logo
Ryanair hits back at couple who were booted off flight after a ‘hack' went wrong

Ryanair hits back at couple who were booted off flight after a ‘hack' went wrong

Metro20-06-2025
RyanAir has issued a scathing remark to a couple who complained about being booted off a flight after not paying to reserve a seat. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, 33, were due to fly from Birmingham Airport on May 1 to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long holiday and gym-mentorship event (Picture: PA) The 33-year-old said they had not paid to reserve seats, which typically costs between £4.50 and £33 per seat, because it was a short two-hour flight and they didn't mind if they didn't sit together. Everything went as normal, and the couple were first in the boarding queue when a Ryanair staff member asked them to step aside while the rest of the passengers boarded – and there was only one seat onboard (Picture: iStock/Getty) The pair protested and were eventually put on the next flight together, but not without Ryanair making a joke of the situation. Posting online, the airline wrote: 'Today is a good day to separate couples onboard.' The cheeky remark has garnered tens of thousands of likes and thousands of comments (Picture: Kennedy News) One commenter said: 'You are the reason I only fly with you when I travel with my wife!' Despite the airline's seemingly joking take on the situation, Scott and his girlfriend said they will never fly the budget airline ever again. Scott said there was 'no compassion or care' when they tried to sort out the issue, until they were told both tickets would be reimbursed if they went on the next flight together (Picture: Kennedy News/@scott.morelifecoac) The couple reportedly had to fork out another £100 for the new ticket and waited around four hours to board the next flight to Palma. Scott said he will now avoid flying with Ryanair due to the staff's lack of compassion and empathy. While a Ryanair staff member reportedly told the couple that a refund would be processed for one of the tickets, Scott claims he has still not received it or heard from the company (Picture: Kennedy News/@scott.morelifecoac) A Ryanair spokesperson said: '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). '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' (Picture: Kennedy News/@scott.morelifecoac) They added: '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' (Picture: Getty)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shocking moment Ryanair passenger sobs & hits door after being stopped from boarding as her ‘hand luggage was too big'
Shocking moment Ryanair passenger sobs & hits door after being stopped from boarding as her ‘hand luggage was too big'

Scottish Sun

time11 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Shocking moment Ryanair passenger sobs & hits door after being stopped from boarding as her ‘hand luggage was too big'

