Latest news with #ScottMcCormick
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Popular money-saving travel ‘hack' backfires on frazzled plane passengers: ‘We were lied to at the gate'
A common hack to save money on Ryanair backfired on a couple. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport in the UK to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. In an attempt to save money, the couple decided not to pay to reserve seats on the flight. '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,' McCormick, a gym owner, told Kennedy News. They were first in line to board when a staff member asked them to step aside as the rest of the passengers boarded. 'That moment was a red flag, I thought, 'there's something happening here,'' McCormick shared. 'I asked her to tell us what is going to happen, and she said no.' After everyone else was on the plane, the Ryanair staff member allegedly told them that the flight was full and there was only one seat left. McCormick admitted that the two of them had a 'meltdown' since they wanted to travel together — but they were told they were in this position because they 'hadn't reserved a seat.' '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,' he said. After arguing with staff, the couple were reportedly told they could both get on the next flight and get refunded for both tickets. But when they went to the check-in desk again, they were informed they would still have to pay for one of the tickets — and they claimed a refund was never issued. 'We went down to ticket sales and they said we still have to pay for one ticket, only one is reimbursed. One of the seats was put down as a cancelled booking and the other was a missed flight so we'd still have to pay for one seat and be reimbursed for the other,' McCormick said. 'That's the biggest part of the [issue], we were just lied to at the gate but then we still sold us a seat and we still have seen no sign of reimbursement.'The couple reportedly had to spend even more money on the new ticket and waited for four hours for the next flight, and McCormick claimed it felt like 'discrimination.' 'Ryanair should have asked all passengers if anyone would like to volunteer their seats,' he said. '…how do they pick out these people, is it because we're young and we have no kids, so there's just two of us, is it to do with something we don't see or understand?' He said he will avoid flying Ryanair in the future due to a lack of care and empathy. 'You can be bawling your eyes out and they just don't care, they're deadpan.' While some people on social media believed they were singled out for not reserving seats — debunking the so-called hack that doing so will result in lower airfare — Ryanair explained that it was because the plane itself was switched to one with fewer seats. '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),' the airline said. 'As a result, one passenger was unable to travel on this flight and was reaccommodated onto the next available flight to Palma de Mallorca,' said a Ryanair spokesperson. The airline's rep noted that McCormick is not eligible for a refund since he was reaccommodated onto the next available flight. '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 to be booked onto the next available flight.'
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Why buying a plane ticket means you're NOT guaranteed a seat on your flight: Experts reveal the hidden catches that could curtail your best laid holiday plans
Flight passengers are not guaranteed a seat even when they book one - and can be legally 'bumped' onto another service, a travel expert confirmed today. Airlines will sometimes book more people onto a flight than there are seats on a plane because travellers do not always turn up even if they have booked a flight. Carriers are also sometimes unable to board all passengers if they switch to a smaller aircraft for operational reasons, meaning too many people will try to board. Some passengers are therefore asked to give up their place on the flight – known as being 'bumped' - although airlines can also do so without your permission. There was after one such case last month involving a Ryanair passenger who did not pay to reserve himself a seat before a flight from Birmingham to Mallorca. Gym coach Scott McCormick and his girlfriend Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly together on May 1 for a week-long break and gym mentorship event. The couple did not reserve seats - which typically cost from £4.50 to £33 each – before checking in because they did not mind sitting apart on the two-hour flight. Because of this, Mr McCormick and Miss Boshwick were each assigned a random seat free of charge upon checking in, which they did online before departure. But when they got to the airport gate, staff said that only one of them could board the plane - which they initially believed was because it had been overbooked. Ryanair has since confirmed that the flight was scheduled to operate on a Boeing 737-8200 with 197 seats, but had to be swapped to a 737-800 with only 189 seats. One passenger was left unable to board - and because the couple were the last two to check in, they were told one of them would be put onto the next flight. But because they did not wish to travel separately, only one of them could be moved onto the next flight - with the other having to pay a £100 missed departure fee, which was not refunded. Ryanair claimed Mr McCormick was entitled to claim back 'reasonable receipted expenses' under EU Regulation 261/2004, but he had yet to submit any receipts to the airline. Rory Boland, travel editor at consumer group Which?, told MailOnline: 'Unfortunately for travellers, it's not uncommon for flights to be overbooked. 