Ryanair Blames Couple For Flying To Greece Instead Of Spain By Accident
A couple have been angered after they were allowed to fly to completely the wrong country by Ryanair and the budget airline then refused to say sorry.
Of course, it goes without saying that you are broadly responsible for where you end up at any given time, but you'd also imagine that there would have been various checkpoints along the way where the airline could have intervened and stopped this whole bizarre charade.
However, the airline has since blamed Humaira and Farooq Shaikh, who had intended to fly off for a holiday in Spain, but ended up getting off the plane in Greece.
OK, so it's probably a little bit their fault, but Ryanair didn't have to be quite so blunt about it, perhaps?
Obviously, there's also a security concern involved too, as people shouldn't just be able to fly off to wherever they want unchecked.
Anyway, let's get to the full story.
The couple ended up on the wrong flight by accident. Credit: Mirrorpix
The pair checked into Stansted, got through security, went through the checks at the gate, boarded the flight, and then alighted at their destination.
It sounds like it should have been perfect, but instead of ending up at their intended destination of Seville, they turned up in Zakynthos, Greece.
That's 1,200 miles off course.
They still didn't realise that they were in the wrong place and got into a taxi at the airport when a notification flashed up on their phone welcoming them to the country.
Humaira told The Mirror: "Our phones were saying 'Welcome to Greece' and then our taxi driver said 'this isn't Spain,'"
With the greatest will in the world, it's a bit silly.
Apparently, the flight crew hadn't announced the destination during the flight because it was late.
When they then returned to the airport to chat to Ryanair staff, they allegedly laughed and didn't offer much help, even though they'd supposedly checked boarding passes that read 'Seville' on them.
Humaira explained that Ryanair offered to put them up in a hotel for one night, and gave them free transport back to the UK, although the next flight was not due for four days.
She said: "They would only pay for one night's accommodation, so we had to pay for another three."
The flight took them to Greece instead of Spain. Credit: PA
Then, when that flight arrived, they were not in the system and only managed to get on because a member of staff recognised them.
They'd also packed for a walking holiday in Spain, not a beach holiday in Greece, and struggled because of the ridiculous situation, as well as limited internet skills.
Mercifully, their son managed to pay for a hotel for them. He claims that he's been left £1,100 out of pocket though, having paid for the trip for his parents as a present.
He said: "Not only is this a complete lack of safety, security and responsibility, but it has triggered severe strain and anxiety on my parents,
"My mum already suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and receiving her calls to me crying on the phone from Greece, whilst at work, was extremely distressing to hear."
An email from Ryanair said: "All of the Ryanair bag drop desks in the departure area are clearly identified.
"The screens above them display the flight number and destination.
"Each customer's boarding card clearly states their flight number and destination. Customers are also advised to check the airport information screens for the boarding gate number.
Ryanair have blamed the couple for the mistake. Credit: PA
"It is the responsibility of every passenger to ensure that they follow the correct procedures and take note of the information available to them."
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "It is each customer's responsibility to ensure they board the correct aircraft.
"As these passengers passed through security control pre-boarding there was no security risk. We are working with our handling agents in London Stansted to ensure that this error doesn't reoccur."
LADbible has contacted Ryanair for an updated comment.
Featured Image Credit: Mirrorpix
Topics: Greece, UK News, Europe, travel, Spain, Weird
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