of principle to fly them. BUT, your DH should have been more careful (you would have issues with any airline if you tried to travel on a different name). Sorry.

YANBU though!

Sorry you've missed out on your trip away...

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poopscoop · 28/01/2009 21:11

oh bloody hell, that is bad. I don't know what to say except i feel really sorry for you and to call them 'wankers'

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megcleary · 28/01/2009 21:15

I do symapthise, but do you think another airline would have behaved any differently.

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ja9 · 28/01/2009 21:16

horrible.

so so sorry for you.

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ja9 · 28/01/2009 21:16

when you're feeling more up to it, i would fight to get that admin fee back.

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DorisIsAPinkDragon · 28/01/2009 21:16

Please tell me you didn't give them any more money!!!

Really feel for you, what a crap day very un mn

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squeaver · 28/01/2009 21:19

They are twunts.

Dh was flying back from Germany with them. he'd checked in online but hadn't printed out the boarding card bit. They charged him 10 euros to print it out for him (one sheet of A4 going through the printer).

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LadyMuck · 28/01/2009 21:22

I'm so sorry - what a nightmarish day!

Ryanair simply doesn't do customer service. You get a seat, you might get from A to B, but you are treated as selfmoving baggage.

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Gangle · 28/01/2009 21:22

Feel traumatised by the whole thing! DH should have been more careful and most airlines do charge, I am sure, but not quite so much and would surely not then un-check you in so you have missed the check in time and the flight was closed! Would have been annoying to pay but at least I would have got there! I then had to spend an hour in Stansted with luggage and baby who refused to sit in buggy so needed to be carried then got soaked in the rain, it goes on . . . Just have to write it off as a bad day and remember always to pay the extra for another airline.

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ChippyMinton · 28/01/2009 21:25

What a nightmare. I have no sympathy re the name change, that was a basic mistake by your DH. But to mess about with your check-in was unforgivable on their part.

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mm22bys · 28/01/2009 21:25

Gangle, we flew to Grenoble just before Christmas with Easyjet. They were fine, we have two DSs, and because we still use a stroller we get coded SB. Have never had a problem sitting together (4 of us).

Poor you, ((((hugs)))).

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snickersnack · 28/01/2009 21:28

You have my deepest sympathy and I also detest Ryanair for numerous petty crimes that they have committed in the past.

I agree that other airlines would have probably made you pay, but doubt you'd have had the crappy unchecking and rebooking thing.

I'm so sorry your holiday was ruined.

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RiojaLover75 · 28/01/2009 21:33

Hi gangle, sorry to hear of your crap day. I do not agree with the Ryan Air admin fee BUT as it was your husbands fault that HE booked your flight in the wrong name you should be having this out with him!

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dramaqueen · 28/01/2009 21:50

Ryanair are COWBOYS. When my dc see their planes they say "look mum, there are the cowboys" in really LOUD voices.

I once flew with them to Dublin on a work trip. I swear the pilot thought he was flying a plane in the film TopGun

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lalalonglegs · 28/01/2009 21:50

Write to head office but if they don't refund, complain to your credit card company (if that's how you paid) and then take them to small claims court. Sort of agree with Rioja but to charge you £145 for a flight you cannot board is beyond mean.

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Gangle · 28/01/2009 21:50

I bet they just love it when they see a mistake like that - pound signs must flash in their eyes.

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CatWithKittens · 29/01/2009 09:32

I spoke to DH who is a lawyer about this. He says that there is a reasonable argument that taking the £145 at that stage implied that you would be able to get the flight for which you were changing the name on the booking. He says there was what he calls a colateral contract with an implied term that you would fly in your married name, the change having been made for that purose and no other. You might like to speak to a solicitor about it but, of course, the costs of doing so will far exceed the charge so you could only do it as a matter of principle. (Pleeeease don't tell DH I said that last bit!)

