Fury as Ryanair seats passengers 'rows apart' unless they pay to sit together

es5595

I flew Ryanair on Friday (9th) and we were deliberately split at opposite ends of the aircraft, something like 5F and 28A. Multiple other couples around us had also been split, cue lots of last-minute seat swapping for those who were desperate to sit together.

As other posters had said, previously they just allocated the next available seats, you were probably together or at least close (handy if your bought food/drink that's shared), but the new system is deliberately splitting up bookings.

Most people are off on holiday or returning from holiday and apart from the mild inconvenience aren't that bothered, and aren't going to pay to sit together. The only safety concern is that, in the event of a crash landing, fire etc then loved ones are going to want to be together, and will cause a serious danger at that point to ensure they are.

I can see parents being more than happy for a 13 year old to sit alone for a two hour flight, but carnage will break loose if her mother finds out they're about to make an emergency landing or a terrorist incident occurs and she's split from her daughter. I'm sure all parents would attest to moving heaven and earth to get to their child in that sitauation, and noone is going to stop them!

buglawton

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

if the luggage has already hone through security, why is it a security issue?

Concise answer appreciated.

agarnett was of the opinion that last minute bag switches are possible, I guess that means if person A goes through security with a case, Person B can get the bag into the hold under their name. Or maybe person A can leave the scene altogether after getting their case into the hold. The new system certainly makes a mockery of the passport check that's normally done when you check in cases.

jpsartre

buglawton wrote: »

agarnett was of the opinion that last minute bag switches are possible, I guess that means if person A goes through security with a case, Person B can get the bag into the hold under their name.

Of course that's possible. It's always been possible since the beginning of commercial air travel with every airline. It's not a security risk.

buglawton wrote: »

Or maybe person A can leave the scene altogether after getting their case into the hold.

Again, something that has always been possible with every airline. Chances are the bag will be offloaded if that happens.

agarnett

IAmWales wrote: »

Indeed.

So what are the risks of a security checked piece of hand luggage being put in the hold?

Think about it.

First is the 'security check' (your words) the same for what arrives at the hold one route versus what arrives via another? Hint: quarantine?

Second, what checks exist to link actual flying passengers with flying luggage via the two different processes, and are they equally bombproof? Hint: I saw two Swissport employees discussing a doubtful bag. One saw it, the other didn't, even when given a hint about the labelling.

That's the thing about Ryanair operations ... as a passenger you frequently get to stand around in unusual bits of airports and on the ramp and can see some of the rough edges created by ever changing ways of doing things their way, whereas with some other airlines you perhaps tend to be kept moving and perhaps don't get the chance to observe quite so many oddities close up!

PeacefulWaters

richardw wrote: »

Please read post #76 in this thread.

I'll pass. I only have a life expectancy of 24 months.

agarnett

You are excused PeacefulWaters, but one wonders whether taking a Ryanair trip enhances that expectancy - I can recommend a few nice Ryanair destinations if you are feeling lucky :rotfl:

coffeehound

agarnett wrote: »

Yes Ryanair have expanded their fleet from barely many more than 100 aircraft over the past 15 years or more by exclusively ordering new in batches from Boeing, but they now have some 400 aircraft and guess how old the oldest are (choose an aircraft reg no. and click to find out)

Wonder whether the executives have to pay extra to sit together on the Learjets?

Interesting that they're registered to the Isle of Man. Presumably a tax minimisation wheeze.

.

agarnett

OK now it has actually happened to us.

32C and 7D for two persons on the same booking. At least both are aisle seats so we get a head start at running towards each other in an emergency ... Thanks Ryanair ...

OK pay attention now - couple of serious airliner safety questions for everyone

• How fast must an airline be able to evacuate an aircraft safely stationary on the ground in an emergency with all exits available to be opened and used? Anyone know?
• OK next question. What's the fastest that a typically high load factor Ryanair aircraft (33 rows of 6 seats minus three in row 1) can be emptied in an emergency with a new twist - several sets of loved ones are seated at opposite ends of the aircraft and are - let me see - human i.e. they want to make sure that their loved ones get out with them?

Since airlines themselves cannot be trusted to do a proper job (more than one in MSE'ers recent experience it seems) and since regulators seem totally behind the curve also, shall we on MSE take a lead and have a common sense review of the safety test for all airlines who wish to play silly bvggers like Ryanair?

Let's take the airline's typical group booking patterns, and then redo the test with some new conditions. So let's say our new test requires that all those members of groups who book together - be they golfing mates, sports teams, or schoolchildren with supervisors, or families - should all exit simultaneously from the front, the middle, or the rear of, in this case the 737-800 with Ryanair seating plan, but not a mixture of the three. I am being easy on Ryanair and not insisting that group members exit from the same side, so long as they can see each other exit in the immediate vicinity, that's ok. That's what people who care about people do. They check those in their care. They do not listen blindly to sundry young cabin attendants with unfamiliar accents. Passengers in a bit of a panic do what they think best for their people, and maybe not yours or Ryanair's finest.

How much will that add to the answer to the first question?

And whilst we are redesigning the test for a modern age, why don't we also review all these airliner tests for carriers who do not allow any free hold baggage, with one further condition - let us insist that a percentage of our evacuation test passengers act like real lo-cost passengers, and try to take baggage with them on the escape. Yes we all know that's silly, don't we? But there's often no telling the sort of silliness that arises in a panic situation especially if you add the tempting lo-cost clean getaway ingredient of "well all my baggage is above my head, so I may as well grab it". We know it is what happens with the 'lo-cost/hold baggage costs lots more' demographic. Ryanair has most baggage in the cabin, so shall we say lets assume 20% of the evacuation test passengers also take their cabin bags? Is that fair and typical?

How many extra seconds might that add?

I mean, these old standard tests could be well flawed by now when airlines mess with the decades old presumed model, mightn't they? If one thinks a little like I do, one does wonder how far we may have inadvertently headed back full circle to another Manchester 1985 type problem.

How do you armchair "safety is assured by whatever seat allocation system the airline fancies next" experts like them apples?

budgetflyer

Interesting. You have (almost) convinced me. Now, I hope you now apply the no price is too high for safety principle and pay to move next to your missus.
Just say,Ryanair, do a U turn on this, there are always still going to be the odd disappointment, due to the maths. Should their systems stop the sale if they can't allocate seats together on safety grounds?

buglawton

Agarnett has persuaded me too: even if I pay for seat allocation the next time on Ryanair, everyone else may have been allocated at random (or rather, deliberately apart). So in any kind of emergency whether on ground or air there's sure to be chaos as people focus on finding their loved ones above behaving in an orderly way. MAJOR safety concern.

For the time being I'm putting flying on Ryanair to one side and will be seeking out other airlines.