Ryanair - New reserved seating structure(s)

PauloMN · 04-08-2017 12:41AM

Mebuntu wrote: »

Full marks to you for holding out. Even if you had been travelling solo she had no right to try to bully you into moving for someone else who hadn't bothered to pay. Threatening you with the Captain was the action of a bullying coward. It is essential that everyone who has paid holds firm on board and that the airlines get the message that THEY were the ones who introduced the choice to reserve and pay for a seat or not and they have to accept the consequences on board of random seating for those who don't.

That's exactly my thinking on it, they (the airlines) started this **** by allowing early seat-selection/checkin, so they have to cope with the chancers who want to all sit together without booking seats, and not expect paying punters to move and make life easy for them.

Mebuntu wrote: »

Next time it happens just tell her that any attempt to move you physically from your paid-for seat will result in you becoming Aer Lingus' (or Ryanair's) Dr. Dao. That'll concentrate her mind.

Lol, funny you mention him, I did have images of being dragged off the flight covered in blood!

Joking aside, I think the airlines need to be very careful with how they handle this with people onboard full to capacity planes. A lot of people who do book and pay for a specific seat do so to give them one less thing to worry about when flying. I dislike flying a lot, so am happy to be able to pick an aisle seat and pay for it, but then just want to be left alone - I'm stressed out enough having to fly in the first place without guilt trips about poor mothers and kids etc. being thrown at me.

Have a Ryanair flight to UK booked for later this month, already checked in with pre-booked seats both ways. Will be interesting to see if there's a similar story on that flight.

Mebuntu · 04-08-2017 01:24AM

PauloMN wrote: »

Have a Ryanair flight to UK booked for later this month, already checked in with pre-booked seats both ways. Will be interesting to see if there's a similar story on that flight.

I think you'll be safe as a house. In a recent very heated interview over the random seating of passengers who don't pay, Michael O'Leary repeated over and over and over that people have the choice to pay or not and if they don't then they get exactly what they paid for, a random seat. It would look very bad if it transpired that someone who HAD made the choice to pay for a seat was told by Cabin Crew or the Captain to give it up. During the course of the interview someone texted in that he HAD been asked to move and MOL said that shouldn't happen and to write to him with the details.

BTW, I'm willing to bet that no Captain will ever come out to settle an argument over a seat and the threat you were issued with was just a last-ditch try-on by the bully.

oleras · 04-08-2017 01:50AM

Mebuntu wrote: »

I think you'll be safe as a house. In a recent very heated interview over the random seating of passengers who don't pay, Michael O'Leary repeated over and over and over that people have the choice to pay or not and if they don't then they get exactly what they paid for, a random seat. It would look very bad if it transpired that someone who HAD made the choice to pay for a seat was told by Cabin Crew or the Captain to give it up. During the course of the interview someone texted in that he HAD been asked to move and MOL said that shouldn't happen and to write to him with the details.

BTW, I'm willing to bet that no Captain will ever come out to settle an argument over a seat and the threat you were issued with was just a last-ditch try-on by the bully.

He told him to write to him to get a refund as far as i remember.

Cabin crew tell you move seats, you need to move seats or else you are off...paid for or not.

Gamebred · 04-08-2017 01:53AM

oleras wrote: »

He told him to write to him to get a refund as far as i remember.

Cabin crew tell you move seats, you need to move seats or else you are off...paid for or not.

Is that not for safety reasons only? be interested in the wording of them terms in the contract not doubting you just wondering if it says you must follow instructions at all times ect.

grogi · 04-08-2017 06:52AM

Gamebred wrote: »

Is that not for safety reasons only? be interested in the wording of them terms in the contract not doubting you just wondering if it says you must follow instructions at all times ect.

No, you might freely decide when you do and when you don't.

Bob24 · 04-08-2017 08:06AM

oleras wrote: »

Cabin crew tell you move seats, you need to move seats or else you are off...paid for or not.

