yes, another ryanair rant, wheelchair levy, wtf's up with that?

LegacyUser · 22-06-2005 12:45PM #1

just looking at my ryanair receipt, there's the usual tax's, then there's a fekin wheelchair levy €6.56

what the fcuk?

i'm prety sure i didn't accidently hit a wheelchair button, so i can only assume this is simply a money making scam.

i mean, i've never seen a wheelchair on a ryanair flight, and i use them quite a bit.

o'leary must be making a fcuking mint if everyone's paying this ridiculus charge, unless the wheelchairs are made of gold!

Dellgirl · 22-06-2005 12:46PM

mean, i've never seen a wheelchair on a ryanair flight, and i use them quite a bit.

Wheelchairs?

Chalk · 22-06-2005 12:47PM

make sure to request one at check-in...

Dellgirl · 22-06-2005 12:51PM

How much was it for?

astrofool · 22-06-2005 12:51PM

It was because someone who used a wheelchair sued that they had to pay extra for a wheelchair, so ryanair had to divide the cost among everyone instead.

LegacyUser · 22-06-2005 12:56PM

right just read, and watched the report, http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0130/disability.html

this was at the end of january, it states that ryanair would charge all its passengers a levy of 73c

so why am i paying €6.56?

seamus · 22-06-2005 12:57PM

astrofool wrote:

It was because someone who used a wheelchair sued that they had to pay extra for a wheelchair, so ryanair had to divide the cost among everyone instead.

Lol?

So, if there's a disabled person on the flight, you have to pay extra? Will they tell you there's a disabled person on the flight so you can choose not to get it, or can the others passengers vote the disabled person off the flight?*

I'm guessing that this is now a standard levy added to every single fare?

*Don't take offence, it's all tongue-in-cheek

LegacyUser · 22-06-2005 12:59PM

no, you have to pay a levy weather there's a wheelchair user on the flight or not, and more than likely there won't be.

it's charged in four airports that don't foot the bill, stansted and gatwick and 2 others.....

what a racket!

seamus wrote:

Lol?

So, if there's a disabled person on the flight, you have to pay extra? Will they tell you there's a disabled person on the flight so you can choose not to get it, or can the others passengers vote the disabled person off the flight?*

I'm guessing that this is now a standard levy added to every single fare?

ziggy · 22-06-2005 12:59PM

This post has been deleted.

Chalk · 22-06-2005 01:00PM

standard levy,
on the basis that equipment has to be kept avaialble at all time for wheelchair users and all planes must be adpted to suit.

courts said it was discrimination for a wheelchair user to pay extra for these facilities, so ryanir being smeaky dogs, decided to charge everyone.

LegacyUser · 22-06-2005 01:00PM

fcuk all probalby, but i'd like to know why it's gone from 73c to €6.56?

ziggy67 wrote:

Not happy about it but what can you do?

therecklessone · 22-06-2005 01:04PM

paperclip wrote:

right just read, and watched the report, http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0130/disability.html

this was at the end of january, it states that ryanair would charge all its passengers a levy of 73c

so why am i paying €6.56?

Its not just a wheelchair levy, I'm pretty sure its a wheelchair and insurance levy. Its a while since I've flown with them, so I'm open to correction.

LegacyUser · 22-06-2005 01:09PM

ah, yes, i see it there, ins/wheelchair levy, still cheeky ba$tard, wheelchair levy.

therecklessone wrote:

Its not just a wheelchair levy, I'm pretty sure its a wheelchair and insurance levy. Its a while since I've flown with them, so I'm open to correction.

therecklessone · 22-06-2005 01:10PM

Further reading:

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=pnr&quest=taxesfeescharges

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18409-1410388,00.html

samo · 22-06-2005 02:09PM

I wondered about this when I booked Ryanair tickets a few months back online. I gave up wondering when I discovered it would cost me approx €1.80 a minute to call Ryanirair and discover what the charge actually was

Is it just Ryanair that levy this charge onto its customers as an actual charge on the ticket? (I'm sure the others build it in somewhere but dont advertise it quite so obviously!)

BuffyBot · 22-06-2005 02:18PM

So would you rather they just added it on to your fares without telling you?

whippet · 22-06-2005 02:30PM

Ryanair add it as a transparent levy more as a protest to the court decision and to highlight another cost to them.

Most of the long haul carriers imposed much bigger 'fuel levy's' last year when the price of oil rose but this wasn't stated as an additional charge on the ticket just incorporated into the price of the flight. Ryanair still want to advertise €25.99 flights and the like, and €26.72 just dosn't sound as good.

Ryanair's discounted (advertised) prices would be more or less at cost to them, therefore any additional floating charges would be added in afterwards .. ie. Gov Tax, Insurance Levy .Wheel chair levy.

astrofool · 22-06-2005 02:38PM

Others would probably have the charge hidden as you said, but this seems to be Ryanair's way of protesting the decision, i.e. pointedly marking out the extra charge on customers because the airports themselves won't supply the wheelchairs.

DrIndy · 22-06-2005 05:32PM

I understand why and its better to know what the charges are rather than hide them in a price rise.

I have a particular bugbear though - especially in america. I believe people should have a total weight limit which is the person and their luggage so thin people can take more luggage as the cost is the total flight and fuel to transport a total load (persons+luggage).

Enormous people who squeeze you out onto the galley corridor should be charged an "over luggage limit" charge.

drdre · 22-06-2005 05:54PM

guys it insuarance, wheel chair levy,taxes, fees and charges.
its not only the wheelchair levy.
so its kind of ok donot u agree,but ryanair is a scam and everyone knows that.:mad:

John R · 22-06-2005 06:11PM

DrIndy wrote:

I understand why and its better to know what the charges are rather than hide them in a price rise.