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the shocking moment a female Ryanair passenger is left sobbing on her knees after being banned from boarding her flight. The tearful woman was left hitting a door in an emotional outburst as airport staff reportedly told her that her hand luggage was too big. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A female Ryanair passenger was filmed crying and begging on her knees to be allowed to board a plane after staff banned her over her luggage Credit: Facebook/Nikolay Stefanov 6 She was left screaming, sobbing and venting her frustration over Ryanair's strict baggage policy Credit: Facebook/Nikolay Stefanov 6 Footage shows her trying to force her bag into the luggage rack by slamming it in after being told she had to pay extra Credit: Facebook/Nikolay Stefanov 6 Onlookers were also shocked by how the staff treated her with next to no compassion Credit: Facebook/Nikolay Stefanov Chaos unfolded at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria when the woman was left screaming, sobbing and venting her frustration over Ryanair's strict baggage policy. A packed flight was due to board a bus to their plane when the female passenger was stopped in the queue. Nikolay Stefanov, a witness to the shocking ordeal, said the woman was told she had to pay for extra baggage because her luggage didn't fit in the holdall. The woman refused to pay as she explained her bag could in fact fit. Footage shows her trying to force her bag into the luggage rack by slamming it in. The bag does eventually fit but the staff still refuse to let her board. She then breaks down in tears as she pleads with a member of the border police and takes a video of the bag which is now wedged inside the rack. Dozens of the passengers were seen watching on from behind a glass door which was all that separated them from the weeping woman. Determined to board, she then starts to bang on the door and ask for help as Nikolay films the sad ordeal. More staff quickly surround the woman as her begging grows louder. Moment Brit woman is dragged off Ryanair flight & thrown to floor after 'assaulting passengers and making bomb threat' At one point she even drops to her knees before placing her hand on the door as tears roll down her face. Nikolay said the whole situation "escalated quickly". He added: "She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if we didn't get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left." Nikolay said many onlookers were also shocked by how the staff treated her with next to no compassion. It has also been claimed that another passenger stood behind the woman in line was removed from the flight. A Ryanair staff member allegedly said that they couldn't let him on because "reopening the gate risked the woman trying to get on the bus". The viral footage soon caught the eye of Bulgaria's parliament. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has reportedly ordered an inspection of the airport's security cameras. Mr Karadjov is even said to have described the behaviour of employees in the video as "outrageous", reports. He has assured people that the main ground operator will be found and given the "highest fine" and a verbal warning. In response, Goldair Handling Bulgaria insisted their employees acted "professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger". The handling company released a statement to BNT News that read: "All rules regarding passengers' baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines. "Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is solely obliged to monitor compliance with these rules by the airlines. "This also applies to hand luggage, as Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is obliged to monitor the dimensions of this baggage and collect excess baggage fees. "[Staff] acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger." It comes as Ryanair's CEO is considering increasing bonuses paid to staff for spotting oversized luggage. The budget airline currently pays staff approximately €1.50 (£1.30) for stopping passengers with oversized bags from boarding the aircraft. Currently, staff bonuses for doing this are capped at €80 (£70) a month. Passengers who are unlucky enough to get caught out by the airline's staff are charged a fee of up to €75 (£65) for bringing luggage that is larger than they paid for while booking their journey. 6 The passenger was left hitting the door where the other passengers were waiting to board Credit: Facebook/Nikolay Stefanov

Hundreds of Scots left without internet and phone access due to major outage
Hundreds of Scots left without internet and phone access due to major outage

Scottish Sun

time13 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Hundreds of Scots left without internet and phone access due to major outage

Read on to find out the areas affected by the outage CUT OFF Hundreds of Scots left without internet and phone access due to major outage Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR outage has left hundreds of Scottish households without internet and phone access. OpenReach revealed yesterday that customers in Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands could face disruption to their broadband. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Homes in Shetland have experienced disruption to broadband and phone services Credit: Getty 3 Orkney has also been affected by the major outage Credit: Getty It comes as a subsea cable from Orkney to Banff sustained damage at around 3am on Saturday morning, the BBC reports. The Shefa-2 cable that was damaged and it was initially thought that up to 10,000 customers would be affected. But as engineers began to work on the issue, Openreach revealed this morning that hundreds of households have been impacted. And the issue has only affected Orkney and Shetland. Many on the islands have experienced disruption to internet and phone services. Landlines were never impacted by the outage. OpenReach said: "We'll continue to assess, but customer broadband impact is more limited than initially thought, with hundreds of customers disrupted." It added: "Landline calls were never impacted, and we'll continue to work hard to resolve and repair." A timescale for the repairs is currently unknown and will depend on a number of conditions such as wind strength and direction. Openreach apologised to those who had been affected. Major power outage hits Brit holiday hotspot as ATMs down, metros halted & people 'trapped in lifts' in chaos The cable, which links Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands to mainland Scotland, was last damaged three years ago. It happened in an incident thought to have been because of a fishing vessel.

