Why can US passport holders not do OLCI on Ryanair?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: *A
Posts: 1,390
Why can US passport holders not do OLCI on Ryanair?
Other major airlines allow this, why not FR?
Instead, they make you pay the £4 per flight, per passenger, which you have to then send a letter to them in Dublin to get it back. Why?
Instead, they make you pay the £4 per flight, per passenger, which you have to then send a letter to them in Dublin to get it back. Why?
#4
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,236
Indeed - especially because anyone can OLCI on mainline airlines (like BA). I find it odd that there is an extra cost incurred by the airline.
More than anything, it sounds an attempt to gouge more money from the passenger.
More than anything, it sounds an attempt to gouge more money from the passenger.
#5
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum, LH Senator, VA Velocity Platinum, Marriott Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,010
You can check-in online. Just check the box that you hold an EU passport. They never give it a problem at the airport. Everyone does it. Don't worry about it.
#7
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
I have read reports (including some here on FT) of people trying this and being turned away at the gate and having to buy a new ticket for a different flight.
I agree it's a stupid rule but I would recommend you don't even THINK about breaking it. You stand to lose a lot more than the £4 check-in fee.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
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#11
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum, LH Senator, VA Velocity Platinum, Marriott Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,010
Are you talking from personal experience or is this just a rumour you heard?
I have read reports (including some here on FT) of people trying this and being turned away at the gate and having to buy a new ticket for a different flight.
I agree it's a stupid rule but I would recommend you don't even THINK about breaking it. You stand to lose a lot more than the £4 check-in fee.
I have read reports (including some here on FT) of people trying this and being turned away at the gate and having to buy a new ticket for a different flight.
I agree it's a stupid rule but I would recommend you don't even THINK about breaking it. You stand to lose a lot more than the £4 check-in fee.
There is but one destination (Morocco) served by Ryanair that is outside of the EU, EEC, or almost-EU (Croatia who is in talks to join and has already made agreements with close EU countries such as Italy, Slovenia, and Austria to change their immigrations and customs regulations to be more aligned with the EU). It seems to me that this is an internal ploy to collect more fees. Simple as that. I am sure that in the court system, Ryanair again would lose.
#12
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
dg4255 - I totally agree that it's a stupid rule, and I suspect that if it were to be challenged by the spouse of an EU citizen they would almost definitely be forced to change it.
However, there HAVE been reports of people being turned away at the gate on presenting a combination of OLCI boarding pass and non-EU passport, so simply ignoring the rules (or telling lies about one's nationality) is a risky strategy - you may get away with it, but you may not, and if someone is denied boarding because they lied about their nationality they haven't got a leg to stand on.
I really do hope that someone will mount a legal challenge about this - but unless and until this rule is successfully challenged my advice to non-EU passport holders would be to stick to the rules.
However, there HAVE been reports of people being turned away at the gate on presenting a combination of OLCI boarding pass and non-EU passport, so simply ignoring the rules (or telling lies about one's nationality) is a risky strategy - you may get away with it, but you may not, and if someone is denied boarding because they lied about their nationality they haven't got a leg to stand on.
I really do hope that someone will mount a legal challenge about this - but unless and until this rule is successfully challenged my advice to non-EU passport holders would be to stick to the rules.
#13
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC Gold
Posts: 9,236
But for the sake of £4, I doubt anyone's that bothered. And Ryanair knows this and is counting on it.
#14
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Malaga, Spain
Posts: 1,078
Write your mep
dg4255 - I totally agree that it's a stupid rule, and I suspect that if it were to be challenged by the spouse of an EU citizen they would almost definitely be forced to change it.
However, there HAVE been reports of people being turned away at the gate on presenting a combination of OLCI boarding pass and non-EU passport, so simply ignoring the rules (or telling lies about one's nationality) is a risky strategy - you may get away with it, but you may not, and if someone is denied boarding because they lied about their nationality they haven't got a leg to stand on.
I really do hope that someone will mount a legal challenge about this - but unless and until this rule is successfully challenged my advice to non-EU passport holders would be to stick to the rules.
However, there HAVE been reports of people being turned away at the gate on presenting a combination of OLCI boarding pass and non-EU passport, so simply ignoring the rules (or telling lies about one's nationality) is a risky strategy - you may get away with it, but you may not, and if someone is denied boarding because they lied about their nationality they haven't got a leg to stand on.
I really do hope that someone will mount a legal challenge about this - but unless and until this rule is successfully challenged my advice to non-EU passport holders would be to stick to the rules.
I would like to draw your attention to the discriminatory behaviour of Ryanair in respect of non-EU passport holders.
Such individuals are barred from checking-in on-line and therefore reaping the savings amounting to £4 per person per trip. There seems to be no logic to this rule other than earning fees from a small but significant minority such as my wife who is a US passport holder with permanent residence in UK.
Please take up this matter on my behalf with the appropriate Commissioner
Perhaps others would like to add their voices to mine?
#15
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: Sometimes BA, sometimes AA
Posts: 663
Forgetting the families angle, legal residence in the UK is not enough to get you into other EU countries without needing a visa (first hand experience of helping a UK-resident Zimbabwean friend get a visa for France) so it's expected that Ryanair should check non-EU passport holders have the required documentation for their destination.
The argument is then whether it's fair for them to charge only the affected passengers for this extra procedure, or spread the cost amongst everyone.