'Sometimes a last minute change of aircraft might mean less seats available than planned for, in other cases some airlines actively overbook, betting on 'no shows' to balance things out, while maxing their profits by charging for more seats than the plane can actually accommodate. 'If an airline ends up with too many people at the gate, it can't just bump someone from the flight because they didn't pay extra to reserve a specific seat. 'So long as the flight is either departing the UK, or flying into the UK on a UK or EU based airline, the airline is legally obliged to ask for volunteers before resorting to forcibly denying boarding. 'If you volunteer then you surrender your right to statutory compensation, so you should make sure you're happy with the amount you negotiate - at a minimum be sure to get at least get the amount you would be owed if the flight was cancelled - which would be up to £520 each for a long-haul flight, or less for a short-haul journey. 'If there are no volunteers, only then an airline can choose to deny a passenger boarding. Anyone who is bumped from a plane should have their flight rebooked as quickly as possible, and be paid cancellation compensation.' Those who volunteer to be bumped on a flight must agree compensation with the airline, which will often make an announcement at the gate offering cash or vouchers. Passengers in such cases are also entitled to an alternative flight or a refund. But if a passenger is bumped without their agreement, they can get compensation as long as they checked-in on time – with the level depending on the length of flight and disruption. This is set out in the following table from the Civil Aviation Authority: Length of flight Length of disruptions Compensation Short-haul flight of under 1,500km (e.g. Glasgow to Amsterdam) Arrive 2 hours or more later at final destination £220 Short-haul flight of under 1,500km (e.g. Glasgow to Amsterdam) Arrive less than 2 hours later at final destination £110 Medium-haul flight of 1,500km - 3,500km (e.g. East Midlands to Marrakesh) Arrive 3 hours or more later at final destination £350 Medium-haul flight of 1,500km - 3,500km (e.g. East Midlands to Marrakesh) Arrive less than 3 hours later at final destination £175 Long-haul flight of over 3,500km (e.g. London to New York) Arrive 4 hours or more later at final destination £520 Long-haul flight of over 3,500km (e.g. London to New York) Arrive less than 4 hours later at final destination £260 Regardless of whether a passenger volunteered or was forced to be bumped, the airline must also let them choose an alternative flight and provide 'care and assistance' while they wait. This means they must provide a reasonable amount of food and drink, which is often provided as vouchers; a means for them to communicate, often by refunding the cost of calls; and accommodation in a hotel, if they are move onto a flight the next day. Transport to and from the accommodation, or the passenger's home, if they are able to return there, must also be provided. For those who do not wish to fly, they can get a refund for all parts of the ticket which have not been used – which would include the full cost of the return ticket if they are bumped from the outbound leg. If a passenger is midway through a journey, the airline should also provide a flight back to the starting point. This all comes under UK law, which provides rights for passengers departing from an airport in the UK on any airline; arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline; or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline. Ryanair has a policy that it does not overbook flights, but it is understood that the airline does try to seek volunteers to be bumped if a seat is not available for a passenger with a confirmed reservation. If no one volunteers, the airline then chooses the passengers itself to bump, and is supposed to offer them compensation, reimbursement and 'care and assistance'. Mr McCormick, from Birmingham, explained what happened in his case in a TikTok video, saying: '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 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'. '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'.' He claimed that the couple then had a 'meltdown' because they had wanted to catch the same flight and arrive to their destination together. Mr McCormick continued: '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.' He claimed that they protested and were eventually told that they could both get on the next flight and receive a refund for both tickets. Mr McCormick added: 'I asked if we can have that in writing or an email for them to confirm it in some way. They said it's on the system, and when we go to ticket sales, they will reimburse us and we can get on the next flight.' But when the couple got back to the check-in desk, they claim to have been told that they still