Ryanair charged me £100 after saying flight was ‘too full' – even though I had a ticket & was first in line to board
A COUPLE were slapped with a £100 fine by Ryanair after the girlfriend refused to leave her boyfriend at the airport.
Scott McCormick and his girlfriend Helena Boshwick, both 33, were looking forward to jetting off on a foreign jaunt to Mallorca from Birmingham Airport for a sun-kissed week away.
2
A horrified holidaymaker discovered that a common hack to save money on Ryanair flights backfired
Credit: Kennedy News and Media
2
Scott McCormick and his girlfriend Helena Boshwick were stung with an eye-watering fee to rebook their tickets
Credit: Kennedy News and Media
The couple opted not to reserve seats, which range between £4.50 and £33 depending on where travellers choose to sit.
As they queued up to board, a Ryanair staffer approached the two and reportedly asked them to step aside and told them there was only one seat left.
Scott and Helena were left with a big decision to make - Helena could board the flight on her own or turn the offer down and stay with her partner at the airport.
She chose the latter, and found she would have to fork out an eye-watering amount for the privilege.
read more in news
When the couple returned to the check-in desk, they were reportedly told they still had to pay for one of the tickets, while Scott insists he never received a refund.
As a result, Scott claims he had to shell out an additional £100 for a new ticket and a four-hour wait for the next flight out of Birmingham.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "This flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca (1 May) was not 'overbooked' – it was scheduled to operate on a 737-8200 (197 seats) but for operational reasons had to be swapped to a 737-800 aircraft (189 seats).
"As a result, one passenger was unable to travel on this flight, and was reaccommodated onto the next available flight to Palma de Mallorca.
Most read in The Sun
"Mr. McCormick's travel companion was not refused boarding but chose not to board and travel on this flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca and was required to pay a Missed Departure fee (£100) to be booked onto the next available flight.
"Mr. McCormick was notified by email on the day of travel (1 May) that he was entitled to claim back reasonable receipted expenses, however Mr. McCormick has yet to submit any expense receipts to Ryanair.'
Passengers injured on Ryanair flight after being thrown against the cabin roof as plane 'flew into supercell storm'
After recounting his experience on social media, many suggested that Scott and Helena were targeted because they hadn't reserved seats - implying that a common strategy used by many to keep fares low could end up costing more.
Scott, hailing from Birmingham, West Midlands, explained: "We checked in the night before and we didn't reserve a seat but you normally just get a random one.
"Me and my partner thought it's not that much of a problem if we're not sitting together for a two-hour flight, we're adults here.
"We arrived, everything proceeded as usual, went through security as normal, went to the gate after waiting a couple of hours and we were the first ones at the gate ready for boarding.
"The lady scanned our boarding passes and told us to step to the side for a second. That moment was a red flag, I thought, 'there's something happening here'.
"We stepped aside and watched all the people board the flight. I asked her to tell us what is going to happen and she said 'no'.
"When everyone boarded, she said, 'the plane is full, there's only one seat remaining and we will have to reimburse you for the other seat or you'll have to get on the next flight.'
"We were having a meltdown at this point. There was no compassion or care whatsoever.
"After going back and forth we said we're not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours. We said we wanted to get on the next flight together.
