Budget airline Ryanair has responded to criticism after a passenger “begged on her knees” to be let on board a flight from Palma Airport in Majorca to Barcelona.
The female traveller was told she couldn’t board a plane from the island’s international airport on Monday because her bag was bigger than the permitted size.
She had an anxiety attack after being told her luggage exceeded the requirements, her mother told the Majorca Daily Bulletin, and went so far as to “beg on her knees to be allowed to board the flight”.
The traveller reportedly had work commitments in Barcelona the following day – and made desperate attempts to convince staff to let her board the plane, including taking clothes from her bag and putting them on.
But a spokesperson for Ryanair said the woman, who had booked a non-priority rate for the journey, was told by boarding staff that she needed to pay an extra fee of £41.81 (€50).
She was “correctly required to pay a standard fee for luggage at the boarding gate”, they said, “but she refused to do so”.
The spokesperson added: “The passenger subsequently irritated staff at the boarding gate, so the gate agent denied her boarding.”
The panicked traveller reportedly ultimately decided to book a flight with another airline.
While the luggage dispute appears to have had its roots in a misunderstanding over the size versus weight requirements, it’s not the first time Ryanair has come under fire for its hand luggage policies.
Last year, the airline was accused of secretly reducing the amount of hand luggage allowed on flights.
While rumours mounted on social media that Ryanair had changed the size of bag-measurements at boarding gates, the company’s marketing chief staunchly denied that any changes had been made.
Jade Kirwan told the Cork Beo news website: “The rules have not changed in 10 years.
“What may be happening is that people [who] have gotten through a few times before because they were not closely checked have finally gotten that check.”
Ryanair is also currently embroiled in a legal battle with the Spanish government after the low-cost provider, alongside EasyJet, Vueling, Norwegian and Volotea, was fined a total of £149.8m (€179m) for “abusive practices” including hand luggage charges.
Spain’s Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told the el Dailo newspaper that extra charges including for cabin hand luggage was causing ticket prices on low-cost airlines to “not stop rising”.
“My duty is to defend consumer rights in this country above the interests of any multinational or any millionaire magnate, however powerful,” he said, adding that the fines would be applied in line with a European Court of Justice ruling against extra charging practices.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary hit back at Mr Bustinduy by reportedly describing him as a “crazy communist” who “believes passengers can carry all the luggage they want”.
The budget airlines are thought to be challenging the fines.