had to pay for one of the tickets. According to the holidaymaker, one of the seats had been marked in the system as a cancelled booking, while the other was put down as a missed flight. They then spent a further £100 on the new ticket and claimed they were assured that a refund would be processed for this fee, but they have not received it. Ryanair has since claimed that the passenger was not entitled to a refund for the flight because they were reaccommodated onto the next available service. But Mr McCormick said the experience felt like 'discrimination,' and that the couple were singled out because they are 'young' and did not have children. He added that he would avoid flying with Ryanair in future due to the staff's 'lack of compassion'. Mr McCormick said: 'Ryanair should have asked all passengers if anyone would like to volunteer their seats. 'It felt like discrimination, how do they pick out these people, is it because we're young and we have no kids so there's just two of us, is it to do with something we don't see or understand? 'There was so much of it that was really frustrating, and it's the lack of care, no empathy. You can be bawling your eyes out and they just don't care, they're deadpan. We just had to get over what happened, it was a terrible way to start a holiday. 'They said at ticket sales they would be doing this themselves and get everything over and start the process, so I haven't formally complained. 'I don't think they did, I definitely haven't got the money back. We just got caught in a big company's terms and conditions. I would avoid it [Ryanair] if I could now. Why am I being singled out?' But a Ryanair spokesman told MailOnline: 'This flight from Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca (May 1) 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, 1 passenger was unable to travel on this flight, and was reaccommodated onto the next available flight to Palma de Mallorca. '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.
Economic Times
18 hours ago
- Economic Times
Ryanair throws out couple for not reserving flight seats in advance
Ryanair removed Scott McCormick and Helena Boshwick from their Birmingham to Palma de Mallorca flight. The couple opted not to reserve seats prior to boarding as they 'didn't mind' sitting apart during the two-hour flight to their destination. The airline promised a refund and a later flight. However, the couple had to pay for a new ticket and faced delays. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads No compassion or care: couple slams Ryanair airline Experience felt discriminatory: Scott Irish airline Ryanair kicked off a couple from the flight after it refused to pay extra money to reserve seats. The incident occurred on May 1, 2025, when Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long break and gym mentorship couple opted not to reserve seats prior to boarding as they 'didn't mind' sitting apart during the two-hour flight to their destination. The seat reservations cost between £4.50 and £33 per seat, according to the Daily Mail. Not reserving a seat on the flight in advance can leave the passenger with issues like not getting the seat next to their travel companions, or they can also find themselves stuck between two Scott and his girlfriend, the matters got worse as the couple were forced to take separate flights altogether. '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,' the fitness mentor from Birmingham, West Midlands, said, the Daily Mail reported.'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," he further couple claimed that when everyone boarded the flight, the lady said that the flight was full and there was only one seat remaining. They further said that the lady assured reimbursement for the other seat and asked them to get on the next flight. The announcement led to the couple having a 'meltdown' as they wished to catch the same flight and arrive at their destination couple further claimed that there was no compassion or care whatsoever, and after going back and forth, they said that they were not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours. The gym owner further said that they protested and were finally told that they could both get on the next flight and receive a refund for both tickets. But as the couple reached the check-in desk again, the two were reportedly told they still had to pay for one of the tickets. Scott claimed that he never received a to the holidaymaker, one of the seats had been marked in the system as a cancelled booking, while the other was put down as a missed flight, the Daily Mail reported. This meant that the two would be reimbursed for one while the other had to be paid for. The couple reportedly paid a further £100 on a new ticket and waited four hours for the next departing flight to the pair were assured that a refund would be processed for one of the tickets, Scott claims he has still not received it or heard from further stated that the experience with the airline felt discriminatory and that the couple were singled out because they are 'young' and childfree. The gym owner said he will now avoid flying with the airline due to the staff members' 'lack of compassion'.Responding to Scott and Helena's complaints, Ryanair simply said, 'Today is a good day to separate couples onboard.'
