Ryanair Scam
Dec 4, 2018, 3:05 am
#1
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Ryanair Scam
I decided to purchase a ticket from Valencia to Seville a day and a half ago because it was a good deal and would be cheaper/faster than any other form of transportation. I just arrived to the Airport for my flight and in the rudest way possible was told I need to pay an additional €55 because I didn't do online check-in 2 days before. When I told her I hit check-in when i booked the ticket because there was a yellow button right there that said "check-in" she said it wasnt a full 2 days before my departure I would still have to pay the €55 for a boarding pass. I'm beyond livid!
Dec 4, 2018, 4:03 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
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I'm afraid, you didn't do your homework and did not follow their rules. Did you get a boarding pass when you clicked the yellow check-in button?
They make it pretty clear in the FAQ that you need to have your BP before heading to the airport.
They make it pretty clear in the FAQ that you need to have your BP before heading to the airport.
Dec 4, 2018, 5:38 am
#4
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Who can use them?
Mobile boarding passes are available to EU/EEA Nationals who:
- Hold a valid passport or national identity card issued by the government of a EEA country; and
- Are departing from an airport that will accept a mobile boarding pass. Here’s a list of airports that don’t accept mobile boarding passes.
Now this is honoured more in the breach, from what I can make out, but FR does have this unusual practice, which is well advertised that non EEA (etc) citizens need to have their boarding passes stamped in check-in before travel, and stamping a mobile boarding pass is tricky. If you wanted to take this up legally then your opening is that the T&Cs are not explicit about this, it does say that if you don't present a boarding pass you will be charged, but it also implies that downloaded boarding passes are OK and doesn't in that location mention that it's EEA (etc) only.
Dec 6, 2018, 9:45 am
#5
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Nope. Not an EU resident. American resident. Since I paid the €55 for my boarding pass there has been 4 other charges from Ryanair pop up on my account. All different amounts 55, 137, 218, 104...they all say "pending" so I'm waiting to see what happens but I only have 1 credit card with me and I'm still in the area till the 25th so I'm hoping I dont have to call fraud prevention and get a new card sent to me.
Dec 6, 2018, 2:50 pm
#7
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Not a scam, just standard operating procedure for low cost carriers in Europe. When a deal seems too good to be true it often is... and Ryanair passengers make up the difference through ancillary fees. (which their employees are incentivised to sell / enforce) Many people have therefore come to realise that it's cheaper to book a legacy airline who don't have quite so many extra fees. You only scammed yourself if alternative options were less than 55 euros more expensive... (otherwise you still saved money)
FWIW it's not just European LCCs, the major American airlines are also happy to sell you "basic economy" tickets, with varying degrees of information about what that entails...
FWIW it's not just European LCCs, the major American airlines are also happy to sell you "basic economy" tickets, with varying degrees of information about what that entails...
Dec 6, 2018, 4:02 pm
#8
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It's just a question of not assuming Carrier A's policies for Carrier B.
People traveling from Europe to the US are shocked to find that they have no baggage allowance with a standard ticket and that there is no meal served on a 6-hour flight. Complaining that European carriers serve two meals and permit a bag does nothing.
People traveling from Europe to the US are shocked to find that they have no baggage allowance with a standard ticket and that there is no meal served on a 6-hour flight. Complaining that European carriers serve two meals and permit a bag does nothing.
Dec 7, 2018, 3:17 am
#9
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Dec 7, 2018, 3:23 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2008
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It's just a question of not assuming Carrier A's policies for Carrier B.
People traveling from Europe to the US are shocked to find that they have no baggage allowance with a standard ticket and that there is no meal served on a 6-hour flight. Complaining that European carriers serve two meals and permit a bag does nothing.
People traveling from Europe to the US are shocked to find that they have no baggage allowance with a standard ticket and that there is no meal served on a 6-hour flight. Complaining that European carriers serve two meals and permit a bag does nothing.
Maybe they should have realized they weren't in Europe anymore.
Dec 7, 2018, 8:34 am
#13
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With very rare exceptions, not worth discussing in a thread which deals with why a European carrier won't permit US nationals to use an e-BP, US carriers generally do not include a meal in Y, even on TCON flights which can easily exceed 6 hours westbound and a good deal more if one includes Alaska and Hawaii.
Dec 7, 2018, 5:03 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2008
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With very rare exceptions, not worth discussing in a thread which deals with why a European carrier won't permit US nationals to use an e-BP, US carriers generally do not include a meal in Y, even on TCON flights which can easily exceed 6 hours westbound and a good deal more if one includes Alaska and Hawaii.
Making the check-in process convoluted and hard to follow, I think that qualifies as a scam.
Dec 7, 2018, 5:27 pm
#15
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Many European carriers also have hand-baggage only fares, even for TATLs.