ryanair flight missed due to airport queues

paddyrg

The airline pays for the check-in staff for the flight - if they didn't pay for enough staff , then it's hardly the airport's fault. I'd say deal direct with the airline. Must say, I have found RA somewhat trying in the past and wouldn't touch them with a bargepole ever again, hope you get a better result.

jkkne

Stansted recommend the following which you were well within

http://www.stanstedairport.com/stansted-airport-guide/checking-in
How early to arrive

Please check your ticket or contact your airline for advice on checking-in times. The following timings provide a general guide only.

• Long-haul flights: Check in three hours prior to scheduled departure.
• European scheduled flights: Check in two hours before scheduled departure.
• UK and Ireland flights: Check in two hours prior to scheduled departure.
• All charter flights: Check in three hours before departure.

Have you got proof of time you arrived? Anyone else in the queues?

For your info, Swissport handle Ryanair at Stansted

Here's the Station Managers' details


Station Manager: Name: Richard Prince Phone: +44 127 966 2316 Fax: +44 127 966 2580 E-mail: [EMAIL="richard.prince@swissport.com"]richard.prince@swissport.com[/EMAIL]

Jeff_Bridges_hair

ILW wrote: »

Fly BA first or business and you go around all the queues.

London city airport is the winner though.

Where possible use them

scattygirl24

OlliesDad wrote: »

Was there anybody else in the same situation for your flight or was it just you?

No it wasn't just me, I hope others take the time to complain as I have.

scattygirl24

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

The same thing happened to me... I politely asked people if they would please let me queue jump as I was about to miss my flight.. several did, until I encountered a horrible, snobbish, hard faced woman who said 'NO, we've all had to stand and wait!' (she was on a later flight, it transpired, so had nothing to lose by letting me through) her horribly arrogant teenage daughter then started on me saying 'you should have got here earlier, it's not our problem if you miss your flight!' etc etc - I pleaded, explaining that I had been there for hours, but had been held up, and was about to miss my flight - they point blank refused, and said it 'served me right'.

I was travelling alone, and I waited in the queue, stuck behind the horrid mother and daughter combo, and missed my flight.

I ended up in tears at one point, which is not like me at all, but it was awful to be so near to getting on the plane and miss it, and it was degrading to be spoken to like that. I was heading away for my first break in years, to visit an old friend, just for a few days and I had been so looking forward to going...

I had to waste another £150 or so to book a later flight, which was pretty dire, as I was on a very tight budget to start off with.

A lovely lady, one of the airport staff, saw I was upset, and came over and said how sorry she was I had missed my flight, and gave me a hug. She said she was having a horrid day too, and her kindness was so appreciated. I did get there in the end, and it was worth it...

I think being kind to strangers is important, and I hope the actions of the hard-faced woman and her daughter would not be the actions of most... I've let people through in the past, and wished them good luck. I was grateful to the female member of staff for being so kind, and hope that she is more representative of the human race!

However, OP, sorry for the rant, but I think it is unlikely you'll get anything back - the airlines seem to have all this stuff stitched up in their favour!

Sorry to hear that you went through the same, that was a nice staff member, the ones at the airport the morning I was there were very far from nice :-(

scattygirl24

Thanks for this info. I don't think I have proof of the time I arrived but can check (not sure how we would). There were lots of other people in the queues (wish Id take some contact details).

Thanks for the station managers details, I have complained to both Ryan air and Stansted, lets see what they say.

Thanks for all that were helpful in replying :-)

jkkne wrote: »

Stansted recommend the following which you were well within

http://www.stanstedairport.com/stansted-airport-guide/checking-in
How early to arrive

Please check your ticket or contact your airline for advice on checking-in times. The following timings provide a general guide only.

• Long-haul flights: Check in three hours prior to scheduled departure.
• European scheduled flights: Check in two hours before scheduled departure.
• UK and Ireland flights: Check in two hours prior to scheduled departure.
• All charter flights: Check in three hours before departure.

Have you got proof of time you arrived? Anyone else in the queues?

For your info, Swissport handle Ryanair at Stansted

Here's the Station Managers' details


Station Manager: Name: Richard Prince Phone: +44 127 966 2316 Fax: +44 127 966 2580 E-mail: [EMAIL="richard.prince@swissport.com"]richard.prince@swissport.com[/EMAIL]

ThumbRemote

In this case I'd be taking action against Ryanair. You met all the conditions of your contract; you were at the airport at the advised time. However they failed to provide sufficient check-in staff so you missed the flight. Quite simply it is their duty to get you checked in quickly enough, just like it's their duty to let you board the plane once you're through check in.

They may subcontract part of the role to agents at the airport, but your contract is with Ryanair, nobody else.

I'd almost certainly send a letter to Ryanair explaining this, then a letter before action and small claims court. There is no way a judge would find against you on this.

The only query is proving what time you arrived. Car parking ticket? Taxi receipt? Or do you have any contact details of anyone else affected, who can vouch for the problems?

John_Jizzle

had a similar issue coming back from Morocco. We were in the queue for when the check in opened (so couldnt have been any earlier). This was slow but still left plenty of time. Security part was fine.

Then we got to the part where you have to show your passport - hundreds of people were waiting - it was super slow - they took every passport and wrote (with a pen) stuff down. About 2-3 mins a person.

Luckily we just made the flight - it was literally less than 2 mins from us sitting on the plane for it to be in the air

cardinalbiggles

ILW wrote: »

Fly BA first or business and you go around all the queues.

Absolute nonsense.

At Heathrow you are as well going in the normal queue. At other airports only some have priority queues that are actually save you any time. In my opinion security isn't something that there should be a priority line for anyway.

knightstyle

Hang on, it isn,t always the airline checkin queues that cause delays, we have had to queue for nearly two hours at security queue at Nantes airport.