By Laura Kemp • Published: 17 Nov 2021 • 18:38
Ryanair blames couple for ending up on flight to the wrong country. Image: Wikimedia
A couple has been left out of pocket after Ryanair let them board a flight to the wrong country and refuse to apologise, instead, blaming the pair for the incident.
The budget airline let the couple fly to Greece instead of Spain – the country they intended to go to.
The incident also raises the question of security because the pair were able to board and depart on a flight that they were never meant to be on.
Humaira and Farooq Shaikh were due to fly to Seville, Spain, on October 4 for a holiday.
The couple checked into Stansted airport and went through the pre-flight checks before boarding and also had their boarding passes checked when entering the plane.
The plane, however, was flying to Zakynthos, Greece, and not Seville – 1,200 miles away.
The couple believed they were in Spain when they got off the plane until their taxi driver explained “this isn’t Spain” said Humaira.
The shocked couple went back into the airport in Greece and spoke to Ryanair staff, who allegedly were little help and even laughed at them.
Humaira said Ryanair staff would only pay for one night in a hotel and a return trip to the UK – even though the next flight back to London not being for another four days.
“The manager was just laughing,” Humaira said.
“They would only pay for one night’s accommodation, so we had to pay for another three.”
“My mum already suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and receiving her calls to me crying on the phone from Greece, whilst at work, was extremely distressing to hear.”
Ryanair hasn’t offered compensation or said sorry to the couple, instead, blaming them for the whole incident.
Ryanair said in an email: “All of the Ryanair bag drop desks in the departure area are clearly identified.”
“The screens above them display the flight number and destination.”
“Each customer’s boarding card clearly states their flight number and destination. Customers are also advised to check the airport information screens for the boarding gate number.”
“It is the responsibility of every passenger to ensure that they follow the correct procedures and take note of the information available to them.”
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Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
A typical Ryanair event.
“Each customer’s boarding card clearly states their flight number and destination” -PRECISELY!! – So how were they able to board an aircraft that was going to a destination different to theirs and had a different flight number?
Ryanair? No thank you, not even if it was a only airline in the world.
Typical Ryanair – it’s all your fault – nothing to do with the flight attendants checking their boarding passes. Presumably they were concentrating on how many lottery tickets they could sell or the super bundles of alcohol. There are cheap airlines and then there is Ryanair!
Good old Riotair. They try and tell you they are cheap but they are often more expensive than others after they sneek on all the extras.
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