Hundreds Miss Ryanair Flights Due to Check-In Chaos
Budget airline Ryanair failed to open sufficient check-in desks on Saturday 1 August, causing hundreds of passengers to miss their flights. Among them was David Dimbleby the host of the BBC’s Question Time.
Frustrated passengers watched their flights depart as they were waiting to check in or drop their bags. The incident occurred on one of busiest departure days of the summer with 255 flights and hundreds of frustrated passengers.
The chaos was so great that some of the 500 affected passengers who included families with young children were sleeping in the terminal, and all had to choose between finding alternative flights or cancelling their Holiday.
David Dimbleby, 70, who with his wife and family were waiting for a flight to Toulon in the South of France said: “It’s a nightmare. Ryanair have abdicated responsibility. They have not spoken to any of these people, there have not been any public announcements and they have not said when the flights are called,” according to The Times.
Mr Dimbleby added that the airline are “quite happy to take everyone’s money” but don't operate enough check-ins for the numbers of tickets they have sold.
Another disgruntled passenger 35-year old Fiona Wilson actually had part of her luggage put on a plane that she failed to board for her two-week holiday in Grenada. Ms Wilson said that “they are not sure when we can get it back.”
Perhaps more of a worry, is that Ryanair allowed a plane to take-off without the passenger aboard, which should lead to a safety and procedures investigation. The cheap flights airline is currently in a transistion phase of moving to 100 per cent online check-in.
Travel Industry news posted by Marilyn on 03 August 2009
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