Ryanair refused Brazilian family from flying - any rights for compensation?

shapala

Hi all

Yesterday my cousins from Brazil were due to fly to Portugal from Edi to then get a flight back home to Brazil on Saturday. They had bags to put in the hold and they went through without any flag.

Again, they got through security without issue.

I then received a phone call from them during boarding and they were disconsolate as they had been told they couldn't fly - they needed a stamp on the boarding to pass to fly. They didn't have this. They don't speak any English and didn't know what was going on.

Long and short of it is that they didn't board and only thing they were offered was a flight with Ryanair on Saturday for free - that's not an option as their flight back to Brazil is on Saturday.

We've since spent a small fortune getting them a flight with Easyjet for tomorrow to Lisbon.

Anyone know if they have any kind of case to take to Ryanair for compensation for the cost of that flight and possibly new costs incurred?

After reading about it, this required stamp appears to be at the discretion of the pilot - it isn't law. Like I said, they don't speak English so didn't understand what was going on until it was too late sadly.

Sorry for the long post but would be massively thankful if anyone knows where they stand.

CommitedToChange

Quick answer is no - it is clearly stated on their website that all non EU/EEA citizens must have their travel documents checked and stamped at the Ryanair Visa/Document Check Desk before going through airport security. They were offered a free flight - that's more than lots of people get. I think from reading only Ryanair do this - but it's their plane so they can enforce any rules they want (within reason).


https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/faq-overview/passports-and-visas/im-a-non-eu-eea-passenger-do-I-need-extra-travel-document-visa-checkall

shapala

CommitedToChange wrote: »

Quick answer is no - it is clearly stated on their website that all non EU/EEA citizens must have their travel documents checked and stamped at the Ryanair Visa/Document Check Desk before going through airport security. They were offered a free flight - that's more than lots of people get. I think from reading only Ryanair do this - but it's their plane so they can enforce any rules they want (within reason).


https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/faq-overview/passports-and-visas/im-a-non-eu-eea-passenger-do-I-need-extra-travel-document-visa-checkall

The issue they also had was that it was self checkin for the hold luggage they had and we helped them with that due to language barrier and there was not one person at the Ryanair desk for check in. How can they get a stamp if there's no one at the check in desk as after reading it needs to be done there. They didn't have much time to spare for security etc.

After checking, it does appear it's only RA that enforce this.

Voyager2002

CommitedToChange wrote: »

Quick answer is no - it is clearly stated on their website that all non EU/EEA citizens must have their travel documents checked and stamped at the Ryanair Visa/Document Check Desk before going through airport security. They were offered a free flight - that's more than lots of people get. I think from reading only Ryanair do this - but it's their plane so they can enforce any rules they want (within reason).


https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/faq-overview/passports-and-visas/im-a-non-eu-eea-passenger-do-I-need-extra-travel-document-visa-checkall

Dead link: I think the link below leads to the page quoted:

https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/faq-overview/Travel-documentation/TnC-what-travel-documents-are-accepted-by-Ryanair

phatbear

So there was no one checking people in for the flight, ie check in desks, and there was no ticket desk in the airport?

Bottom line is your family didnt comply with the t&c's so how is this ryanairs fault?

Voyager2002

shapala wrote: »

The issue they also had was that it was self checkin for the hold luggage they had and we helped them with that due to language barrier and there was not one person at the Ryanair desk for check in. How can they get a stamp if there's no one at the check in desk as after reading it needs to be done there. They didn't have much time to spare for security etc.

So: Ryanair are within their rights to insist that non-EU passengers visit their visa check desk (so that they can save money by not training gate staff about visa requirements), but clearly should ensure that the desk is staffed whenever they are operating a flight. If the desk was not staffed then presumably the rules about denied boarding would apply.

phatbear

Voyager2002 wrote: »

So: Ryanair are within their rights to insist that non-EU passengers visit their visa check desk (so that they can save money by not training gate staff about visa requirements).

I have no idea about the set up in edi but where i work the gate staff arent employed by the airlines anyway they are airport employees

shapala

Thanks everyone.

It's worth asking and I didn't think they would receive anything - wife and I had something similar re Visas once before and obviously that was down to us. Shame they're leaving on an (expensive) bum note but it's an expensive lesson learned.

stoneman

I sympathize with you as I!!!8217;ve had an issue in the past with Ryanair with this, but I!!!8217;m afraid they will dig their heels in and you will have to take them to court to get them to budge.
For those that don!!!8217;t know about this process (which I do) I can give you an example of how you might not know where or who to go to to get the stamp put in.
At BHX there is self bag drop, there are no longer any staff there to check you in so God knows what would happen if you don!!!8217;t bring your docs with you. You weigh and load your own bags using your boarding card into a scanner. There is someone there to help but they do not do any physical checking.
I am a US citizen and dealt with this only the other day. My boarding pass had in big red letters at the top that I had to have my passport checked, not stamped. I weighed and tagged my own bags, put them on the belt and a girl gave my boarding pass a cursory glance and said no more.

Fortunately for me I know by past experience that I needed to take my passport to the service air desk for the stamp, why Ryanair staff at the checkin desks couldn!!!8217;t deal with this is beyond me. So even though the girl mentioned nothing I said !!!8220;so do I still have to go to the service air deskl?
Her reply, !!!8220;oh yeahl!
Now if I had gone through to board and got refused are you telling me it would have been my fault because I didn!!!8217;t follow their rules?

stoneman

Voyager2002 wrote: »

So: Ryanair are within their rights to insist that non-EU passengers visit their visa check desk (so that they can save money by not training gate staff about visa requirements), but clearly should ensure that the desk is staffed whenever they are operating a flight. If the gate was not staffed then presumably the rules about denied boarding would apply.

I think you are totally correct on this. Denied boarding without a doubt. I bet at EDI they have to go to the service air desk as well but of course if there are no RA staff there to tell them where to go they wouldn’t have a cats chance of defending it.

shapala

stoneman wrote: »

I think you are totally correct on this. Denied boarding without a doubt. I bet at EDI they have to go to the service air desk as well but of course if there are no RA staff there to tell them where to go they wouldn’t have a cats chance of defending it.

Yeah, that's basically what happened. They flew with EJ this morning without any Q's or issues so thank god for that.

They don't speak a word of English so we got to the airport, told them where to go for security and said our goodbyes the other day. We didn't check their boarding passes, which in hindsight we should've done as we probably would've have noticed it, to see that there is a mention to say a stamp is required. Since they can't understand English, they didn't realise. Like I say, an expensive lesson for them.

On a slightly more positive note, they will get the APD back and they'll see about what can be done re compensation with their travel insurance when back in Brazil next week.