Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Join this forum to discuss the latest news that happened in the world of commercial aviation.

Moderator: Latest news team

hello11
Posts: 8
Joined: 20 Mar 2010, 23:32

Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by hello11 »

Ryanair has been condemned for denying boarding assistance at Luton airport to a disabled women, although she had clearly indicated this when booking. Under EU laws, passengers who are disabled or do have difficulties moving around, have the right to get assistance free of charge. At the end, her husband had to carry her on board. Ryanair must pay £1,750 compensation to the couple. A Ryanair spokesman blames Luton airport for not providing the service.

Source: http://www.terminalu.com/travel-news/di ... help/8717/
Last edited by hello11 on 15 Apr 2011, 23:57, edited 1 time in total.

cnc
Posts: 1311
Joined: 19 May 2009, 16:14

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by cnc »

how is this FR's fault?
its the airport or handling company's responsibility

Passenger
Posts: 7266
Joined: 06 Dec 2010, 20:54

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by Passenger »

cnc wrote:how is this FR's fault?
its the airport or handling company's responsibility
Yes. That's what Ryanair says in the article (link above): it's Luton Airport to do it.

But this is what the EU law really says: "Operating air carriers shall give priority to carrying persons with reduced mobility and any persons or certified service dogs accompanying them, as well as unaccompanied children."

Air carriers. Not airports. So the judge is right.

andorra-airport
Posts: 1193
Joined: 19 Oct 2008, 16:21

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by andorra-airport »

First of all, this happened 3 years ago. But that does not matter. Ryanair should have ,and probably has, informed Servisair ,the handling agent at Luton, that there would be a WCHC (wheelchair to the aircraft seat). Maybe somebody from the editing department, or a coordinating person, was asleep when the email, fax , telex came. Because they should have informed the "wheelchair" company, with people who are qualified ,and insured, to do this job. Normally , if there is no "airbridge" to the aircraft, WCHC pax are lifted up into an aircraft by what you can compare with a catering truck. (although I have seen a sort of "robot" wheelchair who can climb up stairs on smaller aircraft with the aid of people). And yes, I can imagine that crew or ground-staff did not want to lift an adult woman up on a big stair for obvious reasons.

User avatar
earthman
Posts: 2221
Joined: 24 Nov 2004, 00:00
Location: AMS

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by earthman »

Apparently Ryanair's policy is to leave disabled passengers behind if they cannot be boarded on time. Anyway it IS Ryanair's responsibility, the fact that they paid someone else to do it for them does not relieve them of their obligation to provide the appropriate service for these passengers.

andorra-airport
Posts: 1193
Joined: 19 Oct 2008, 16:21

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by andorra-airport »

earthman wrote:Anyway it IS Ryanair's responsibility
By law maybe yes. I see it as a handling agent who did not follow up the contract at that moment.

hello11
Posts: 8
Joined: 20 Mar 2010, 23:32

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by hello11 »

But at that point, Ryanair has to do something for the passenger. The passenger has a contract with Ryanair, not with the handling agent.

cnc
Posts: 1311
Joined: 19 May 2009, 16:14

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by cnc »

if the airport fails to provide the needs to get disabled pax on board the airline is not to blame.
it may also sound cruel but FR is right not wanting to make extra delay time for this.
if you want to get maximum service pay a bit more and use a decent carrier :roll:

User avatar
tolipanebas
Posts: 2442
Joined: 12 May 2004, 00:00

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by tolipanebas »

hello11 wrote:But at that point, Ryanair has to do something for the passenger. The passenger has a contract with Ryanair, not with the handling agent.
That's the whole point indeed.

The law obliges EU airlines to take care of their pax, including those with reduced mobility.

Most airlines/airports have subcontractors to take care of this (and other) obligations, but if for any reason these subcontractors fail to do their job correctly, it still remains up to the airline to deal with the legal obligations they have accepted by selling tickets.

Imagine your luggage would be lost by the handling agent of your flight: would you see it as just bad luck and take your loss for what it is, or would you ask for a full cash refund from your airline to compensate for the lost luggage??? They why would this case be any different???

sean1982
Posts: 3260
Joined: 18 Mar 2003, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by sean1982 »

So what do you propose as a solution then in this case?
The pilot to use his psychic abilities and magically lift her up the steps??

cnc
Posts: 1311
Joined: 19 May 2009, 16:14

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by cnc »

sean1982 wrote:So what do you propose as a solution then in this case?
The pilot to use his psychic abilities and magically lift her up the steps??
they could retract landing gear to lower the aircraft :lol:

Passenger
Posts: 7266
Joined: 06 Dec 2010, 20:54

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by Passenger »

sean1982 wrote:So what do you propose as a solution then in this case?
The pilot to use his psychic abilities and magically lift her up the steps??
If somebody at an airline fails in his/her obligations, it's up to others within the airline to take up their responsabilities. The pilot (or purser) had to delay the flight, call for a hydrolic lift and assist the disabled passenger on board. And then apologise towards the other passengers that the airline had forgotten to ask for the lift in the first please.

Read the article (link in the first post here): shame on Ryanair!

