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Original poster

Ryanair wtaf???

106 replies

MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 14:35

I’ve never traveled with Ryanair before so had only heard of their awfulness.

Trying to book a flight for my disabled dc (not a mobility disability) and myself and the system will only let me select certain seats for the disabled passenger.

It’s giving me an option of two seats to choose from on the whole plane which isn’t very full at all. Moreover, neither seat has an available seat next to it, so it’s effectively trying to get me to book seats several rows apart (at the closest) for me and a non verbal tween.

Just wtaf?

OP posts:
NorthFaceofthelaundrypile · 08/02/2026 18:10

The chat generally moves quite quickly, even when you start in spot 200 and I’ve always found the chat staff very helpful when I’ve had to speak to them.

Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 18:05

SomethingUniqueThisTime · 08/02/2026 17:57

It appears to me that the greyed-out seats have already been booked by other passengers? I don’t understand what you expect Ryanair to do. Just book the nearest available seats to the front, before they also get booked. Maybe call Ryanair to explain the problem, and see if they can offer any better solution - such as helping you to the front ahead of other passengers when you have landed.

I think, what I would expect Ryanair to do is the same as other airlines: let me choose the seats we want to sit in.

I have never been restricted to only selecting certain seats before after requesting assistance for my child’s intellectual disability. I request assistance on the booking to have access to assistance lanes (as some airports require this and check). Ryanair ask the nature of the disability earlier in the booking process so it has nothing to do with them having certain seats for mobility disabilities.

There are loads of available seats on that flight, but if you declare the disability they only allow you to choose certain seats which appear to be random as well as being impossible for us to use as he can’t sit alone.

OP posts:
Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 17:57

AlwaysRightISwear · 08/02/2026 17:47

Might the greyed out seats all be booked up already?

Well, I guess so. But then why offer those two seats as the only options for a cognitively disabled child when loads of other seats are available on the plane?

OP posts:
SomethingUniqueThisTime · 08/02/2026 17:57

It appears to me that the greyed-out seats have already been booked by other passengers? I don’t understand what you expect Ryanair to do. Just book the nearest available seats to the front, before they also get booked. Maybe call Ryanair to explain the problem, and see if they can offer any better solution - such as helping you to the front ahead of other passengers when you have landed.

AlwaysRightISwear · 08/02/2026 17:47

Might the greyed out seats all be booked up already?

Manxexile · 08/02/2026 17:41

Cat1504 · 08/02/2026 17:18

And?

Show quote history

Because "... Ryanair has the only direct flight to the airport I want to go to."?

Figcherry · 08/02/2026 17:34

I've used Ryanair many times both with and without assistance.
Once you get used to the way their website works its really easy.
My advice is to play around without putting any card details in until you understand the system.

Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 17:32

Rosealea · 08/02/2026 17:21

I love Ryanair. I've visited places I'd never have been able to with other airlines. Time keeping is great, crew fab. Why not try talking to someone rather than moaning on here

I’m glad you have had a good experience. If I hadn’t been trying to book for a disabled person, I would have probably not had a problem today. But that wasn’t the case.

I’m not sure if you understand MN if you think it’s not a place for moaning Grin Tbf, I rarely moan on here and most often post on the holidays board (ironic).

OP posts:
Rosealea · 08/02/2026 17:21

I love Ryanair. I've visited places I'd never have been able to with other airlines. Time keeping is great, crew fab. Why not try talking to someone rather than moaning on here

Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 17:20

Cat1504 · 08/02/2026 17:11

So fly with someone else why don’t you

Show quote history

Well, I won’t be flying with Ryanair again after this.

I think it’s pretty reasonable of me to be rather pissed off with them though and to want to moan about how they deal with disability.

Does really shitty company service/policies never bother you at all?

OP posts:
Coffeeishot · 08/02/2026 17:20

Star81 · 08/02/2026 14:38

You book it as an assisted traveller. I’ve got a relative who uses it frequently and has no issues. Lots of info on their website

Yes do this, and you will get together.

Cat1504 · 08/02/2026 17:18

Manxexile · 08/02/2026 17:15

"... Annoyingly, Ryanair has the only direct flight to the airport I want to go to."

Show quote history

And?

Manxexile · 08/02/2026 17:15

Cat1504 · 08/02/2026 17:11

So fly with someone else why don’t you

Show quote history

"... Annoyingly, Ryanair has the only direct flight to the airport I want to go to."

JumpingPumpkin · 08/02/2026 17:14

200th in the queue?! Sadly with Ryanair you definitely get what you pay for.

Cat1504 · 08/02/2026 17:11

MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 16:44

I am not trying to book a ‘disabled seat’ for a mobility disabled person. What I did was select ‘assistance’ like I always do and then selected ‘cognitive disability’ as this 1. Usually alerts the staff that a person requiring some assistance will be travelling (they usually ask when we want to board) and 2. Some airports check that assistance is on the booking (it’s usually on the boarding pass) before allowing access to assistance lanes.

What I didn’t realise is that Ryanair are even more monumentally shit than their reputation and make booking as a disabled person unnecessarily complicated.

