Posts Tagged ‘Unethical’

Ryanair visa check scam

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, are still ripping people off with their “Visa Check” scam, 3 years on from when we first highlighted the problem in the post below.

The scam, aimed at non-EU passport holders, involves catching people out by allowing them all the way through to the departure gate before informing them that they need a Visa Check stamp on their boarding pass. The unfortunate victim then has to attempt a mad rush back through security, queue up at an often unmanned desk, obtain some bullshit stamp and then try to get back to the gate before the flight departs which, of course, is highly unlikely and results in a new flight having to be booked along with all the associated costs and hassles of missing a flight.

Why do Ryanair not stamp the boarding pass at the check-in desk? Why are they not instead informed that they need to go complete this task before security?

It is all in the name of making money. And the scum at Ryanair could not give a toss about how we all feel about it.

Please avoid flying Ryanair and use a reputable airline that these days are often very competitive on cost. Try British Airways or EasyJet for your next European break, especially if you are a non-EU passport holder.

The original email we recieved about this Ryanair scam is listed below, along with many comments from people who have experienced the same dirty tricks from Ryanair.

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Dear I Hate Ryanair,

There is a new scam which I think you should make your readers aware of which is the new VISA Check policy for foreign nationals.

My friend recently flew to Sardinia with an Italian friend from Stansted. She is Israeli and when she printed out her boarding pass, she didn’t notice that it had the words ‘Visa Check’ on it. Apparently now anybody without an EU passport must go to the Visa Check counter before they go through security where they stamp your boarding pass.

This also happened to an Australian friend of mine who was not even leaving the UK!. He was flying to Belfast and when he went to the Ryanair Visa Check and asked why this was necessary, he was told it was because he was leaving the UK and there are new regulations for the EU? He had to explain to the Ryanair employee that Belfast was actually in the UK!

Anyway going back to my friend going to Sardinia. Because she didn’t go to the VISA check, she went through security and proceeded to the gate. When she got to the gate, the Ryanair employee informed her that she had to go to the Visa check first. She was unable (like any normal airline) to check the visa there and then. As a result she was forced to return through security, queue up for Visa Check and then come back through security. Of course she missed the flight to the delight of Ryanair who charged her another £100 to fly the next day. Another typical Ryanair scam!

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We agree Chris and thanks for your email. Please keep your stories coming and remember, the best ones will win a FREE flight with Ryanair anywhere, yes ANYWHERE in the world!!! Subject to fees outlined in a previous post.

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Ryanair ripped off 8% fewer passengers in November this year

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, have reported an 8% drop in the number of people being ripped off by their hidden charges.

The airline stated that they had ripped off 4.68 million passengers in November, down from just over 5 million that they scammed at the same time last year.

Ryanair have however admitted they the reduction in rip-offs is actually due to them grounding a number of their aircraft for the winter and that the drop in annoyed passenger numbers does not reflect a positive change to their nasty working ethics.

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Ryanair moaned about RAF planes sharing same airport during Libyan bombing campaign

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, have been moaning and whinging like pathetic little wimps because of “disruption” apparently caused by RAF warplanes using an Italian airport during the Libyan bombing campaign.

That’s right. Lyingair didn’t like the fact that our beloved RAF were getting in the way of their lower than budget services that share the same airport in Trapani.

Trapani? Where the fuck is Trapani?

In the middle of nowhere is where. But hey! What do you expect from the scumbags at Ryanair? “Just get the 2 hour coach ride to your destination from the airfield, what’s the problem?” said a source at Lyingair.

Ryanair’s complaint about the RAF was passed to Italy’s government in Rome, which asked the Ministry of Defence to move its aircraft to alternative Italian military bases.

The RAF were apparently just hours away from moving 100′s of personnel, equipment and aircraft that would have cost the British tax payer tens of thousands of pounds but were saved when the end of operations was announced.

What an absolute disgrace Ryanair are. O’Leary should be ashamed of himself.

Last year, we reported that Ryanair were in discussions with the Ministry of Defence to buy a number of retired Harrier Jump Jets in order to take advantage of their vertical take off and landing ability thus negating the need for expensive runways and airports.

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Another Ryanair passenger review

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, are renowned for being especially adept at ripping off their customers. This usually results in said customer boycotting the sad excuse of an airline the next time they travel.

We’ve been sent a link by a typically pissed off passenger to a review of her recent trip from Pisa to London with Ryanair. We think it sums up nicely the lengths that Ryanair will go to in order to extract as much cash from you as possible.

