Sitting together on Ryanair flight: special assistance

Chris_English

Agent_C said:

Thrugelmir said:

Agent_C said:

Thrugelmir said:

Agent_C said:

There were no such cheap seats on the flights we booked - it was £14 a seat going out and £13 each return, so would add £44 to the cost of the booking.

Is this the real nub of the issue ?  You aren't willing to pay the going rate for booking now. You don't actually require special assistance as such. 

No, it's more about feeling like I shouldn't have to pay extra for having a health condition. Anaphylaxis is really scary when it happens and it comes on really quickly. 

Ryanair don't operate a business model that accounts for peoples feelings. Be a nightmare to administer peoples desire to be seated in particular seats on a plane at no additional cost. Budget airlines arelow cost for a reason. 

It's not about my feelings though is it? It's not that if I don't sit next to my partner I will feel sad, it's that I could get into medical difficulty and potentially die.

And yet you seem unwilling to pay £14, which is strange.

If it’s so serious, why take the risk, for the sake of such a small amount?

soolin

If this is such a concern why do you value your own health so little, surely paying for the cheapest seats you can for peace of mind is a small price to pay, it will also save you a lot of stress as well. I can’t imagine your insurance was cheap, I assume you did explain to the insurers how dangerous this could be especially if abroad in strange surroundings, and I imagine that put your premium up a lot. 

Upsidedownandaround

Agent_C said:

Upsidedownandaround said:

Is this a medical condition that requires you to never be on your own or have a carer permanently with you?

If not then I can't see how you can justify them making an exception for you.

It depends if I'm in a situation where I can control my exposure to potential allergens, for example at home. In a plane there is no way to remove myself from contact with something I'm allergic to so I would not be able to travel alone. I can't expect Ryanair to provide an allergy free flight so the best accommodation is for me to be able to take my medication in my hand luggage and for my partner to be sat next to me so he can monitor me and be there if needed. They can do that very simply by allocating seats together. 

If that is the case then I would ask your GP to provide you with a letter to that effect so you can give it to Ryanair when you contact the higher authority.

As it stands i don't think you will get anywhere by simply telling them you may have an allergic reaction and you need to have your partner next to you to monitor you just in case.

With all due respect there are a lot of people that have medical conditions that could arise at any time and they would prefer to have someone next to them to monitor them and be there if they are needed.

I can understand why Ryanair wouldn't make an exception for you unless you have something from your doctor explaining you need someone there.

You need to be realistic. They are not going to waive seat fees simply because you tell them you have to have your partner next to you because of a medical condition you have.

Giantdaz74

My partner gets assistance through the airport and up and down the plane steps, i get an allocated seat next to her for free usually on the back 2 rows but she has mobility problems and can't get up steps, they never ask for proof or evidence so i guess it's more to do with her needs rather than a blanket wide policy with the airline. Iused to get priority boarding too but now i have to pay for that but at least we are seated together, maybe the trick is to request one of the available options for special assistance rather than trying to get them to give you it for a reason they don't state.

GingerTim

Isn't the issue here that anaphylaxis is not a registered disability, so Ryanair are within their rights not to provide a special assistance seat?

(It's something I suffer from too and yes, it is very scary. I would just pay for the seat for peace of mind.)

Agent_C

Thrugelmir said:

Agent_C said:

Chris_English said:

Agent_C said:

soolin said:

Agent_C said:

Thrugelmir said:

Agent_C said:

There were no such cheap seats on the flights we booked - it was £14 a seat going out and £13 each return, so would add £44 to the cost of the booking.

Is this the real nub of the issue ?  You aren't willing to pay the going rate for booking now. You don't actually require special assistance as such. 

No, it's more about feeling like I shouldn't have to pay extra for having a health condition. Anaphylaxis is really scary when it happens and it comes on really quickly. 

Why are you paying 'more' though? The seat cost is the same for you as it is for me, my OH is a nervous flyer and we choose to pay to sit together but we don't get our seats any cheaper than you do. What about older children, they pay if they need to sit with parents , again you are not paying more so you are not being discriminated against.

The discrimination would apply if you were expected to pay a supplement for your seats that no other person was expected to pay.

If I didn't have the medical condition, then we would take randomly allocated seats for which there would be no charge. 

Still not discrimination, you are still being treated like anyone else who wants or needs to sit together.

You aren't asking to be treated equally here, you are asking for special treatment, which Ryanair don't want to give you.

But they should if according to the civil aviation authority, if I'm a passenger with a disability I am legally entitled to support. They must provide help and assistance, which is free of charge, and helps ensure you have a less stressful journey.

Help and assistance doesn't have to include cheap seats though. There will be limited special assistance seating on every flight. That should be left available for those who actually require it. 

It's not about special seating. I don't require extra leg room or accessible seating. I can sit anywhere as long as my partner can be sat nearby. You seem to be implying that I am not genuine and if Ryanair do this then I am somehow taking away a seat from someone else, none of which is the case 

elsien

Have you actually spoken to the "higher authority" referenced in your first post, along with the suggestions mentioned on here about GP letter etc? 
I'm another one who can't see why you don't just pay it - no-one is saying you can't sit together just that there is a charge. When you add up the cost of the holiday and insurance, surely this a comparatively small proportion?
For context, when you do other activities such as go to the theatre or cinema, do you access the cheap carer seats then or do you and your husband  pay the normal amount? 

Westin

Agent_C - you have asked for opinions and the MSE community has given them.  The majority seem to see RyanAir's stance as valid and think you should simply avoid the stress and pay the seating fee if you wish to sit together.  Just because you are receiving differing views and opinions from others which do not side with your own does not make them wrong.  GingerTim sums up well. You asked, you have had responses, you should be able to now evaluate and see consensus that your view point is not shared by many others.  I can't see you winning this argument with the airline. 

Agent_C

Chris_English said:

Agent_C said:

Thrugelmir said:

Agent_C said:

Thrugelmir said:

Agent_C said:

There were no such cheap seats on the flights we booked - it was £14 a seat going out and £13 each return, so would add £44 to the cost of the booking.

Is this the real nub of the issue ?  You aren't willing to pay the going rate for booking now. You don't actually require special assistance as such. 

No, it's more about feeling like I shouldn't have to pay extra for having a health condition. Anaphylaxis is really scary when it happens and it comes on really quickly. 

Ryanair don't operate a business model that accounts for peoples feelings. Be a nightmare to administer peoples desire to be seated in particular seats on a plane at no additional cost. Budget airlines arelow cost for a reason. 

It's not about my feelings though is it? It's not that if I don't sit next to my partner I will feel sad, it's that I could get into medical difficulty and potentially die.

And yet you seem unwilling to pay £14, which is strange.

If it’s so serious, why take the risk, for the sake of such a small amount?

It's not £14 it's £43 and it's also the principle that I am having to pay extra because of a health problem. 

Chris_English

I can imagine how any conversation with the airline will go…

”I need to sit next to my friend, for medical reasons”

“That’s fine, there’s a charge of £14 on this flight for allocated seating”

”Oh, erm, I would like it for free please”

”No. Thanks for your call, is there anything further I can help you with today?”