Travelers like to choose budget airlines like Ryanair because it offers the lowest fares to anywhere in the world. But in some cases, the same lowest fare can also mean arguing with customer service and facing additional charges, including “cancellation” fees, said Damian Lloyd and his family. This is the case.
The Lloyds checked in for their flight to Gran Canaria a month in advance and went to the airport in July with printed boarding passes, but the tickets could not be scanned. Unable to contact customer service or get help from an airline representative at the airport during their previous check-in, the Lloyds ended up paying $200 to check in again. British Broadcasting Corporation the report said.
Airport chaos
Lloyd, a health and safety manager and a frequent flyer himself, said he was “completely shocked” to hear of the extra charges. But he was not alone, he said, even Ryanair staff at Bristol Airport looked confused.
“He looked at the computer and our names and seat numbers came up. But for some reason (the boarding passes) weren’t scanned. He didn’t know why,” Lloyd told the BBC. Like most other airlines, Ryanair does not allow passengers to check in without scanning their boarding pass.
An employee at Europe’s largest budget airline was unable to raise the matter with customer services at the time because it was so early, leaving Lloyd’s family with two options – either miss the flight or wait When I contacted customer service, I took a flight three days later. Customer Service, or pay an additional $200 fee.
Ryanair staff also reportedly said the reason for the extra charges was a computer glitch, but the airline later denied this.
When Lloyd tried to claim a refund from Dublin Airways, his request was refused. Ryanair said he did not verify his identity, although a customer service representative confirmed his identity.
Ryanair told the BBC the family had not checked in the day before their flight, but Lloyd said he had no recollection of doing so.
“They (the family) canceled their check on the website on July 22 and ignored the pop-up warning they had to check in again and generate a new boarding pass,” a Ryanair representative told wealth. “As they did not have a valid boarding pass, they were correctly charged airport check-in fees.”
The airline also stressed that it has no “cancellation” fees, but passengers will face fines if they cancel on their own and fail to check in at least two hours before their flight.
“They make hundreds of millions a year. If I make a mistake, I throw my hands up and pay, but I do have a pass to be right,” Lloyd said.
Ryanair has referred Lloyd to AviationADR, an independent body that handles airline disputes.
Customer service takes center stage
Over the years, Irish budget airline Ryanair has gained a reputation for poor customer service. Consumer Research Group Which? The survey found the airline was consistently ranked as the lowest-ranked airline based on factors such as seat comfort and boarding experience.in a report Published last month More than 8,000 passengers were surveyed, which? It was revealed that Ryanair’s customer score – a measure of overall satisfaction – ranked second at 52%.
Last year, consumer groups rated Ryanair as Worst short haul airline For processing refunds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget airline has been described as “greedy” and “cunning” by passengers. pastbecause it often charges customers fees for things like oversized luggage and airport check-in fees — similar to other low-cost carriers like Wizz Air.
To be sure, budget airlines often offer the most basic services as part of their offerings so customers can travel without breaking the bank, while offering more services for a fee. But in many cases this has left customers locked in protracted disputes with the airline, unable to resolve disputes as quickly as with other airlines.
Other examples of Ryanair’s customer service practices have emerged in recent times, including one where an elderly couple was charged a hefty fine. Cost $136 Just to print the tickets at the airport.
Hey @RYANAIR, my parents, who are in their 70s and 80s, accidentally downloaded a return flight boarding card instead of an outbound flight boarding card and you charged them £110 at the airport to print the boarding pass. £110 for 2 sheets, takes 1 minute.shame on you
— Old School Home Wenosk 💙 (@old_school_alps) August 13, 2023
For its part, Ryanair is showing signs of improvement – YouGov survey Regarding Ryanair’s customer brand perception, it was found that indicators such as service quality and brand satisfaction improved slightly but remained negative. In May, Ryanair reported first profitable quarter Thanks to a rebound in travel and rising airfares since the pandemic.
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