Ryanair needs taking to the cleaners

[Bozza]

Amusingly 5Live had a big 'Ryanair debate' for most of the morning and I'm not sure I've ever heard anything quite so heatedly discussed.

And then, just as the show finished at 10 and they went to the news, they announced that Ryanair would comply to legislation and people would be paid.

As Gwylan says - just another piece of O'Leary posturing that has raised the profile of his airline once again.

 

[The Spanish]

when i say anyone, i mean anyone in the industry, not one of us plebs on a forum.



well, there is an issue there. the governments just sat on their hands. the advise, while sensible initially, soon looked to be based on shoddy information and procedures. but no one questioned it. it took days and the airlines themselves to put aircraft in the air to test the effects, and 5 days for the authorities to use satellite and overhead air recon data, rather than rely on computer models designed for weather forecasting. then, for some reason our govenment sat out another day not questioning why NATS hadnt stepped into line with the other countries. typical cockup really, but they could have moved things forward in the first day or two, not to go against the advise, but to ask them to check its correct, is the method correct, is there anything the government can do to assist?

still doesnt change anything for Ryanair, they have to abide with the regulations and decisions like everyone else.

I would like to know what other contingency plans we have for a massive f***ing tidal wave, a plaugue of locusts and any other conceiveble way the Great British Public could be prevented from undertaking journeys at the cost of less than a weeks wages, which a hundred years took months, and no one they had ever known or met had done, without any inconvenience or delay whatsoever, and someone to give them a voucher for sandwiches and pop.

f*** me this country terrifies me sometimes. everyone is a cnt to someone else for not knowing exactly what to do when a volcano blows up, and claiming they always knew that 'computer models' were bollocks and that was obvious to veryone right from the off. while the rest bleat and winge like f*** because their easter break which even just a few years ago would have been unfeasible to the average man in the street, is disrupted by a planet spewing its guts into the sky.

 

[beorhthelm]

...slight ranting, with good and bad points...

you dont think its a problem that we shut down an entire industry based on computer models and kept it closed, rather then have some real data put into the decision process? one organisation blindly led by another, which gave its information to a blind government, which didnt question anything.

you jest about flood contigency, there used to be such things. I dont know if they still exist but councils had plans and procedures for how to respond to natural disasters or war, who to call for information, who to give information too etc. They used to have radio sets around the countryside to provide information in the event telephone/electriticy got knocked out. But apparently alot of this got binned/shelved/forgotten about since the end of the cold war. I bet a £1 there wouldnt have been a blanket air shutdown in 1988. our responce to risk and events seems to have changed from "what do we do now, how?" to "OH NOOES!!1! we're all going to die" or "who can i sue please".

 

[keaton]

you dont think its a problem that we shut down an entire industry based on computer models and kept it closed, rather then have some real data put into the decision process? one organisation blindly led by another, which gave its information to a blind government, which didnt question anything.

you jest about flood contigency, there used to be such things. I dont know if they still exist but councils had plans and procedures for how to respond to natural disasters or war, who to call for information, who to give information too etc. They used to have radio sets around the countryside to provide information in the event telephone/electriticy got knocked out. But apparently alot of this got binned/shelved/forgotten about since the end of the cold war. I bet a £1 there wouldnt have been a blanket air shutdown in 1988. our responce to risk and events seems to have changed from "what do we do now, how?" to "OH NOOES!!1! we're all going to die" or "who can i sue please".

It's a shame no-one gave the Air companies an option to come up with safe levels of ash in the air and regulations around such an event.Oh they did. And the air companies refused to take part

 

[brunswick]

i say some the airlines do their own assessment and choose to fly or not, and the passengers choose too.

compensation for passengers or airlines is silly - both know the risks of flying about in a lump of metal on a planet in a volatile galaxy. both choose to.

 

[Storer68]

So presumably you feel it quite correct and responsible buisness behaviour for a reputable company like British airways to put four full 747s in the air and head them to Britain BEFORE they have got clearance to enter british airspace?