User avatar
earthman
Posts: 2221
Joined: 24 Nov 2004, 00:00
Location: AMS

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by earthman »

If your mom tells you to take out the trash, and you tell your little brother to do it for you, and he forgets to do it, it is still you who will have a problem with your mom because the trash wasn't taken out. You can tell your mom "but I told Bobby to do it for me, and he didn't do it" and your mom will tell you "I told you to do it, it is your problem".

Apparently Ryanair didn't have a little brother around the house when it was young.

Passenger
Posts: 7266
Joined: 06 Dec 2010, 20:54

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by Passenger »

earthman wrote:If your mom tells you to take out the trash, and you tell your little brother to do it for you, and he forgets to do it, it is still you who will have a problem with your mom because the trash wasn't taken out. You can tell your mom "but I told Bobby to do it for me, and he didn't do it" and your mom will tell you "I told you to do it, it is your problem". Apparently Ryanair didn't have a little brother around the house when it was young.
Little brother has kicked out the window of a car with his football. Mom and you told little brother he was not allowed to play on the street, so the driver will have to pay the damage on his car himself. That's Ryanair's policy if something goes wrong with their subcontractors.

sean1982
Posts: 3260
Joined: 18 Mar 2003, 00:00
Contact:

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by sean1982 »

earthman wrote:If your mom tells you to take out the trash, and you tell your little brother to do it for you, and he forgets to do it, it is still you who will have a problem with your mom because the trash wasn't taken out. You can tell your mom "but I told Bobby to do it for me, and he didn't do it" and your mom will tell you "I told you to do it, it is your problem".

Apparently Ryanair didn't have a little brother around the house when it was young.
Wrong example in this case, cause ryanair is "mom"
And even, what to do if the only lift is not available?? Nothing the airline can do about it,as I said sometimes there are no solutions to certain problems, and also it's nobody his fault.

User avatar
earthman
Posts: 2221
Joined: 24 Nov 2004, 00:00
Location: AMS

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by earthman »

Ryanair's policy is that the little brother has to change his own diaper.

User avatar
earthman
Posts: 2221
Joined: 24 Nov 2004, 00:00
Location: AMS

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by earthman »

sean1982 wrote: Wrong example in this case, cause ryanair is "mom"
Mom is the passenger, Ryanair is the angry screaming acne-faced 14-year-old older brother.
And even, what to do if the only lift is not available?? Nothing the airline can do about it,as I said sometimes there are no solutions to certain problems, and also it's nobody his fault.
From the point of view of the passenger (and the law, as witnessed by the ruling), it's the airline's fault. They claim/are obliged to provide a certain service. They failed to do that, but more importantly, they were unwilling to solve the problem in a satisfactory manner.

If the only lift is not available, a different solution has to be found. After all, the guy fixed it himself by carrying his wife on board.

Ryanair's problem solving skills are similar to this video:

.

cnc
Posts: 1311
Joined: 19 May 2009, 16:14

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by cnc »

earthman wrote:Ryanair's policy is that the little brother has to change his own diaper.
i see it more like little brother has to clean up his own poop because he refuses to wear a diaper.
people don't want to pay normal fares to fly? fine but they have to take the "shit happens" policy with it

Passenger
Posts: 7266
Joined: 06 Dec 2010, 20:54

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by Passenger »

cnc wrote:people don't want to pay normal fares to fly? fine but they have to take the "shit happens" policy with it
People don't have to accept this anymore. European law clearly states that airlines have to assist disabled passengers. At no cost for that disabled passenger. There is no discussion about that. It's law. Ryanair has to ask 0,5 Euro more for every ticket, just like all other carriers have done since the implementation of the "Denied Boarding Rule" in 2004. Problem solved.

(by the way, most carriers assist disabled pax far beyond their legal obligations).

User avatar
tolipanebas
Posts: 2442
Joined: 12 May 2004, 00:00

Re: Ryanair condemned for denying boarding assistance

Post by tolipanebas »

Interesting to see how so many people think FR should be allowed to do as it pleases, for as long as they don't charge too much for their tickets. Well, excuse me, but in a civilized society there are certain elementary rules which must be followed by all companies -regardless their business model- and one of those elementary rules includes having a non-discrimination attitude towards all pax, including offering full accessability to handicaped persons: there's just no compromise on that front and rightfully so!

FR either has to adapt its retarded business model and its rude ground operating procedures to the legal realities of today, or face (more serious) legal consequences in future and those who feel it is insane to ask all this from a low cost company like FR should seriously question their own moral attitude, because what you're all saying then is that you're perfectly fine with seeing people being discriminated against based on their physical disabilities, just for the sake of your own little extra profit. Shame on you, really!

What's next? Openly laughing with any disabled pax left behind at the gate and sarcasticly waiving at them even as your plane pushes, while loudly saying just how great it is of FR to see them kick off such labour intensive pax for whom's sake you'd otherwise have had to pay at least half a euro of service charge on your ticket!? :shock:
And then next thing you know, your cheap FR flight diverts to some isolated shithole around Europe and fully in line with its policies, FR leaves you stranded there! After which 9 out of 10 pax on board who were perfectly in favour of FR no-compassion attitude just a couple of hours ago, will now suddenly say what a shame it is?! That's just so typical really...

Post Reply