Absolute nightmare with Ryanair. Disgraceful

Zascar

So many wife's brother is stranded in Barcelona. His flight back to Dublin early this morning was cancelled last minute. They are totally useless, there are no flights out until Saturday and they are doing nothing for him.

To make things worse he was mugged in Barcelona yesterday and his wallet stolen. So he has literally no money, not a penny. Ryanair wont give him food vouchers anything, not a hotel to stay in - nothing. Absolutely disgraceful. I thought that was mandatory but apparently not. I had to book him a hotel myself but I'm now trying to find a way to get him to the hotel from the airport.

To top it all off he's Brazilian and does not speak English - a tiny amount of Spanish only. Guys is literally in tears over the phone after a nightmare 20 hours at this stage...

Is this really the standard practice? Can they get away with this?

I will do everything I can to never fly Ryanair ever again...

wordofwarning

If he has a visa card, he can call his bank and ask for Western Union to wire him money

Zascar

Thanks but no western union in the Airport. I'm going to send him money tomorrow when he can get to a western union office

Get Real

Would it be "cheaper" to cut losses and book a flight. For example I looked on skyscanner, there's an aer lingus flight leaving in Thursday BCN-DUB at around 1030pm for 195 euro. Book that for him and try to reclaim costs off ryanair when he's back in Ireland?

Rather than pay for a hotel on Thursday and Friday too and cause extra stress, it might be worth a look

languagenerd

There was a French air traffic control strike today so hundreds of flights to or over France were cancelled. It affected several airlines, including Aer Lingus, easyJet and British Airways, not just Ryanair.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/french-air-traffic-strike-latest-updates-flights-cancelled-ryanair-travellers-passengers-grounded-a7992161.html

Unfortunately, there's no obligation for them to give compensation as it's not their fault (for once). You'd hope they would at least help out people who are stranded but legally Ryanair don't have to do anything... Very bad luck for your brother-in-law.

Have a look at nearby airports - Reus, Girona, even Valencia - and see if they have sooner flights.

Cheshire Cat

languagenerd wrote: »

There was a French air traffic control strike today so hundreds of flights to or over France were cancelled. It affected several airlines, including Aer Lingus, easyJet and British Airways, not just Ryanair.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/french-air-traffic-strike-latest-updates-flights-cancelled-ryanair-travellers-passengers-grounded-a7992161.html

Unfortunately, there's no obligation for them to give compensation as it's not their fault (for once). You'd hope they would at least help out people who are stranded but legally Ryanair don't have to do anything... Very bad luck for your brother-in-law.

Have a look at nearby airports - Reus, Girona, even Valencia - and see if they have sooner flights.

Could anybody explain to me why Ryanair cancelled its two flight from Dublin to Barcelona and back, yet Aer Lingus managed to run their two sets of flights on that route, albeit with a substantial delay?

8mv

languagenerd wrote: »

There was a French air traffic control strike today so hundreds of flights to or over France were cancelled. It affected several airlines, including Aer Lingus, easyJet and British Airways, not just Ryanair...

The same thing happened to my family last year, and Ryanair (customer facing staff at least) were very helpful. We were due to fly Biarritz to Dublin on the Thursday. Got the cancellation message Weds morning - hightailed it to Biarritz airport where a kind lady exchanged our Dublin tickets for the last flight to Stansted that evening. From Stansted an equally kind Ryanair staff member got us a flight to Dublin at no extra cost. I know this is of no help to the unfortunate gentleman in the OP, but they are not always unhelpful...

schemingbohemia

Not sure what Ryanair could do about your BIL mugging or his language skills. French air traffic control are to blame.

languagenerd

Cheshire Cat wrote: »

Could anybody explain to me why Ryanair cancelled its two flight from Dublin to Barcelona and back, yet Aer Lingus managed to run their two sets of flights on that route, albeit with a substantial delay?

From the article I linked: "Airlines have been told to cut three out of 10 flights. Many others have been diverted around French airspace, extending journey times and causing additional congestion".

It just comes down to logistics - where crews and planes are, where they need to be next, whether ATC in surrounding countries allow them to re-route at the times they need to go, etc. Aer Lingus probably got permission to reroute and Ryanair didn't or couldn't at that particular time.