Do that if you like, but if you're not issued with a refund (and ideally an additional compensation) you're being ripped-off and happily accepting it. If airlines want to charge for seat assignement, they need to be clear that either the service will be delivered or the customer will be compensated at least with a full refund. Pretty basic for any service industry to only charge if the service is delivered - it's not just an airline thing.

And I get that the captain has authority and that sometimes there are safety reasons, that's all fine and I'll of course comply. But it is by no means an excuse to not deliver a service sold to a customer. If they can't reliably deliver it, they shouldn't sell it in the first place or have a clear compensation policy.

Bob24 · 04-08-2017 08:20AM

PauloMN wrote: »

Same craic seems to be happening on AL flights, not just Ryanair. Flew home from France this evening and had pre-booked seats for the family (4 people) so we could sit together. We had 22DEF and I was in 23D aisle seat. When I got on, I took my aisle seat - there was a young lad in 23E beside me. His father was in 23B and asked if I would swap with the young lad so he could sit across from his dad. I politely explained I had specifically booked my seat on the aisle and paid for it and I was staying put, I'm not the best flyer and an aisle seat helps me. In fairness to him he was fine about it, and his son was eventually able to move in beside him anyway.

But then one of the cabin crew asked was I travelling alone. I said no, family in the row in front etc.. She went off, about 5 mins later came back and asked if I would move, that there were mothers with kids who they needed to sit beside, and that I would get a free cuppa lol. Told her I had booked seats, I did not want to move, but I would be willing to move only if my full extra seat fees I had paid (4 x €8) was refunded, otherwise I was not moving. She took the hump with that and responded "Ok I'll have to ask the captain to come down and remedy this so". Didn't hear anything else from her.

Airlines have opened a whole can of worms with this prepaid seat thing, if they are going to cave into people who insist on sitting together but who do not pay for seats.

Clearly wrong judgement on the part of the crew.

I'd say the mother checked-in at the last minute and since the flight was full there were no adjacent seats left for a large party (seems like there were at least 3 of them), so the EI staff was trying to accommodate them which is fair enough.

But she should have made sure only to ask passengers who didn't pay for their seat or to come-up with a proper compensation offer - a cup of tea obviously won't do.

AndyBoBandy · 04-08-2017 08:21AM

Bob24 wrote: »

If they can't reliably deliver it, they shouldn't sell it in the first place or have a clear compensation policy.

But they can and do deliver this service, to almost 2 million people per week! If 1% of their passengers took issue with the service and complained, that'd be almost 20,000 people per week.

If it was that big an issue, I'd imagine we'd be hearing a lot more about it!

It's a non issue, just another stick for the anti Ryanair brigade to bash them with (I say this as a 10 year veteran of Aer Lingus Gold Circle/AerClub, and more than happy to fly Ryanair when I have to)

degsie · 04-08-2017 08:25AM

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

But they can and do deliver this service, to almost 2 million people per week! If 1% of their passengers took issue with the service and complained, that'd be almost 20,000 people per week.

If it was that big an issue, I'd imagine we'd be hearing a lot more about it!

It's a non issue, just another stick for the anti Ryanair brigade to bash them with (I say this as a 10 year veteran of Aer Lingus Gold Circle/AerClub, and more than happy to fly Ryanair when I have to)

Michael?

AndyBoBandy · 04-08-2017 08:27AM

degsie wrote: »

Michael?

Michael would have been far too clever to know not to go near the shambles that is AerClub!!

Bob24 · 04-08-2017 08:28AM

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

But they can and do deliver this service, to almost 2 million people per week! If 1% of their passengers took issue with the service and complained, that'd be almost 20,000 people per week.

If it was that big an issue, I'd imagine we'd be hearing a lot more about it!

It's a non issue, just another stick for the anti Ryanair brigade to bash them with (I say this as a 10 year veteran of Aer Lingus Gold Circle/AerClub, and more than happy to fly Ryanair when I have to)

My point was obviously not Ryanair specific as the last few posts were comments on someone's experience with Aer Lingus, and I was answering someone who said you should just accept it no matter what if you're begin asked to move by a cabin crew.