"They said 'you can do that, we will fully reimburse both tickets and put you on the next flight for free'."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ryanair charged me £100 after saying flight was ‘too full' – even though I had a ticket & was first in line to board
A COUPLE were slapped with a £100 fine by Ryanair after the girlfriend refused to leave her boyfriend at the airport. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend Helena Boshwick, both 33, were looking forward to jetting off on a foreign jaunt to Mallorca from Birmingham Airport for a sun-kissed week away. 2 A horrified holidaymaker discovered that a common hack to save money on Ryanair flights backfired Credit: Kennedy News and Media 2 Scott McCormick and his girlfriend Helena Boshwick were stung with an eye-watering fee to rebook their tickets Credit: Kennedy News and Media The couple opted not to reserve seats, which range between £4.50 and £33 depending on where travellers choose to sit. As they queued up to board, a Ryanair staffer approached the two and reportedly asked them to step aside and told them there was only one seat left. Scott and Helena were left with a big decision to make - Helena could board the flight on her own or turn the offer down and stay with her partner at the airport. She chose the latter, and found she would have to fork out an eye-watering amount for the privilege. read more in news When the couple returned to the check-in desk, they were reportedly told they still had to pay for one of the tickets, while Scott insists he never received a refund. As a result, Scott claims he had to shell out an additional £100 for a new ticket and a four-hour wait for the next flight out of Birmingham. A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "This flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca (1 May) was not 'overbooked' – it was scheduled to operate on a 737-8200 (197 seats) but for operational reasons had to be swapped to a 737-800 aircraft (189 seats). "As a result, one passenger was unable to travel on this flight, and was reaccommodated onto the next available flight to Palma de Mallorca. Most read in The Sun "Mr. McCormick's travel companion was not refused boarding but chose not to board and travel on this flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca and was required to pay a Missed Departure fee (£100) to be booked onto the next available flight. "Mr. McCormick was notified by email on the day of travel (1 May) that he was entitled to claim back reasonable receipted expenses, however Mr. McCormick has yet to submit any expense receipts to Ryanair.' Passengers injured on Ryanair flight after being thrown against the cabin roof as plane 'flew into supercell storm' After recounting his experience on social media, many suggested that Scott and Helena were targeted because they hadn't reserved seats - implying that a common strategy used by many to keep fares low could end up costing more. Scott, hailing from Birmingham, West Midlands, explained: "We checked in the night before and we didn't reserve a seat but you normally just get a random one. "Me and my partner thought it's not that much of a problem if we're not sitting together for a two-hour flight, we're adults here. "We arrived, everything proceeded as usual, went through security as normal, went to the gate after waiting a couple of hours and we were the first ones at the gate ready for boarding. "The lady scanned our boarding passes and told us to step to the side for a second. That moment was a red flag, I thought, 'there's something happening here'. "We stepped aside and watched all the people board the flight. I asked her to tell us what is going to happen and she said 'no'. "When everyone boarded, she said, 'the plane is full, there's only one seat remaining and we will have to reimburse you for the other seat or you'll have to get on the next flight.' "We were having a meltdown at this point. There was no compassion or care whatsoever. "After going back and forth we said we're not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours. We said we wanted to get on the next flight together. "They said 'you can do that, we will fully reimburse both tickets and put you on the next flight for free'."
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Brit fighting for life after catching deadly disease on all-inclusive at hols hotspot
A BRITISH tourist is fighting for her life after catching a deadly disease while on her all-inclusive holiday in Greece. Donna Jobling, 57, from west Hull, came down with Legionnaires' disease on the island of Crete, and is in intensive care. 2 Donna Jobling, 57, of west Hull, is fighting for her life in hospital Credit: MEN Media 2 Donna was on holiday in Crete with her husband and two friends Credit: Getty She is receiving urgent treatment at Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion after falling ill just days into the trip. Donna was holidaying with her husband Sidney and friends Paula and Nicolas Mason, also of Hull. The group had been enjoying a £1,500-per-couple all-inclusive trip when Donna fell ill. She developed a chest infection and needed lots of rest, and then became seriously ill two days later. Donna, who suffers from "complex" medical conditions including epilepsy, was taken to hospital on June 11 and doctors put her in an induced coma. Tests confirmed she had contracted Legionnaires' disease, which triggered acute respiratory failure and Her "devastated" family has flown out to be by her side. Neice Claire, 42, has been back-and-forth between Crete and Hull. Most read in The Sun She is currently in East Yorkshire to obtain Donna's insurance documents before flying back out. The couple was travelling with Easyjet. A spokesperson for the company said: "We're so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we're continuing to support her and her family in every way we can. "As soon as we were made aware of reports of illness, we immediately took action and contacted customers who were already staying in the hotel, or due to travel in the next four weeks, to provide alternative hotel options." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I was KICKED OUT of Dubai and had my £3,000 glam holiday ruined over my face tattoos – despite being allowed in before
A HEAVILY-inked Brit has vowed to never return to Dubai after claiming he got kicked out for plastering his face in tattoos. Jordan Howman, 34, said he had his passport confiscated and was held by airport workers for six hours before being given the boot - ruining his £3,000 holiday. Advertisement 4 Jordan Howman, 34, says he was kicked out of Dubai because of his face tattoos Credit: SWNS 4 The dad said it ruined his holiday with his partner Theresa Credit: SWNS The plasterer, from Crewe, Cheshire, covered his face in tattoos of geometric cubes and words including "blessed" and "crazy life" almost a decade ago. Jordan said his ink addiction hadn't caused him any issues during his previous two trips to his "favourite country in the world", the UAE. The dad told The Sun: "My missus has been crying her eyes out. "It has absolutely devastated me. I feel like I've been massively discriminated against. Advertisement Read more about Dubai 'There's no law against face tattoos - there's nothing like that. "I'm a lovely lad, I get on with anyone. It's made me feel absolutely rubbish. I'm not allowed in a country because of the way I look. It's properly, massively affected me. 'It was my favourite country, but this has absolutely ruined it. Now I'll never go again. I've lost all of my money because of a pattern on my face.' Jordan landed at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday for a dream week-long holiday with his fiancée Theresa, 38, and daughter Kaic, 16. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Latest But he said as he ventured through passport control he was pulled to one side. After taking Jordan aside, the worker asked if he'd had his passport stamped before taking it from him. Moment hardcore anti tourist mob surround Brit tourists in Majorca chanting 'go home' & telling Brit ex-pats to 'go to hell' 'Then he snatched my passport out of my hand," Jordan said. "There had been nowhere to stamp it - we'd used the electronic gates. It was just an excuse to get the passport out of my hand.' Advertisement After being held in a waiting room for more than four hours, Jordan was transferred to immigration at around midday, he said. By this time, his family had reached their five-star Anantara hotel. He called his partner and she got a taxi to the airport - but Jordan said airport staff refused to let her go to him and so she got a cab back, costing a total of £250. Jordan said he was "terrified" as he was not given his passport back for some time. Advertisement 4 The dad has vowed to never return to Dubai Credit: SWNS 4 He said his passport was taken away for hours Credit: SWNS 'A woman came and took me upstairs to immigration, where they said: 'He's not coming in because of his face tattoos - you're not coming in because of the way you look'," he claimed. 'One of the staff behind the desk said a more senior immigration officer made the decision, saying I was not to enter Dubai and that I must leave the country immediately.' Advertisement At 2.30pm - six hours after arriving - Jordan was put on another Emirates flight heading back to the UK. 'They sent me on a flight back to Manchester," he said. "It was only when I landed that I got my passport back. "Friday morning was the first time I got to see my daughter, over Facetime.' Advertisement The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai have been approached for comment. Dubai Airports was also contacted for a response. Dubai's tourist laws LAWS for tourists in Dubai are largely centred around respect for local customs and traditions. Swearing, loud music and public displays of affection are banned. Tourists must also observe Ramadan rules by refraining from eating or drinking publicly during fasting hours. Holidaymakers must also be careful when taking photos of individuals or sensitive sites. Visa regulations require a valid passport with six months minimum before it expires. Tourists must also have a return ticket, proof of accommodation, and sufficient funds. Overstaying your visa can lead to fines or deportation. Drinking alcohol is restricted in licensed venues and public intoxication is illegal. Dubai has strict drug laws, and certain medications require prior approval from UAE authorities. Unmarried couples sharing a room may face restrictions, although enforcement is relaxed in private hotels. Public indecency, such as inappropriate behaviour or clothing, is punishable.