10 freebies and discounts for pensioners worth £7,437 in August including free passports and cinema tickets
10 freebies and discounts for pensioners worth £7,437 in August including free passports and cinema tickets

Scottish Sun

time15 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

10 freebies and discounts for pensioners worth £7,437 in August including free passports and cinema tickets

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MILLIONS of pensioners are eligible for freebies and discounts this August which could save them up to £7,437. Benefits include free passports and cinema tickets, as well as extra support from health services. 3 People over 60 are entitled to a slew of savings Credit: Getty National insurance exemption When you become eligible for the state pension, you no longer need to pay National Insurance (NI). However, the amount that you save is dependent on the amount of money you earn. For example, an employee earning £40,000 must pay £2,94 in National Insurance contributions over a year. Meanwhile, someone earning £20,000 only has to pay £594. This system is in place so that everyone pays their fair share of NI. Since the average weekly wage in the UK is £687, then the average Brit over 60 stands to save a huge £1,851.20 through NI exemptions. Discounted travel Over 60s often get discounted travel too. In England, any pensioner is entitled to a free bus pass. In Wales and Scotland, the requirement for a free bus pass is simply being over the age of 60. Transport for London offers residents in the capital an Older Person's Freedom Pass and the 60+ Oyster card, which gives you free travel on any TfL service from Monday to Friday. Five tips to feed your family for less and save on your supermarket shop The only exception to this incredible offer is that the card is not valid from 04.30-09.00am. Travel remains free at anytime on weekends. Since bus prices vary across the UK, so does the amount you stand to save but an annual bus pass in London costs an eyewatering £988. Meanwhile, a senior railcard saves you can average of £96 annually and costs just £30. When combining the railcard and bus pass savings, pensioners could save a massive £1,084. Free prescriptions and eyetests NHS prescriptions are free for any Brit over the age of 60 who lives in England, Scotland or Wales. In fact, in Wales, prescriptions are free for everyone. Buying your prescription regularly and using an annual prepayment certificate can cost up to £114.50 - which means you make a huge saving when claiming your prescription for free. 3 You can get free eyetests if you are over 60 Credit: Getty Also, anyone over the age of 60 is entitled to a free annual eye test. All you need to do is book your appointment as normal and inform members of staff that you are eligible for a free test. Over 60s can save £25 through the scheme, while ensuring that they have good eye health. Pension credit Pension Credit becomes available whenever you are able to start claiming your pension. The system is designed to bolster the income of people on lower earnings. This means that the amount of Pension Credit available to you depends on how much you have eanred and your income. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) says the average amount given out is a huge £3,900 a year. Weekly incomes of £218/15 can be topped up to £332.95 - helping to support pensioners across the UK. Free TV license The TV license is used to fund the BBC, including its television channels, radio stations, iPlayer service and its news services. This is because the BBC is a publicly-owned broadcaster. Anyone using a TV must pay the licence fee, but anyone over the age of 75 - who also claims Pension credit - can have the charge waived. This could save you £174.50 a year. 3 Claiming your Pension Credit entitles you to further benefits Credit: Getty Discounted broadband People who claim their Pension Credit are often eligible for cheaper broadband. The cheapest plans available to pensioners cost just £14.99 a month, compared to the huge average cost of £26.90. Over the span of a year, this means you stand to save a staggering £142.92. Discounted water bills Social tariffs are available to those on low incomes to help them save on their water bills. Providers offer different discounted rates, with some giving you money off the regular plan and others offering a lower cost service. Your water provider will be able to provide you with more information. Free NHS dental treatment Anyone who claims Pension Credit is entitled to free NHS dental care. Make sure to phone your dentist before hand to check whether you are eligible. If you are, you could save £26.50 for a routine check up. Some dental work, such as dentures, cost up to £3.19 though - meaning you could save hundreds. Free passports Passports are offered for free by the Home Office to anyone born before September 2, 1929. Although that means most people who are eligible for the discount are in their late 90s, it still allows Brits the chance to save £94.50. Using the fast track service will incur a charge though. Discounted days out Often, people over 60 are entitled for special discounts which can help them save money on days out. The National Trust and English Heritage both offer discounts to over 65s, helping them to get outdoors. Also, you can even save on Interrail passes - which let you travel around Europe for free - by getting 10 per cent off. Cinemas offer cheaper tickets too, as do museums, allowing you to open up your world even more. Since the amount that you save is dependent on the days out you prefer, the possibilities are endless.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store