Ryanair's new seat assignment policy is a different topic and is indeed causing annoyance to passengers (plenty of reports here, and yes we are hearing about it in the media).

AndyBoBandy · 04-08-2017 08:31AM

Bob24 wrote: »

Ryanair's new seat assignment policy is a different topic and is indeed causing annoyance to passengers (plenty of reports here, and yes we are hearing about it in the media).

If MOL or anyone high up in ryanair farts, we hear about it in the media, that's how it goes with Ryanair....

What do you think MOL thinks about all this additional media coverage? I bet he's f**king delighted.

Ryanair will still fly 100M+ passengers this year, and still make a sh1t ton of profits.

/thread

mattser · 04-08-2017 09:54AM

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Michael would have been far too clever to know not to go near the shambles that is AerClub!!

:D. Nice one.

joeysoap · 04-08-2017 11:57AM

PauloMN wrote: »

Same craic seems to be happening on AL flights, not just Ryanair.....

But then one of the cabin crew asked was I travelling alone. I said no, family in the row in front etc.. She went off, about 5 mins later came back and asked if I would move, that there were mothers with kids who they needed to sit beside, and that I would get a free cuppa lol. Told her I had booked seats, I did not want to move, but I would be willing to move only if my full extra seat fees I had paid (4 x €8) was refunded, otherwise I was not moving. She took the hump with that and responded "Ok I'll have to ask the captain to come down and remedy this so". Didn't hear anything else from her.

Airlines have opened a whole can of worms with this prepaid seat thing, if they are going to cave into people who insist on sitting together but who do not pay for seats.

Read this again this morning and a few thoughts on it.

You were in 23D. One swop wouldn't have made much difference to 'mothers with kids' unless she was intending to move a single passenger to your seat (who wouldn't move unless they got an aisle seat?)to accommodate the 'mothers with kids'

The senior on board is usually at the front of the aircraft during boarding, and afaik (someone correct me on this if I have it wrong)only the senior can go into the Cockpit, so IMO this was a bluff/bullying tactic.

I can partially see why cabin crew try to accommodate families with small children, nobody wants a small crying child - on their own- beside them on a flight, but in this case I suspect more than one family involved and both trying to sit close together. In which case they should have bought a seat.

Mr rebel · 04-08-2017 04:26PM

Bob24 wrote: »

Do that if you like, but if you're not issued with a refund (and ideally an additional compensation) you're being ripped-off and happily accepting it. If airlines want to charge for seat assignement, they need to be clear that either the service will be delivered or the customer will be compensated at least with a full refund. Pretty basic for any service industry to only charge if the service is delivered - it's not just an airline thing.

And I get that the captain has authority and that sometimes there are safety reasons, that's all fine and I'll of course comply. But it is by no means an excuse to not deliver a service sold to a customer. If they can't reliably deliver it, they shouldn't sell it in the first place or have a clear compensation policy.

I flew with SAS last year and paid in advance for specific seats for both legs of the trip. When I printed out my boarding passes, much to my annoyance I found they had changed my seats to a few rows back from the seats I had picked for myself.
On boarding the plane, I noticed the reason thy changed my seats was to facilitate a "premier" section that took up the first 7 rows of the plane. Even more annoying, I noticed my original seats were vacant anyway and thought it was mean spirited to move me.
After my trip I sought compensation on their website and got the mere refund of my seats without an apology or anything.
Awful airline, will try and avoid them at all costs in the future.

fritzelly · 08-08-2017 08:49PM

Checking in for return flight and as usual stuck at opposite ends of the plane, charge to reseat was 16 euro plus took special offer of 2.50 priority boarding
Charge on the app said 18 euro total and credit card got charged 23 euro!

As far as I remember there is no extra credit card charge for add ons (wasn't a few months ago), is there?

JohnCleary · 10-08-2017 02:36PM

Does anyone know if Ryanair departing T1 DUB boards at back or front of plane?

Specifically 7044 DUB - Malaga.

