Ryanair Demands Passengers Take Financial Hit for Assisting Others on Board, Says it's Their 'Responsibility'
A doctor who stopped to help an elderly woman in distress on an Ryanair flight has been left with substantial financial losses after the airline refused to waive a £100 transfer fee for rebooking. The doctor, who was due to fly from London Stansted to Pescara, Italy, intervened when the woman fell down an escalator, suffering a broken wrist, deep cuts and head injuries.
The doctor delayed her own flight by 15 minutes while tending to the injured woman until staff and paramedics arrived. She then rebooked on the next available flight to Rome after waiting nearly six hours in the airport with her young baby. However, Ryanair refused to waive the £100 transfer fee despite the doctor's public spiritedness.
A response from the airline stated that it is each passenger's responsibility to present at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before departure and implied that if the doctor had presented earlier, she would have boarded alongside other passengers who arrived on time. The airline also failed to acknowledge its own misunderstanding of the situation.
The incident highlights the contrast between Ryanair's approach and that of community heroes like the doctor, who put others' needs before their own without expectation of reimbursement. The airline's stance raises questions about the responsibility of companies towards their customers in situations involving unexpected delays or disruptions caused by events outside of their control.
A doctor who stopped to help an elderly woman in distress on an Ryanair flight has been left with substantial financial losses after the airline refused to waive a £100 transfer fee for rebooking. The doctor, who was due to fly from London Stansted to Pescara, Italy, intervened when the woman fell down an escalator, suffering a broken wrist, deep cuts and head injuries.
The doctor delayed her own flight by 15 minutes while tending to the injured woman until staff and paramedics arrived. She then rebooked on the next available flight to Rome after waiting nearly six hours in the airport with her young baby. However, Ryanair refused to waive the £100 transfer fee despite the doctor's public spiritedness.
A response from the airline stated that it is each passenger's responsibility to present at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before departure and implied that if the doctor had presented earlier, she would have boarded alongside other passengers who arrived on time. The airline also failed to acknowledge its own misunderstanding of the situation.
The incident highlights the contrast between Ryanair's approach and that of community heroes like the doctor, who put others' needs before their own without expectation of reimbursement. The airline's stance raises questions about the responsibility of companies towards their customers in situations involving unexpected delays or disruptions caused by events outside of their control.
I'm so frustrated with Ryanair right now! They're basically saying that if a passenger helps someone out on board, they should be the one to take a financial hit 
. That's just not right. The doctor was already stressed and worried about her baby, and then she gets fined £100 for helping someone in need? It's outrageous.
.
.
! I mean, who expects to get into an accident and have to deal with medical emergencies mid-flight? Ryanair's response is just not cool, you know? 
They're basically saying that if we want to fly, we gotta be responsible for every single minute of our lives, including the 15 minutes it takes for a medical emergency to arrive 
. Newsflash, airlines: sometimes life happens, and you can't control everything.
. And what about all the other passengers who might have been affected by the delay? Should they be penalized for Ryanair's mistake too? I don't think so! Airlines need to take responsibility for their own mistakes, not shift the blame onto their customers 
.
u know i feel bad for this doc who stopped to help that old lady but it's like ryanair is just taking advantage 
it's just not right. companies should care about their customers when things dont go as planned, not just sit back and say its everyone elses problem 
.
. I mean, what's not to love about a company that expects you to take it in the teeth when they mess up? The doctor did nothing wrong, but Ryanair is like, "Hey, you're gonna pay for rebooking your ticket because you helped someone else"... like, no thanks! 
. like, who thought it was a good idea to imply that the doc should've gotten on the plane and risked her own life? 
. newsflash: sometimes things happen outside of your control, and that's when the real customer service comes in 
. Can't believe an airline would act like Ryanair does in a situation like that. I mean, what kind of company doesn't waive fees for someone who's literally saving lives on their flight? 
.
.
The airline needs to step up its game and take responsibility for their own messes, not just shift it onto the passenger 
I mean, we all know airlines are cheap, but this takes it to a whole new level. The doctor's selflessness and kindness saved someone's life and now she's the one getting taken advantage of? Not cool, Ryanair! 
ryanair needs 2 rethink its policies ASAP! like what's gonna happen 2 the doc if she didn't take time off 2 help dat woman? 
at least the airline could show some gratitude by waiving that fee. instead, they're trying 2 shift the blame on the passenger... it's just not right 
.