It’s a great read and we hope it helps demonstrate that flying with Ryanair is a false economy. What you think you are getting for £19 WILL actually cost you £100s more. Probably leaving you at an airport miles away from where you actually wanted to go to in the process.

http://www.i-florence.com/student-stories/ryanair-con-the-no-cares-airline/

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Ryanair charges for boarding passes ruled illegal by Spanish court

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, have been told by a Spanish court that their rip-off fees for failing to produce a printed off boarding pass are infact illegal.

The pathetic excuse for an airline charge a whopping £40 if you turn up for your flight having forgotten to print off a boarding pass but Judge Barbara Maria Cordoba Ardao, sitting at Commercial Court Number One in Barcelona, ruled that Ryanair was breaking international law by imposing the levy.

What a bunch of filthy thieving bastards!

She added that responsibility for printing the boarding pass had always rested with the airline.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said that the Spanish ruling would have to be upheld in the European courts before it could be enforced at British airports. Fingers crossed that this happens soon and that Ryanair are forced to drop this shady practice. Furthermore, Ryanair should then be forced to refund all the charges already made.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said “Over 99.9% of Ryanair’s passengers used our web check in facility last year”.

So that means that almost 750,000 passengers did not use it. This equates to over £29m in illegal fees. Pay up Ryanair!

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Ryanair embroiled in OFT probe, jailing of cabin crew, base pull-out and arrest of drunken pilot

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, have yet again been humiliated in the news this last week with stories about OFT investigations regarding concerns over unfair competition, cabin crew being jailed for sexual assault, its base being pulled from Marseille and a pilot being arrested for drunken and abusive behaviour.

Firstly, Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSWLA209120110104) reported that Ryanair is to be subject to investigation by the Office of Fair Trading regarding its stake in Aer Lingus. The airline started to build its 29.8 percent in the rival carrier in 2006. Ryanair has claimed that an inquiry cannot be held within four years, but the OFT said it has been given the go-ahead. “We have considered this issue carefully and it is appropriate and fair to Ryanair to inform them, at this point, that we believe we are ‘in time’ to review the minority stake,” said Sheldon Mills, director of mergers at the OFT. Ryanair said it would appeal the decision, which could lead to a formal Competition Commission probe.

Secondly, the ‘This is Leicestershire’ (http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Vicious-sex-attacker-jailed-15-years/article-3082969-detail/article.html) website reports the shocking story of a Ryanair flight attendant who has been given 15 years for a savage sex attack on woman he walked home after a night out.

Paulius Troninas was sent to a young offenders institute yesterday after being convicted of battering a 31-year-old woman and leaving her with life-threatening injuries in an alleyway in Loughborough. Passing sentence, Judge Michael Stokes QC told the 19-year-old the evidence against him was “overwhelming”.

Thirdly, following our story late last year regarding Ryanair throwing a hissy fit and threatening to leave Marseille after being accused of illegal working practices, the airline has gone ahead and buggered off. Good riddance!

Expatica.com (http://www.expatica.com/fr/news/french-news/ryanair-abandons-marseille-base-from-tuesday_122268.html) report that Ryanair will no longer leave any aircraft overnight at Marseille.

Finally, the story in the Herald.ie (http://www.herald.ie/national-news/courts/hear-the-one-about-the-ryanair-pilot-who-was-arrested-twice-for-being-drunk-and-bit-a-garda-2490337.html) that a Ryanair pilot “tried to bite a garda when he went berserk at a city station after being arrested for hurling a traffic bollard into the street”.

Patrick Taaffe (21) also threatened to “get” another officer “no matter what” after he was arrested for refusing to pay a taxi fare and making insulting remarks about the cabbie’s wife. The Ryanair pilot, who also studied law, was remanded on bail when he admitted a series of public order charges related to two drunken episodes.

We’ll be steering well clear of Ryanair and we suggest you do too. Why not try a proper airline that will actually fly you to the place you think you are flying to, won’t charge you rip-off fees for baggage, using a debit card to pay and checking-in and, furthermore, will treat you with a little respect, something that the stories above demonstrate Ryanair find difficult.

British Airways have a fantastic “Value Calculator” that clearly shows the false economy that is flying with Ryanair. Check it out at: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/value-calculator/public/en_gb

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Ryanair delay causes hospitalisation of children due to dehydration

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, are being blamed for the hospitalisation of a nine month old baby and it’s three year old sibling earlier this week after they, along with the other passengers, were forced to endure a five hour delay on a plane stuck on the ground.

The children ended up being rushed to Temple Street Children’s Hospital suffering from dehydration after they were finally allowed to leave the aircraft.

Their ordeal began after a Christmas flight from Dublin to Eindhoven in Holland was cancelled because of heavy snow, but passengers were kept waiting onboard. After three hours their father asked if he could buy a sandwich for his three-year-old, who was “shaking from hunger”. However, he was informed it is “not company policy to sell food while the plan was grounded”.

The children were so tired, hungry and dehydrated following the mammoth delay that they had to be taken by ambulance from Dublin Airport.

Their father, who does not want to be identified, said blizzards hit the airport as the plane was due to take off on the afternoon of December 23. The disgruntled passenger insisted “people were treated less than human beings” during their lengthy ordeal.

All they had to eat during the five-hour delay was a doughnut given to them by another passenger who dug it out of their luggage. A young woman who was also on the plane collapsed and had to be taken off the jet, according to the man from Palmerstown in Dublin.

When the family and the other passengers were eventually allowed to disembark at about 8.30pm, most of them had to stay at the airport as there was no transport. The family was still in the departure lounge at 2am when the man’s children began running temperatures. An ambulance was called and the whole family was taken to Temple Street where the children were treated.

“They (the paramedics) were brilliant. They got us into the ambulance, brought us to hospital and stayed with us. They said it was their 40th call to Dublin Airport,” the man said. He and his partner finally made it home with their children at about 4.30am.

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Ryanair demonstration on how to publicly humiliate passengers

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, are well known for their draconian behaviour when it comes to carry on luggage restrictions.

However, this often results in creative ideas by passengers intent on getting round any extra charges.

A group of young ladies were recently filmed as they were forced to unpack as much of their luggage as possible, putting on many layers of clothing just so that their bags fit in the carry-on luggage “sizing” contraption.

Whilst the video is hilarious, it does also highlight just how ridiculous Ryanair’s rules are. The same total weight is still boarding the aircraft proving that this is simply a way of generating extra revenue based on the fact that many passengers will simply cough up the cash to avoid the humiliation.

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Ryanair accused of providing ‘slave contracts’ for Norwegian cabin crew

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, have featured heavily in the Norwegian press over the last few days regarding employee conditions that one anonymous cabin crew member refers to as “slave contracts”.

Moss-Avis, a Norwegian news website, spoke with the unnamed Ryanair employee this week about the issues that staff face. He said that if Ryanair found out who he was that he would be fired.

The problems he highlighted include low wages of about 1300 Euros per month. This is so low that the Norwegian immigration authorities did not believe it was possible for someone to live on such a meagre amount.

It has also been reported that cabin crew at Ryanair will be paid only for the hours they are in the air.  Any delay or cancellation results in no pay. And then, once you’re in the air, the pressure is reportedly very high for the crew to sell as much as they can with some staff on commissions.

Read the full story on Moss-Avis at: http://www.moss-avis.no/nyheter/ikke-la-ryanair-fa-fred-1.5728125

We’ve provided a translated link too, for those that don’t speaky Norgy: http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=no&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moss-avis.no%2Fnyheter%2Fikke-la-ryanair-fa-fred-1.5728125

Other links reporting the same story:
http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/10/19/nyheter/innenriks/fly/arbeidskontrakt/13908019/

http://www.f-b.no/nyheter/snappet-arbeidskontrakt-ut-av-hendene-pa-journalist-1.5729808

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Ryanair attempt to shut this website down fails

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Ryanair, the World’s most hated airline, have recently taken us to a Nominet domain name tribunal over the usage of the domain name for this website.

Unfortunately, Lyingair won the dispute on a small technicality concerning £322 generated through affiliate deals, but never fear, we have already moved the site to it’s new home on www.ihateryanair.org and will continue to provide you with all the latest on how this pathetic excuse for an airline will attempt to extract cash from you through sneaky hidden charges, fly you to places that are not where you actually want to go and leave you stranded when the cr*p hits the fan.

This is apparently worthy of the “top story” position on the Daily Mail website.  Oooh, how exciting. We’re off to spend the £322 on booze to celebrate!

We are yet to decide on whether or not to appeal the decision, it costs around £3000 to do so, which could be used instead to buy 16,000,000 Ryanair flights (not including booking fees, credit card fees, baggage fees, bus from the airport in the middle of nowhere etc).

If you think we should appeal against these bullies, let us know. Better still, donate £1 to help us pay for it!





Please update your bookmarks and if you have a website, link to us at our new home of www.ihateryanair.org

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If you have any comments, please leave them below or email us at [email protected]

More to follow, but in the meantime we’d love you to take part in our poll below…


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