 

[The Spanish]

you dont think its a problem that we shut down an entire industry based on computer models and kept it closed, rather then have some real data put into the decision process? one organisation blindly led by another, which gave its information to a blind government, which didnt question anything.

you jest about flood contigency, there used to be such things. I dont know if they still exist but councils had plans and procedures for how to respond to natural disasters or war, who to call for information, who to give information too etc. They used to have radio sets around the countryside to provide information in the event telephone/electriticy got knocked out. But apparently alot of this got binned/shelved/forgotten about since the end of the cold war. I bet a £1 there wouldnt have been a blanket air shutdown in 1988. our responce to risk and events seems to have changed from "what do we do now, how?" to "OH NOOES!!1! we're all going to die" or "who can i sue please".

you should go to the civil defence bit at newhaven fort mate you would love that.

of course you are completely right. i am just mucking about a bit. my point is all people worry about nowadays is their holidays devil dogs slaggy footballers and make believe kiddy fiddlers. anything slightly real world apparently should not affect them one jot.

 

[goldstone]

Let's look sensibly at this Ryanair thing.

The airline has poor to zero service, treats its customers like crap, and has very low fares.

As a consumer you have a choice. Either book Ryanair knowing what they are and what they offer, accept that you get what you pay for, and quit complaining. Alternatively fly with another airline. No one forces any consumer to fly Ryanair, but millions do, so the airline and Michael O'Leary must be doing something right.

I am not a supporter of O'Leary, but I'm 100% with him on this compensation issue. If you've paid 30 pounds for a ticket, then maximum compensation of 30 pounds sounds about right.

If you buy a coat for 100 pounds, there's something wrong with it and you take it back, the shop is unlikely to give you more than your money back!

 

[Rookie]

Would hate to have to deal with them to get any money back, can you imagine the excuses that they are going to come up with to get out of paying.

 

[beardosh]

Hang on a minute..... I think we are all missing the point here. There is a charity calendar with bikini clad women floating about somewhere and nobody has posted a picture? Now that's poor service

 

[beorhthelm]

Let's look sensibly at this Ryanair thing.
...
If you buy a coat for 100 pounds, there's something wrong with it and you take it back, the shop is unlikely to give you more than your money back!

the comparison isnt correct though. you are overlooking that in order to provide the serivce of flying aircraft across europe, you have to agree to the local regulations. one of them is that the airline has a duty of care to passengers extending to food and accomedation in the event of flight delays or cancellation.

 

[desprateseagull]

I feel the fare paid is immaterial. 'act of god' or not, ryanair, and others, would have failed to complete the contract (ie, make the return flight), and may leave themselves up to lawsuits, maybe more (fines?) if enough complaints received by the 'authorities'..

though if a plane HAD flown / crashed because of the ash, despite CAA etc 'no fly' warning, who would then be liable?

the plane captain? the airline? bbc weatherman?

All airlines have a DUTY OF CARE. shame that media whore ryanair guy doesnt seem to know what it means..

 

[Bozza]

Ryanair introduce optional admin charges for those seeking to make compensation claims

 

[Bozza]

As a consumer you have a choice. Either book Ryanair knowing what they are and what they offer, accept that you get what you pay for, and quit complaining. Alternatively fly with another airline. No one forces any consumer to fly Ryanair, but millions do

Spot on. As Michael O'Leary is very fond of telling people - no-one is forced to take a Ryanair flight.

Now then, can someone tell me who forced Michael O'Leary to run his airline in Europe (where European legislation is in place)? I don't believe anyone forced him to...

 

[happypig]

Hang on a minute..... I think we are all missing the point here. There is a charity calendar with bikini clad women floating about somewhere and nobody has posted a picture? Now that's poor service

Happy to oblige...

 

[Colossal Squid]

I was booked on an EasyJet flight this week which was subsequently cancelled.

I went to the website and was offered the choice of booking different flights or having the money refunded. As I am not particularly constrained by dates I chose to rebook the flights for next month and there was absolutely no issue with this, in fact I even managed to get more convenient flight times (as opposed to first thing in the morning).

To lump EasyJet in the same bracket as Ryanair is unfair. EasyJet have done all they can to accommodate their many stranded passengers in very difficult circumstances and personally I am very impressed with their efforts.

Michael O'Leary doesn't give a f*** about his customers and is happy to see them screwed. Stelios on the other hand appears to believe in his brand and doesn't want it sullied, hence EasyJet customers have been offered a fair deal in this mess.

Good for EasyJet I say.

I don't work for EasyJet incidentally, I just think they've done a good job in difficult circumstances and it is unfair to tar them with the same brush as Ryanair