Crutches on Ryanair

Charlie_P

Hi
I guess this is not really a money saving question but having phoned 'Customer Services' on their 10p a min line and got cut off 3 times, it was becoming a costly exercise, so I am hoping someone can answer this question.

My son broke his leg some weeks ago and had the plaster removed last week but his leg is still a bit stiff and sometimes still needs to use his crutches. Can he take them in the cabin or do they have to be packed?

Hope someone knows the answer.

Many thanks

Liz

ynot2005

my father in law took his crutches on board with him and put them in the overhead locker during the flight, infact he has done it several times both with ryanair and easyjet with no problems

peterbaker

I travel Ryanair a lot. I would wonder about this too, but reading between the lines I don't think this would be a problem in your case. I would simply be tempted to arrive in good time and smile a lot and talk in relaxed tones!

The biggest hurdle is airport security I would guess. I suggest that your son doesn't wave his crutches around at the check-in because that might tempt some check-in staff to try to make a decision about them! I wouldn't ask check-in about them.

The one fear with Ryanair I guess is that someone decides to define him as disabled and bump him off the flight because they didn't know about him. They only allow 4 disabled per flight. They are only really likely to do that at check-in I would have thought.

I am assuming your son is a teenager and you are travelling with him? That's obviously a plus - your son obviously is more mobile than some "able-bodied" people and has you to shepherd him!

I don't actually know how security might handle crutches. Might be worth calling BAA at Stansted? Airport. That ought to be a cheaper and more successful call than Ryanair's 10p a minute I would have thought. I imagine crutches are fairly routinely allowed through the scanner.

The final hurdle is at the passport check at the gate - again, make sure your son isn't hamming up his disablement too much on his crutches! The trick is for you to hand over the boarding cards and passports and for your son to be counted through as they examine the passports and boarding cards (carrying rather than using?) his crutches hardly attracting a second glance. Once past the simple gate check I would assume your problems are over.

At the aircraft your son will probably be up the steps before anyone tackles him about crutches. They will almost certainly let them go at that stage (I think I saw an unwrapped scanned guitar in the cabin the other day so a couple of obvious scanned crutches ought to be ok!). I don't think they will put anything in the hold unless it has a luggage tag attached (the pushchairs that you commonly see at the bottom of the steps have usually received a luggage tag at check-in).

As I say, arriving in good time to 1. Check in and 2. Clear security will allow you a little contingency time if someone chooses to tackle you about the crutches. I can't imagine it's much of a problem though.

Anyone think or know differently?

ynot2005

nothing to worry about at all, no need for any cloak and dagger tactics, nothing to worry about at check in, security, or at the gate, im sure they will insist on the crutches being in the overhead locker and you cant sit in an emergency exit

dont check in the crutches, just take them with you

no problems at all, over several flights all from stansted

moonrakerz

I hear O'Leary has introduced a "crutch charge" to prop up his lousy airline !

:rotfl: :rotfl: