Ryanair rip off

barneybubbles

My wife and I travelled to Spain last month and before we went the guidance on BBC news was on return to take a lateral flow test two days after return . On returning from the Spanish airport we were asked for a passenger locator form. I asked to do it on the plane or on return to UK. Ryanair staff refused and told me that it was my responsibility to keep up to date with the current UK government regulations. The upshot was that I had to pay £632 for 2 return flights to UK. I have therefore paid for 4 return flights (for 2 people) to UK and my wife and I have only been on one flight. I should therefore be entitled to a refund of the flight that Ryanair refused to let us on. Has anyone had a similar problem with this wonderful caring airline!

emmajones1976

Nope they are right, this is your own fault. You could have done it before checking in at the Spanish airport and it would have taken you all of ten minutes to do so, and then rejoined the check in queue.

Any other airline from Spain would have also refused you: Jet2 were also checking we had them the other week at check in (wouldnt even issue a boarding card until you had filled it out) as an example. 
You clearly had some knowledge as to fill in the Spanish form before you left the UK, so why did you not check what the requirements were the other way round?

No idea how you would have done it on the plane with no data connection, either.

Westin

Sorry. Agree with above. This one is down to you. You are responsible for searching and completing all necessary travel requirements.  The PLF is not that new either.

barneybubbles

Emma ,have you tried to do two of these forms on a mobile phone, without having seen the form before, in a relatively short space of time, and as I put in the discussion ,I thought that the BBC news was correct and all that was required was the test two days after. I agree I should have checked before arriving at the airport, my fault, but my point is I have been charged twice for the same flight and should have been offered a reduction in the price of the return flight the next day.Ryanair staff were rude and inconsiderate  

Brie

paid twice for the same flight?  or paid for a second flight that let you travel without the paperwork?

emmajones1976

barneybubbles said:

Emma ,have you tried to do two of these forms on a mobile phone, without having seen the form before, in a relatively short space of time, and as I put in the discussion ,I thought that the BBC news was correct and all that was required was the test two days after. I agree I should have checked before arriving at the airport, my fault, but my point is I have been charged twice for the same flight and should have been offered a reduction in the price of the return flight the next day.Ryanair staff were rude and inconsiderate  

You filled the form in to get into Spain, yes? How did you fill that in? How were you made aware of that form?

At least you agree this is your fault. Its in the terms and conditions of EVERY airline that it is the customers job to check entry requirements and be eligible to enter the country.

As for the staff at the airport....well they are probably under ridiculous pressure now, having to deal with all this extra bureaucracy, and dont have time to be dealing with people who dont have the correct paperwork. The staff being curt with you wont get you a refund, nor will their refusal to let you bend the rules and fill in the form on the flight or in the UK arrivals hall.

Take this on the chin as a life lesson, and move on

emmajones1976

Brie said:

paid twice for the same flight?  or paid for a second flight that let you travel without the paperwork?

I assume he was made to fill in the form (no idea where or how) and he missed the original flight whilst he did this. 

Caz3121

you were correctly denied boarding as you did not comply with the rules (which have been in place for a long time and is not something that was introduced whilst you are away)
The airline is required to check you have completed your PLF complete with the booking reference of your day 2 test before they can allow you to board (they and you risk fines if this is not done)
The PLF can be started in advance but can only be completed 48 hours before your flight
Ryanair change fees are such that purchasing 2 x one-way tickets would have been cheaper than paying change fee and fare difference on your existing tickets
Don't rely on random news outlets for official government information (they were likely reporting the change from PCR to lateral flow) the government site is kept up to date and is here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Before you travel to England you must:

• book and pay for a COVID-19 test – to be taken before the end of day 2 in England
• complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England

bagand96

As already explained above, unfortunately Ryanair were correct to deny you boarding on account that you did not have the correct documentation to travel.  They could themselves have faced fines if they'd allowed you to travel. Ryanair's own website has links to the GOV websites and clearly states failure to present with the correct documentation will result in denied boarding Travel Updates (ryanair.com)

Ryanair tickets are non-refundable so they would not refund you for the flight you couldn't board.  You had to buy new tickets home and would have paid a significant premium for short notice tickets, that's just how airline reservations systems work.

Other airlines would also have denied you boarding.  Whether other airlines would have been more sympathetic with rebooking you'll never know, but ultimately Ryanair aren't in the wrong I'm afraid.

Westin

What a misleading thread title….

onashoestring

OP -In this instance , by following the UK Gov rules and denying you boarding -Ryanair saved you money - had you arrived in UK without PLF ( which has been required by UK Gov since June 2020) you would have been liable for fines of £500 each , £1000 for both of you .

Ryanair can’t be expected to refund the flights that you couldn’t take because you didn’t have the correct paperwork- if you had forgotten your passport the same would have applied - they can’t sell those empty seats at such a late stage , and they can’t be expected to provide you with a free flight the next day .