Batgurl

I flew easyjet London to Berlin yesterday. They operate 4 flights a day on that route. First 2 flights of the day were either severely delayed or cancelled. Mine was fine.

It had to do with where the planes were before. Not every plane goes back and forth to and from the same destinations. So it's possible the Ryanair flight your brother was on was due to come from France...hence the cancellation.

Then again people love to bash Ryanair so let's not let the truth get in the way of a good story...

thelad95

1. Not Ryanairs fault regarding the strike in France
2. Not Ryanair's fault that he was mugged
3. Providing accommodation etc. is not an obligation and merely something some airlines are willing to do. Ryanair has and always will be a minimum cost airline, that is their corporate strategy and it makes them money. This may seem very machinistic but that's business
4. I really do feel sorry for him but putting the blame on Ryanair is probably unjust in this case.

yabadabado

Zascar wrote: »

So many wife's brother is stranded in Barcelona. His flight back to Dublin early this morning was cancelled last minute. They are totally useless, there are no flights out until Saturday and they are doing nothing for him.

To make things worse he was mugged in Barcelona yesterday and his wallet stolen. So he has literally no money, not a penny. Ryanair wont give him food vouchers anything, not a hotel to stay in - nothing. Absolutely disgraceful. I thought that was mandatory but apparently not. I had to book him a hotel myself but I'm now trying to find a way to get him to the hotel from the airport.

To top it all off he's Brazilian and does not speak English - a tiny amount of Spanish only. Guys is literally in tears over the phone after a nightmare 20 hours at this stage...

Is this really the standard practice? Can they get away with this?

I will do everything I can to never fly Ryanair ever again...

Not Ryanair's fault that there was a air traffic strike ,your Brother in Law was mugged or tha he couldnt communicate with staff.
Not a nice position to be in but the thread title is very misleading.

Rubberchikken

Blaming Ryanair for something outside their control is unfair.
Ryanair may be a lot of things but if their customers did 'exactly as it says on the tin' then theyd benefit from cheap flights.

Ok, Ryanair have no control over your friends language/mugging experience. Awful as it is there's nothing they can do about that.

abbir

thelad95 wrote: »

3. Providing accommodation etc. is not an obligation and merely something some airlines are willing to do. Ryanair has and always will be a minimum cost airline, that is their corporate strategy and it makes them money. This may seem very machinistic but that's business

Yes they are. EC261 2004, Article 9 specifies the Right to Care of an airline in the EU to its passengers.

An air traffic strike is an extraordinary circumstance so compensation will not be paid but this does not remove the Right to Care responsibilty. See what happened with the Volcanic Ash Cloud and how Ryanair lost any lawsuits that resulted from this.

https://www.aviationreg.ie/_fileupload/Image/Regulation%20EC261%202004.pdf
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/air_travel/compensation_for_overbooked_and_delayed_flights.html
http://www.bottonline.co.uk/flight-delay-compensation/claim-guides/strike-action-effects-on-flight-compensation
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ryanair-must-pay-accommodation-meals-and-other-1.1042404

jimmycrackcorm

abbir wrote:

Yes they are. EC261 2004, Article 9 specifies the Right to Care of an airline in the EU to its passengers.

The right to care only applies when industrial action occurs within the remit of the airline.

Is a pity the EU doesn't introduce a regulation to force French unions to pay compensation for sudden ATC strikes.

abbir

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

The right to care only applies when industrial action occurs within the remit of the airline.

Is a pity the EU doesn't introduce a regulation to force French unions to pay compensation for sudden ATC strikes.

Read the links I posted. Or https://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/q-a-french-air-traffic-controllers-strike-1.2169162 if you need another one

Compensation will not be paid but this does not remove the right to care.

Article 5 wrote:

An operating air carrier shall not be obliged to pay compensation in accordance with Article 7, if it can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

This is the only part of the regulations that reference how extraordinary circumstances remove any obligation. It only removes paying compensation.

Article 5 wrote:

be offered assistance by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 9(1)(a) and 9(2), as well as, in event of rerouting when the reasonably expected time of departure of the new flight is at least the day after the departure as it was planned for the cancelled flight, the assistance specified in Article 9(1)(b) and 9(1)(c);

Article 9 is the obligation of providing Right to Care i.e. Meals and Accomodation when needed.

I love Sean nos

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Not sure what Ryanair could do about your BIL mugging or his language skills. French air traffic control are to blame.

