Couple Slate Ryanair Over Damage to Stroller
Jackie Reddy January 18, 2017
John and Susan Park were traveling from Spain to Scotland when their daughter’s stroller was damaged. They say the carrier has refused to take responsibility for the claim.
The father of a baby has criticized low-cost European carrier Ryanair for refusing to offer compensation after his child’s stroller was damaged on a flight from the Spanish city of Malaga to Edinburgh.
The incident occurred earlier this month when John Park was traveling home from Spain with his wife Susan and their 14-week-old daughter Charlotte. The Parks had put their Bugaboo stroller, which cost £1,000 ($1,239), in the hold of the plane. The item was also wrapped in a £100 ($124) protective cover, a case that was intended to prevent minor damage.
The couple re-claimed the item upon arriving home in Scotland. As the case of the stroller appeared to be undamaged, the Parks did not look inside its protective cover. However, when they went to use the stroller a few days later, they found that it had been damaged.
Susan Park raised the issue to the carrier, but the couple were told that, because it hadn’t been reported at the airport immediately upon their return, Ryanair would accept no responsibility for the damage.
“We picked it up from the baggage claim and, because the stroller was in a protected case and we didn’t need to use it, we never opened it at the airport. The case had no damage at all so we didn’t think about anything like that, other than just getting home after the flight,” John Park told the MailOnline.
The stroller, he added, had been rendered entirely unusable by the damage it sustained.
Speaking of Ryanair’s response to the incident, Mr. Park said, “They just told us that they are not taking responsibility for it, because we didn’t report it at the airport and they stated it was in their terms and conditions.”
The couple say that they will avoid traveling with Ryanair again.
A spokesperson for the airline told the outlet, “As stated in our terms and conditions of travel agreed to at the time of booking, damaged baggage must be reported at the arrival airport within seven days of the date of arrival.”
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Do note I didn't question their choice of a stroller! I merely pointed out the penny pinching involved in flying bloody Ryanair and such a stroller seems a contradiction.
This is essentially a "cadillac" stroller that has multiple functionalities: accepts bassinet, can work as a regular stroller, and accepts multitude of car-seats. So, you can use it even as a travel or day-time bed for babies, and then as a stroller for toddlers. It is a long-term purchase, hence the price tag can make sense for some people who would be using it a lot. It wouldn't be my choice, as we did not use strollers too much. But we did buy a "caddillac" of car seats, because our child was (and still is) spending many hours on the road weekly, also sleeping in it. So, the ultimate comfort was important. But it is mounted in a fairly inexpensive car. Besides, it could be a gift, as @allanyong wrote. I am appalled how quick some people are to bash other parents' economic decisions.
Maybe it was a baby shower gift?
chx1975 beat me to it. For that matter, who the heck pays a thousand quid for a stroller, full stop?
Wait, you paid a *thousand quid* for a *stroller* and yet you are flying *Ryanair*? In what universe does this make sense?