Airlines’ management of flight delays and cancellations is one of the most criticized points by travelers. Passengers on a Ryanair flight endured a nightmarish ordeal at the airport after a delay of more than 20 hours.
It happened on Sunday March 12 on a scheduled Ryanair flight from Lanzarote, an island in Spain’s Canary archipelago, to Bristol, UK. According to the company, the machine to ensure the return flight of the vacationers could not take off because of the fog.
“It was a real nightmare, Ryanair let us down”
If the reason for the delay was completely understandable, Ryanair’s management failed again, according to passengers, quoted this Tuesday, March 14, by the English newspaper DailyMail. Joanne McGlynn, who traveled to the island with her partner for the weekend, said: “It was a real nightmare, Ryanair let us down”.
Contrary to what the procedure in these cases dictates, the Irish low-cost airline has not provided a hotel for all of its stranded passengers. (By filieri / Adobe Stock)
According to her, the flight was due to depart for Bristol at 6.20pm on Sunday and finally take off on Monday at 3.30pm, just over 9pm later. “We spent the whole night from Sunday to Monday in the terminal,” complained the vacationer.
Contrary to what the procedure in these cases dictates, the Irish low-cost airline has not provided a hotel for all of its stranded passengers. “There were small children and old people, and everyone slept where they could. It was total chaos and the way Ryanair treated us is disgraceful,” Joanne said again.
Ryanair travelers stranded: ‘There was no hotel, it was a real mess’
Ryanair flights to other English airports including Manchester, Glasgow and Bournemouth also experienced major delays that day. The tourists were not given a reasonable explanation for the delay. Worse still, Ryanair staff left the premises overnight.
However, “they told us they would take care of finding us a hotel,” but after “picking up our luggage, the staff disappeared. There was no hotel, it was a real mess,” the passenger remembers.
As a support, the company provided travelers with vouchers worth just 4 euros. “But what can you do with such a pittance, especially in an airport? She wondered. All restaurants and shops at Lanzarote Airport were already closed.
Ryanair officials explained to one of the travelers that the delay was caused by a “sandstorm,” but he wasn’t convinced. “It was just bullshit because other airlines had no problems getting off the ground,” he said.
Ryanair tried to put the facts into perspective (by Nicola/Adobe Stock)
According to Ryanair, the flight was delayed due to “dense fog”.
All the passengers who were “dropped off” at the airport said they wanted to be compensated by Ryanair for the extra costs they incurred and the inconvenience of having to sleep at Lanzarote airport.
For its part, Ryanair tried to put the facts into perspective, stating through a spokesman that “a small number of flights to and from Lanzarote were delayed overnight due to thick fog”.
The airline adds that accommodation was offered to passengers, “but with few hotels available in Lanzarote, some passengers stayed at the airport”. The latter have been informed “that they can request a refund on the Ryanair website,” he adds.