Ryanair Leaves Wheelchair Passenger at Gate
Jennifer Billock February 23, 2017
A Ryanair plane rolled away as a wheelchair passenger was told the plane would take off without her.
Trinity College student Niamh Herbert has Friedreich’s ataxia, a condition that forces her to use a wheelchair during travel – normally something that isn’t a problem with flights. But Herbert says she had a disturbing experience with Ryanair on Friday. She alleges that the airline made her wait to be put on the plane last, then asked if she could walk up the stairs to board to make it easier, and eventually told her the plane would take off without her. She watched the plane depart from inside the gate.
“I was visibly distraught and a few people in the airport came up to me, asked me if they could help or buy me tea, but Ryanair staff barely spoke to me,” Herbert told the Guardian.
Ryanair told the Guardian that its staff did everything in their power to accommodate Herbert.
“While we regret any inconvenience, this customer arrived at the boarding gate 13 minutes before the flight was due to depart and had not booked any wheelchair services,” a spokesperson told the Guardian. “Our crew provided full assistance and as a gesture of goodwill, transferred this customer on to the next available flight, free of charge, and the customer flew to London Stansted. Had this customer booked wheelchair assistance and arrived at the boarding gate on time, there would have been no issue. Every effort was made to accommodate this customer on to their flight and they were then transferred to the next available flight.”
But Herbert thinks Ryanair dropped the ball. She informed Ryanair when she initially booked her flight that she’d be traveling with a wheelchair, but the airline didn’t carry that information over when she changed her reservation.
“I felt guilty about that at first but then I realized it’s not my fault if they don’t pass the information on,” she told the Guardian. “My brother has the same condition as me and flew from Dublin with my mother. They did not contact Ryanair beforehand that time, but there was no issue.”
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Requesting wheelchair assistance is more complicated to book than just simply clicking something on the web. with the majority of airlines you have to contact them directly and this can often times be very annoying because they make it unnecessary difficult.
For a flight that is using stairs for access, wheelchair-bound passengers usually need to be lifted via a special truck or lift, usually in the back entry to the plane. This needs advance notice. My wife needs a wheelchair often at airports and we see the advance planning required. It sounds like a breakdown in communication, on both sides. The airline did what they could to accommodate the passenger for the next flight. I also noticed the passenger mentioned her brother goes to the airport in a wheelchair and does not notify airlines in advance. They are looking for problems and should be checking with the airline a couple days before each flight.
I believe this passenger. I have made changes online and have experienced many screw-ups by the airlines who failed to update my details. Most of the time it cost me more money as well as problems.
Missing is the key item. This was a stair/bus gate. Airlines require notice and time to get equipment needed to board a passenger needing help. Airports don't have that equipment lying around everywhere. Also in Europe the airline requests assistance from the airport. Unlike the US, the airline is not the responsible party, the airport is.
'If I change my flight to another day, I verify seat/time/flight number etc.' Obviously, because this is directly related to what you changed. Your seat isn't something that anybody would expect to stay the same on a different flight. Do you also re-verify your name? Your passport info? Your gender? I know I don't. And requiring special assistance would fit into this category as information you entered when booking that isn't going to change.