Family missed Ryanair flight due to “Silent Airport”

No excuse really, there's public information displays, phone apps for each airport, all telling what gate to be at. Lots of airports doing this now, Dublin will hopefully follow. When I have been at a 'silent airport' there's an announcement to say it's a silent airport and there will be no calls to the gate.

Ryanair aren't responsible for the airports policies on announcements etc. When you are flying you really need to keep alert and not make assumptions. I know it can be tough when flying with kids, but you can't assume every airport works the same. Ask staff or double check the boards if you have any doubts at all

Baby01032012 wrote:

They had checked in luggage and were queuing in a long queue at a gate with 2 flights departing from that gate. They assumed that people queuing in front of them were for their flight. There was no announcement that the gate was closing for the flight and no call for my family’s names.

Not possible to have 2 flights departing from the same gate

Which airport? It's their fault btw. No one else's. I know it didn't help but that's the absolute reality

The Orb wrote: »

Sorry OP, but how is this someone else's fault ?
.....and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

Sounds like they were that late the next flight was already queuing

anplaya27 wrote: »

Theres is if you're Deaf and the public displays are not updated. Has happened a few times and there was a recent case in the courts which an ISL user won v the daa due to them only announcing but not updating information boards.

Use the App then.

kilburn wrote: »

Not possible to have 2 flights departing from the same gate

Probably the same desk processing two different flights. Obviously a cost-cutting measure for the airline, but it does lead to panicky queuers overhearing the people next to them discussing a different destination.

Baby01032012 wrote: »

They had checked in luggage and were queuing in a long queue at a gate with 2 flights departing from that gate. They assumed that people queuing in front of them were for their flight.

The Orb wrote: »

and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

I have been in many a queue that contained passengers for different flights. Sometimes it's just airport inefficiency (e.g. Beauvais), sometimes it's a mix of late arrivals for a flight close to departure and early arrivals for the next flight (especially if it's a small airport with only a few gates), sometimes the separation into individual gate queues happens almost at the gate itself (Stansted).

In all cases, if the airport or airline staff don't walk along the line picking people out for "fast tracking" for the flight that's boarding, you just have to look out for yourself, skip the queue and tell them that you're there and need to be on the plane.

I can't quite understand, though, if they were there 90 minutes before gate closing time, how they weren't already right up beside the desk ...

Baby01032012 wrote: »

When making their way back to Ryanair backage claim they noticed their bags sitting on a table. Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there.

Standard security protocol: unaccompanied bags don't fly. Where airports do make announcements, those desperate last-minute calls for "all remaining passengers" are more about matching cases already loaded with a name on board so that the flight isn't delayed while someone roots through the hold looking for cases that have to be taken off.

It's a rough deal for your wife and children, but the kind of mistake she/they'll only make once.

anplaya27 wrote: »

Huge difference, like chalk and cheese.And the wtaf they provide wouldn't know Irish Sign Language either so theres a communication barrier. Trust me, I know. English is not a Deaf persons first language, Irish Sign Language is, which was recognised as an official native language of Ireland in 2017.

The OP made no reference to his family being Deaf?

The Orb wrote:

Sorry OP, but how is this someone else's fault ?
.....and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

kilburn wrote: »

Not possible to have 2 flights departing from the same gate

I'm presuming it was a "gate lice" issue with people for the following flight queuing early.

Deep Thought wrote: »

What lounge? they always call flights in the lounge.

Only transatlantic flights get called.

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.
2. Your wife assumed people queuing in front of them were for their flight. That was a hell of an assumption.
3. "Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there." They clearly weren't at the gate or they'd be on the flight. See point 2 above.

I think the lesson to be learned is for your wife to arrive at the airport earlier and be at the boarding gate in plenty of time.

antix80 wrote: »

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.
2. Your wife assumed people queuing in front of them were for their flight. That was a hell of an assumption.
3. "Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there." They clearly weren't at the gate or they'd be on the flight. See point 2 above.

I think the lesson to be learned is for your wife to arrive at the airport earlier and be at the boarding gate in plenty of time.

90 minutes is plenty of time in Dublin. About 30 too much.