I have a particular bugbear though - especially in america. I believe people should have a total weight limit which is the person and their luggage so thin people can take more luggage as the cost is the total flight and fuel to transport a total load (persons+luggage).

Enormous people who squeeze you out onto the galley corridor should be charged an "over luggage limit" charge.

I am sure that would be classed as discrimination in our politically correct paradise.

Many years ago I travelled to the Arran Islands on a light aircraft, when we checked in at Galway each passenger was weighed as well as the luggage. Apparently it was so the plane could be properly balanced. Several of the women on the flight were very unhappy about a public weighing I can tell you The highlight of the incident (and the whole holiday as it happened) was an enormous 30st American woman who was placed in the middle of a bench seat on her own and told not to move from side to side, pure class.

Cabaal · 22-06-2005 06:32PM

John R wrote:

Several of the women on the flight were very unhappy about a public weighing I can tell you The highlight of the incident (and the whole holiday as it happened) was an enormous 30st American woman who was placed in the middle of a bench seat on her own and told not to move from side to side, pure class.

rofl, funniest thing I've read all day

airetam_storm · 22-06-2005 06:43PM

John R wrote:

I am sure that would be classed as discrimination in our politically correct paradise.

Many years ago I travelled to the Arran Islands on a light aircraft, when we checked in at Galway each passenger was weighed as well as the luggage. Apparently it was so the plane could be properly balanced. Several of the women on the flight were very unhappy about a public weighing I can tell you The highlight of the incident (and the whole holiday as it happened) was an enormous 30st American woman who was placed in the middle of a bench seat on her own and told not to move from side to side, pure class.

Classic

Thats one tourist not coming back here;)

Naos · 22-06-2005 06:54PM

ROFL @ JohnR. That is brilliant!

As for the wheelchair tax, it is pretty crap they way consumers must foot the bill, but at least its divided out evenly. It would be very unfair for wheelchair users to have to pay the entire cost, due to fact it is not their fault they are in the wheelchair(near darwinism aside).

DrIndy · 22-06-2005 07:40PM

John R wrote:

I am sure that would be classed as discrimination in our politically correct paradise.

Many years ago I travelled to the Arran Islands on a light aircraft, when we checked in at Galway each passenger was weighed as well as the luggage. Apparently it was so the plane could be properly balanced. Several of the women on the flight were very unhappy about a public weighing I can tell you The highlight of the incident (and the whole holiday as it happened) was an enormous 30st American woman who was placed in the middle of a bench seat on her own and told not to move from side to side, pure class.

Gas! Should be done more often......

Mossy Monk · 22-06-2005 08:14PM

wheelchair tax is needed

Ryanair dont make enough money and its right that all passengers foot the bill. the way some people go on you'd swear Ryanair were a crowd of money grabbing, tight arsed *****

i really dont see what all the fuss is about

DublinWriter · 22-06-2005 08:34PM

John R wrote:

I am sure that would be classed as discrimination in our politically correct paradise.

Many years ago I travelled to the Arran Islands on a light aircraft, when we checked in at Galway each passenger was weighed as well as the luggage. Apparently it was so the plane could be properly balanced. Several of the women on the flight were very unhappy about a public weighing I can tell you

Including my then GF! You're talking about the Halcyon days of Aer Arann when they used to run a couple of 8 seater props out of Rosaveel.

The scales in question weren't your usual bathroom type scales, it had a HUGE dial on the wall showing the weight of the person being weighted and looked like something more suitable for weighting livestock on.

About 10 years ago when I flew out, my GF of the time was really scared of flying, even in the likes of a 737, but this really added insult to injury. We get out of the 'hut' that was the airport to find ourselves facing what I could only describe as a Hiace with wings.

We flew out to Inishir and the pilot was in his 60's. No co-pilot, I'm sitting in the co-pilot seat, with just a single engine and what looked like one of the original Wright brothers seperating me from the Atlanic ocean and certain death.

However, it was an enjoyable flight! The gf needed mild sedation for a few days after and we split up a month later.

Turner · 22-06-2005 08:40PM

Reminds me of the flight my brother got with aer arann, same small plane.

The pilot got on looked behind him at all his passengers and said "right so is everybody here?, will we head off?"

Everybody nodded and he proceeded to take off.

Brilliant.

DublinWriter · 22-06-2005 08:43PM

paperclip wrote:

just looking at my ryanair receipt, there's the usual tax's, then there's a fekin wheelchair levy €6.56

This is a disgraceful stunt by Ryanair designed to turn regular punters against wheelchair users, due in part to their loosing of a court case recently in a UK regarding Ryanair charging disabled people for wheelchair usage.

What can you do about it? Easy, switch to Aer Lingus whenever possible. I booked two flights to Birmingham with them today for €4 each way. People tend to forget that both Aer Lingus and BMI also offer very cheap deals and use the same basic pricing model as Ryanair.

Ryanair are always the last option I'd take when flying.

I think their 'fcuk you' model of customer relations only works in the short term. Sure, they were great at driving down the cost of flying way-back-when, but I think their day is starting to gradually end.

Redleslie2 · 22-06-2005 08:46PM

ziggy67 wrote:

Not happy about it but what can you do?

Avoid using Ryanair?

Redleslie2 · 22-06-2005 08:52PM

DublinWriter wrote:

I think their 'fcuk you' model of customer relations only works in the short term. Sure, they were great at driving down the cost of flying way-back-when, but I think their day is starting to gradually end.

You got there before me but I'd add that Michael O'Leary's days may be numbered. His obnoxious image, language and behaviour reflects very poorly on the company and it's one of the reasons I never use Ryanair.

yes, another ryanair rant, wheelchair levy, wtf's up with that?

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