Cheers

Eponymous · 10-08-2017 03:33PM

Most, if not all FR flights ex DUB load at both front and back of the aircraft. Which you use depends entirely on your seat allocation.

Locker10a · 10-08-2017 03:38PM

Ryanair don't use any air bridges at DUB so should be boarding via both ends, arrival in Spain however may be different

embraer170 · 10-08-2017 05:57PM

fritzelly wrote: »

Checking in for return flight and as usual stuck at opposite ends of the plane, charge to reseat was 16 euro plus took special offer of 2.50 priority boarding
Charge on the app said 18 euro total and credit card got charged 23 euro!

As far as I remember there is no extra credit card charge for add ons (wasn't a few months ago), is there?

Did you go back and forward in their app? Select the special offer priority boarding, go back to seat selection and then go and book it? If you do that, it will still show you the special offer price (2x€2.50) in the final page but charge you the the full price (2x€5) in your confirmation email and bill.

I had the same happen to me almost a year ago. I reported it and never heard back.

JohnCleary · 10-08-2017 06:10PM

Eponymous wrote: »

Most, if not all FR flights ex DUB load at both front and back of the aircraft. Which you use depends entirely on your seat allocation.

Locker10a wrote: »

Ryanair don't use any air bridges at DUB so should be boarding via both ends, arrival in Spain however may be different

Many thanks, we are Row 1 hence the question.... so in Spain could be waiting to get off (we'll deal with it)

Returning Aer Lingus (cheaper!)

AndyBoBandy · 10-08-2017 06:44PM

JohnCleary wrote: »

Many thanks, we are Row 1 hence the question.... so in Spain could be waiting to get off

If your in row 1 you'll be first off.

Mr rebel · 11-08-2017 01:32AM

JohnCleary wrote: »

Does anyone know if Ryanair departing T1 DUB boards at back or front of plane?

Specifically 7044 DUB - Malaga.

Cheers

Malaga airport used an airbridge when I flew there with Ryanair last month

fritzelly · 11-08-2017 03:28PM

embraer170 wrote: »

Did you go back and forward in their app? Select the special offer priority boarding, go back to seat selection and then go and book it? If you do that, it will still show you the special offer price (2x€2.50) in the final page but charge you the the full price (2x€5) in your confirmation email and bill.

I had the same happen to me almost a year ago. I reported it and never heard back.

I did as another seat had been taken, still wouldn't acount for 23 euro as 1 seat included the priority (row 5) according to their site
Where do I make a complaint/refund request?

joeysoap · 11-08-2017 07:32PM

When you say priority was already included in row 5 - had you previously paid for this or was the seat allocated for free? If free there was no priority included as they have done away with this anomaly.

fritzelly · 11-08-2017 11:23PM

Seat was paid for.

Edit
Tried live help, just kept saying website is a live system

Curb Your Enthusiasm · 21-08-2017 08:17AM

So when's the best time to check in to try and get the free seats next to each other and not split up? At the last minute?

JCX BXC · 21-08-2017 08:27AM

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

So when's the best time to check in to try and get the free seats next to each other and not split up? At the last minute?

Never, you will be split up, unless by some miracle the only seats left on the aircraft are allocated right beside each other.

You will be split up no matter how late you leave it, however leaving it late will give you a higher chance of premium seats. A person on our booking in June got an emergency row.

grogi · 21-08-2017 08:33AM

JCX BXC wrote: »

Never, you will be split up, unless by some miracle the only seats left on the aircraft are allocated right beside each other.

You will be split up no matter how late you leave it, however leaving it late will give you a higher chance of premium seats. A person on our booking in June got an emergency row.

And that leaves you in a good position for 'would-you-swap-with-me' conversation

toadfly · 21-08-2017 09:38AM

grogi wrote: »

And that leaves you in a good position for 'would-you-swap-with-me' conversation

It really doesn't. You should never ask someone else to move. Pay for seats if you're that bothered.

Ryanair - New reserved seating structure(s)

Comments