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
Ryanair throws out couple for not reserving flight seats in advance
Irish airline Ryanair kicked off a couple from the flight after it refused to pay extra money to reserve seats. The incident occurred on May 1, 2025, when Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long break and gym mentorship event. The couple opted not to reserve seats prior to boarding as they 'didn't mind' sitting apart during the two-hour flight to their destination. The seat reservations cost between £4.50 and £33 per seat, according to the Daily Mail. Not reserving a seat on the flight in advance can leave the passenger with issues like not getting the seat next to their travel companions, or they can also find themselves stuck between two passengers. For Scott and his girlfriend, the matters got worse as the couple were forced to take separate flights altogether. '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,' the fitness mentor from Birmingham, West Midlands, said, the Daily Mail reported. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More '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," he further stated. The couple claimed that when everyone boarded the flight, the lady said that the flight was full and there was only one seat remaining. They further said that the lady assured reimbursement for the other seat and asked them to get on the next flight. The announcement led to the couple having a 'meltdown' as they wished to catch the same flight and arrive at their destination together. Live Events No compassion or care: couple slams Ryanair airline The couple further claimed that there was no compassion or care whatsoever, and after going back and forth, they said that they were not going to take separate flights and be in separate countries for hours. The gym owner further said that they protested and were finally told that they could both get on the next flight and receive a refund for both tickets. But as the couple reached the check-in desk again, the two were reportedly told they still had to pay for one of the tickets. Scott claimed that he never received a refund. According to the holidaymaker, one of the seats had been marked in the system as a cancelled booking, while the other was put down as a missed flight, the Daily Mail reported. This meant that the two would be reimbursed for one while the other had to be paid for. The couple reportedly paid a further £100 on a new ticket and waited four hours for the next departing flight to Palma. Experience felt discriminatory: Scott Though the pair were assured that a refund would be processed for one of the tickets, Scott claims he has still not received it or heard from Ryanair. He further stated that the experience with the airline felt discriminatory and that the couple were singled out because they are 'young' and childfree. The gym owner said he will now avoid flying with the airline due to the staff members' 'lack of compassion'. Responding to Scott and Helena's complaints, Ryanair simply said, 'Today is a good day to separate couples onboard.'
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Ryanair passenger bumped off flight after not reserving a seat
A Ryanair passenger who did not pay to reserve a seat found himself bumped from a flight to Mallorca after the airline switched planes last minute for an aircraft with fewer seats. Gym coach Scott McCormick and his girlfriend were due to fly with Ryanair on flight FR1954 from Birmingham Airport to Palma de Mallorca on 1 May. The couple said that when they booked their flight, they opted out of paying for a reserved seat, which can range from €4.50 (£3.85) to €33 (£28.20) per flight. Since the couple did not pay to reserve their seats, they would have been assigned a random seat free of charge after checking in. Mr McCormick said they checked in online before departure. However, once they reached the gate at the airport, they realised they were being treated differently from other passengers. 'Went to check into our gate, and then we were told to wait off to one side,' Mr McCormick said in a TikTok video he filmed at the airport. 'Everyone checked into their seats... we didn't reserve seats, never used to and never used to be an issue,' he said. The couple were eventually called over once other passengers passed through the gate. 'They put us through at the end, and they said, 'as you are last to check in and you haven't reserved a seat, we have one seat remaining'.' However, they found out that only one of them would be receiving a compensated ticket due to being bumped from their original flight, while the other would have to pay. 'Now they're saying one of us could have gone [on the original flight], apparently, while one of us would have had to get onto the next one.' He was told there are not 'two compensated flight [tickets], they're saying there's only one, and they want us to buy one ticket'. 'There's no compassion, there's no empathy,' Mr McCormick said in his video . 'There's no real care from anyone about any of this.' The couple eventually paid another £100 for a new ticket, and waited around four hours to board the next flight to Palma. While the passenger claimed in his video that the issue lay with Ryanair overbooking its flight, the airline said that the aircraft was swapped out last minute for a plane with fewer seats. As a policy, Ryanair says that it does not overbook its flights, but adds that if a seat is not available for a passenger with a confirmed reservation, it will seek volunteers to surrender their seats in exchange for benefits. If no one volunteers, the airline will choose the passengers themselves to bump from the flight, and offer them compensation, reimbursement and care. It is unclear whether the volunteering call-out occurred before Mr McCormick was told by gate staff that there was only one seat left on the plane. A Ryanair spokesperson told The Independent: '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. '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.'