So yes, I will not be declaring the disability and will be buying seats up front. But that doesn’t mean it’s ok to be this shit around disability.

So fly with someone else why don’t you

Friendlygingercat · 08/02/2026 17:07

Last time I travelled by air (alone) I booked a regular seat and then rang the airline to advise them I needed assistance as I had mobility issues walking. It was Swiss Air and they were wonderful. I had to report to a special room at the airport where I was assigned a wheelchair and a pusher. I had to change planes at Frankfurt and would not have managed without the lovely man with the electric buggy who picked up me and another couple. I didnt have to do anything. Just hand him my passport. Same on the way back. My pusher even dropped me right at the front of the taxi queue when I got to Manchester. Missed all the queues and got a few dirty looks.

ChristmasFluff · 08/02/2026 17:06

Ryanair have a terrible reputation for the way they treat disabled passengers, and I would never book with them if I were accompanying a disabled person.

Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 17:03

Notthepope · 08/02/2026 16:55

You should be able to click on the other blue marked seats and book them. I always assumed the marker are for physical disabilities as in, may be slightly different space, accessible safety gear

Edited

They do not let you select any of the other blue seats for the disabled person (even though in this case they are aware that it is a cognitively disabled child). I was unable to select any of the greyed out seats for me.

OP posts:
Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 17:00

Kruemelchen · 08/02/2026 16:48

I have only skimmed the responses but it looks like these are the only seats left that would be complimentary. The way round this is to not declare your child's disability at this point, so that the system will let you choose any seats instead. Then you can still contact their customer service after paying to book special assistance and have the appropriate code (probably DPNA) added for him.

I’m sure this is it. But other airlines don’t do this and their system should not be allocating an intellectually disabled under 12 year old (the information they had) a seat alone.

Dealing with disability is hard enough. Everything being made harder due to really shitty policies should be called out.

I know what I need to do, but I just needed to vent for a bit while I figured it all out. Essentially, we are legally entitled to book seats without an extra fee, but Ryanair don’t want that so make it impossible. Tbh, this is not about cost, I don’t mind paying for what we need but I really resent the palaver of it all (extra booking stress today/needing to contact them later if wanting to add assistance to the booking after paying for seats together).

OP posts:
SmallWoodlandCreature · 08/02/2026 16:58

Hello! I always book a wheelchair because standing makes my back hurt a lot. I book my flight on the Ryanair app and then I can freely choose whatever seat/seats I want. So I do this and complete payment.
It is not possible to add special assistance on the app, so AFTER I've booked and paid, I open the Ryanair website and then add special assistance.
I tried doing it the way you mentioned once and saw how limited the seat selection was. So APP FIRST TO BOOK, CHOOSE SEATS THEN PAY.
AFTER ADD SPECIAL ASSISTANCE ON THE WEBSITE.
I know this works because I do it half a dozen times a year.

Isobel201 · 08/02/2026 16:56

MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 16:53

My point was that if you request the assistance it does not let you select any seat apart from whatever ones are showing the wheelchair icon when you get to the seat selection page. I wasn’t trying to book a ‘disabled seat’ per se, but just alert that some assistance is required as is normal on all other airlines I’ve travelled on.

I’m going to have to not request assistance and just choose the seats I want and hope the sunflower lanyard gets him through the assistance lanes in the airport.

It really irritates me when companies do ‘disability’ as badly as this.

Show quote history

I imagine you'll still get assistance through the airport?

Notthepope · 08/02/2026 16:55

You should be able to click on the other blue marked seats and book them. I always assumed the marker are for physical disabilities as in, may be slightly different space, accessible safety gear

Original poster
MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 16:53

Landlubber2019 · 08/02/2026 16:38

Request assistance, book 2 seats at the front and you should be grand 👍

Unless you have mobility issues, I wouldnt book the disability seats. Assistance will get you boarded first and being at the front, enables you to disembark first

My point was that if you request the assistance it does not let you select any seat apart from whatever ones are showing the wheelchair icon when you get to the seat selection page. I wasn’t trying to book a ‘disabled seat’ per se, but just alert that some assistance is required as is normal on all other airlines I’ve travelled on.

I’m going to have to not request assistance and just choose the seats I want and hope the sunflower lanyard gets him through the assistance lanes in the airport.

It really irritates me when companies do ‘disability’ as badly as this.

OP posts:
ChillWith · 08/02/2026 16:48

MangosteenSoda · 08/02/2026 16:14

These are the options

I fly Ryanair all the time. These are seats allocated for physically disabled passengers who need a special lift onto the plane. Book the seats you actually want and select priority boarding which lets you bring onboard a wheel bag and additional piece of hand luggage. Depending on your son's needs, either rock up early so you get on the plane first, or alternatively sit at the gate and be last ones on. If you go with the latter, there mightn't be space for your luggage, especially if you choose first few rows.

Kruemelchen · 08/02/2026 16:48

I have only skimmed the responses but it looks like these are the only seats left that would be complimentary. The way round this is to not declare your child's disability at this point, so that the system will let you choose any seats instead. Then you can still contact their customer service after paying to book special assistance and have the appropriate code (probably DPNA) added for him.