That's one hell of an allegation.

kravmaga

Zascar wrote: »

So many wife's brother is stranded in Barcelona. His flight back to Dublin early this morning was cancelled last minute. They are totally useless, there are no flights out until Saturday and they are doing nothing for him.

To make things worse he was mugged in Barcelona yesterday and his wallet stolen. So he has literally no money, not a penny. Ryanair wont give him food vouchers anything, not a hotel to stay in - nothing. Absolutely disgraceful. I thought that was mandatory but apparently not. I had to book him a hotel myself but I'm now trying to find a way to get him to the hotel from the airport.

To top it all off he's Brazilian and does not speak English - a tiny amount of Spanish only. Guys is literally in tears over the phone after a nightmare 20 hours at this stage...

Is this really the standard practice? Can they get away with this?

I will do everything I can to never fly Ryanair ever again...

Why doesnt your brother in law contact the BRAZILIAN CONSULATE in Barcelona for consular assistance, he should have a copy of the Police report on his mugging and stolen wallet.

They may offer him transport or put him up in a hotel and then he would have to re-imburse at a later stage.

https://www.embassypages.com/missions/embassy18052/

redcup342

Zascar wrote: »

So many wife's brother is stranded in Barcelona. His flight back to Dublin early this morning was cancelled last minute. They are totally useless, there are no flights out until Saturday and they are doing nothing for him.

To make things worse he was mugged in Barcelona yesterday and his wallet stolen. So he has literally no money, not a penny. Ryanair wont give him food vouchers anything, not a hotel to stay in - nothing. Absolutely disgraceful. I thought that was mandatory but apparently not. I had to book him a hotel myself but I'm now trying to find a way to get him to the hotel from the airport.

To top it all off he's Brazilian and does not speak English - a tiny amount of Spanish only. Guys is literally in tears over the phone after a nightmare 20 hours at this stage...

Is this really the standard practice? Can they get away with this?

I will do everything I can to never fly Ryanair ever again...

This is exactly what Travel Insurance is for, one call you'd be onto International SOS or a similar organisation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_SOS

They arrange new flights, accommodation, transport and temporary spending money, for the sake of 70 euros a year it's totally worth it (had to use it once)

But, doesn't sound like Ryanairs fault, just a set of bad circumstances.

You won't be able to book a flight for him with a card as many Airlines require that the card holder has to be present when it's so close to the departure date.

Best would be to look for Moneygram/Western Union to send him cash ASAP and book the first flight out as soon as possible.

Not Ryanairs fault though, they are merely a method of travel, they even offer Travel Insurance when booking which I guess was not taken.

bill66

I was once stranded by French ATC strike. Went to Ryanair desk who rebooked me on a flight a couple of days latter. They offered a hotel for 1 night, I declined thier selection and booked my own choice for 2 nights. kept all my reciepts made a claim, they offered a little less than I had spent and I accepted.

Happyrabbit

Zascar wrote: »

So many wife's brother is stranded in Barcelona. His flight back to Dublin early this morning was cancelled last minute. They are totally useless, there are no flights out until Saturday and they are doing nothing for him.

To make things worse he was mugged in Barcelona yesterday and his wallet stolen. So he has literally no money, not a penny. Ryanair wont give him food vouchers anything, not a hotel to stay in - nothing. Absolutely disgraceful. I thought that was mandatory but apparently not. I had to book him a hotel myself but I'm now trying to find a way to get him to the hotel from the airport.

To top it all off he's Brazilian and does not speak English - a tiny amount of Spanish only. Guys is literally in tears over the phone after a nightmare 20 hours at this stage...

Is this really the standard practice? Can they get away with this?

I will do everything I can to never fly Ryanair ever again...

I didn't see your post until now. I would have wanted to help your brother to get another flight home or given him some money to go back to the hotel.

I was put on standby ticket on the same day so I went online to check for another flight the same day back to Dublin and I found one, it was less than 200 with airlingus. Luckily I got a seat on the earlier flight. Not sure if you did that as it would have been cheaper than paying for hotel and taxi back and forth.

Ryanair flights were canceled on that day but two airlingus flights weren't. They were able to reroute, it took a bit longer than usual but yes, travel insurance is the way to go especially nowadays there are so many flight cancellations. It's not too expensive but it gives you peace of mind.