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Merrylegs · 29/01/2009 09:45

Poor you. What a horrible experience. It makes me cross when people say 'oh you fly Ryanair, you pay nothing so you have to expect nothing.'

By the time Ryanair have charged you per piece of luggage taken, plus per ticket for paying by credit card, and if you are a family, it really isn't budget.

I had a similar thing happen when I flew Virgin with my DS but then it was the original booking agent who had made the mistake.

The woman at the Virgin check-in was a star. She spent ages trying to get my name changed on the system - and said 'I am going to get you on this flight if it kills me.' She did too - including rushing me and ds through check-in on a special trolley. When I checked in for my flight back I found I had been upgraded to first class because of the mix-up on the flight out.; Result? I always fly Virgin now.

It's all down to customer sevice and people using their initiative.

Sure, you made a mistake, but Ryanair have been less than helpful and should have used their initiative to fix the problem, not cause a new one.

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Ineedmorechocolatenow · 29/01/2009 09:50

I HATE RYAN AIR. Had a similar experience to you, though no children involved. You have my deepest sympathies...

Oh, and I hope you gave DH a good rollicking too......

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bran · 29/01/2009 09:57

I hate Ryanair, I won't fly with them unless they are the only flight to the airport I want to go to. Their customer lack of service would be enough to put me off on it's own, but a friend of my bother's used to be a Ryanair pilot and quit because he felt they had unsafe practises which is even more worrying IMO.

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hifi · 29/01/2009 09:57

poor you, how stressfull. i hate them and refuse to fly, i paid over £200 more not to fly with them last year. they are rarely cheaper when compare them to other airlines.

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SoupDragon · 29/01/2009 10:01

They may have had to un-check you since you were checked in under the wrong name.

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Brangelina · 29/01/2009 10:05

I detest Ryanair too, I once had to argue with an extremely stupid check-in person about whether or not my laptop consituted and extra piece of hand luggage and whether I should be checking it in at extra cost(other carriers never do this).

I also agree with the poster who said that once you add on all the extra charges there is nothing budget about the flight. I always fly Easyjet instead. They may not be perfect themselves but are streets ahead in terms of simple customer service.

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tootiredtothink · 29/01/2009 10:06

Make sure you claim back the admin fee charged plus the taxes and luggage costs and all extras on original ticket.

I used to fly with Ryanair at least twice a year to visit sister over in Germany but with all the added costs it's not that much cheaper anymore and would rather pay a little more (or sometimes even less) to get good customer care.

Oh how I hate the extra charges. They even charge to check in now .

Thieving Wanking Bastards .

Your DH owes you a lovely night out for his part in it though.

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Salleroo · 29/01/2009 10:28

I have to say I'm not a fan either. And this new self checkin followed by mayham bag drop is a joke. The flights may cost very little but by the time you have added tax, baggage, checkin etc it mounts and mounts.

They are money grabbing gits. However I have to say I've had some (1 or 2) lovely check-in folk.

Everytime I fly with them I say never again but they are the easiest airline to get me home to my folks and the only option when going to DH's.

I had the same pb as you but luckily, for some reason I had a photocopy of my marriage cert in my bag. I've never known such relief.

They wouldnt let my dad check in once 5 minutes before the gate closed and charged a fortune for the next flight and once again my sister when she arrived 10 minutes before gate closed at Cork airport. For any of you who have been there, you run upstairs, through security and you are at your gate.

Coming home after Christmas the checkin girl at our desk was sending anyone who was even a kilo over to repack their bags or pay the excess. I mean all they were doing was sticking the extra in their hand luggage, it was still going on the plane, she was just being obtuse. Changed staff before we got to the counter thankfully.

The frantic standing in line to hopefully get a seat next to your companion makes my blood pressure rocket. DH now takes DD (I'm surprised they let him) and I take the buggy and the carry on.

I could go on and on and on...... dont even get me started on how much I hate Stansted and the filthy overpriced Stansted express.

Make sure you get that money back

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