Ryanair- first time victim

Avatar in the Post

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123707367#Comment_123707367

Yes, exactly, in this case about 8 people allowed to board last night 6 minutes past the departure time and the RA app telling me the gate was closed. Was the gate actually closed on their system - probably not.

For those that said, you were late - Sucks to be you. 100%. First time I missed a flight in over 30 years of flying. And, as I said, that record lasted because of Aer Lingus in the past.

Spanish Eyes

I wonder if they would allow (slightly) late pax to board if they have a bag(s) in the hold? They would have to unload it if pax denied boarding surely leading to massive delay.

That's why I usually check a bag in the hold (for a week or more trip). But I'm never late at the gate either so it's belt and braces ha ha. 😊

Avatar in the Post

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123707563#Comment_123707563

Yeah, that would likely work - you’d definitely get a call on the tannoy. 😆

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123701679#Comment_123701679

But it was as regards whether or not it was actually overbooked. The evidence you can give is that the gate agent stated that it was overbooked; that’s not actually evidence that it was overbooked only that the person said it was. In the circumstances of Ryanair, I would be surprised if the gate agent was routinely given access to that information. To ascertain whether it was actually overbooked, the evidence would have to be drawn from Ryanair’s actual records of the number of confirmed passengers versus those who could be accommodated on the flight.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123706951#Comment_123706951

What check in desk?

Avatar in the Post

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123707920#Comment_123707920

Thank you for adding your speculation.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123707947#Comment_123707947

The irony!

Avatar in the Post

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123708758#Comment_123708758

Explain… the floor is yours.

endofrainbow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123706896#Comment_123706896

You're not comparing like with like, Ryanair don't sell connecting flights. Legacy carriers will SOMETIMES hold flights, they will know how many people have onward connections and will make a decision based on that ie. logistics of re-booking/re routing and can usually make up time in flight. Legacy airlines will have a built in padding of 45 mins - LCC's don't have this.

Ryanair don't sell return flights - they are a point to point airline. You purchase 2 single trips.

fdevine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123701132#Comment_123701132

I thought the same until Saturday night. While sat around the boarding gates at Manchester airport there was an announcement, noting overbooking and looking for three "volunteers" to not fly. £250 compensation offered with hotel & seat on next available flight. Not something I've experienced before in 30+ years of flying with Ryanair but evidently does happen

DoctorEdgeWild

42 low cost flights with Ryanair last year for me, would simply not be possible without the last minuters, baggage payers, etc. So I thank everyone who faffs around and ends up paying an extra 80 quid or whatever because it keeps my costs down!

I think people are getting hung up on 'overbooking' - Ryanair don't do overbooking, this is a practice a lot of airlines do, particularly in the States. What Ryanair do sometimes is change equipment, which means different seating configs, which means not everyone can get on board. There's a difference and I think people are hung up on the terminology.

Another two flights this weekend, BHX-DUB and DUB-BHX, I do this at least once a month, sometimes twice and without Ryanair, my life would look very different. I will be on time for both flights, and if I encounter traffic etc., then it'll be my fault, nobody else's.

Banzai600

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123709037#Comment_123709037

i never mentioned anything re connecting flights, im pointing out like many have the inflexibility of ryanair sometimes.

endofrainbow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123713330#Comment_123713330

Your 2nd paragraph states they booked return flights, I'm just pointing out that Ryanair don't sell return flights being a point to point airline.

Banzai600

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123713348#Comment_123713348

yes, they returned home from where they were flying…..so they booked a return flight with the same carrier for their journey home. thats what i stated.

with ryanair operating as a point to point airline - why do they allow you to book leg one out and leg two back on the same booking reference / same booking ? surely if they are a point to point all transactions should be separate, so you book each journey separately ? id say costs for the passenger etc are a bonus, but it has to work in their favour overall of course.

2smiggy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123707931#Comment_123707931

I was unable to check in on the app. I had to go to the Ryanair baggage check in desk where I was told that the flight was overbooked, as is their and other airlines policy. I was told to go to the departure gate, and I would find out from there if I was able to board the flight or not. Luckily I was.

2smiggy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123712985#Comment_123712985

another overbooked flight from an airline that doesn't overbook, apparently.

IngazZagni

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123712985#Comment_123712985

That's just the standard EU261 compensation you would be entitled to anyway but it's good to see if someone is willing to volunteer for it instead of it just being the last person to check in.

Again this is most likely just because of a late change from a 197 to a 189 or 180 seat aircraft they operate. When the Max 10 comes in (228 seats) this will probably happen a bit more again.

Couple random points here. Often the gate staff don't work for the airline but rather a 3rd party handling company that can manage multiple airlines on the same day so they often get the rules and/or policies incorrect if put on the spot.

The app or screen showing the gate is closed is not linked to the check in system which would be separate.

Just because there are people standing on the ramp doesn't mean you should be allowed on. The pilots need to be sent information on how many people will be on board so they can make their performance calculations for takeoff and sign the paperwork. Allowing someone to get on last minute would mean this would all have to be redone and new paperwork issued possibly delaying the flight. Even if there was time the management would not allow it and would question why the system wasn't closed on time.

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123712985#Comment_123712985

You must have been on the same flight as me….unless it happened twice on the same evening!

Was there waiting to board the 10 p.m. flight when I heard the announcement. There wouldn't have been a hotel involved as the next flight was scheduled for just shortly after 11. But still….I was there with my wife, so there was an opportunity to earn £500 just by hanging around for an extra hour. But I knew from the look on her face that I shouldn't even suggest it!

By the way, noticed afterwards that the three people who did volunteer ended up among the last few people boarding the flight anyway, so don't know what might have happened there….

Rawr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123715105#Comment_123715105

Could have been that there were 3 or more no-shows or something like that, so the volunteers got boarded anyway.

Must be a bit of headache for Ryanair in recent years with the higher capacity 737 Max in their fleet. For yeeeeears they operated a fleet that was made up of only 737-800. It was pretty clever of them, since that made a lot of their operations uniform and thus easier to keep costs down. Also shuffling airframes around wasn't a hassle since they were all virtually identical.

Alas for Ryanair now, they have matured into a situation of having a varied fleet and all the fun that goes with that.

Mick Shrimpton

Any excuse to post this banger! Sometimes you HAVE to fly Ryanair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ciLcHS6EQ