Ryanair denied boarding

ripofflondon

Hi all
Last night I was due to fly on Ryanair from Barcelona to Stansted, scheduled departure at 20.25.  The plane was late arriving and, when it did, people started boarding.  Eventually it got to only a few passengers remaining at the gate and the time was 22.26 or so.  In the mistaken belief that EU / UK 261 applies if a flight is delayed more than TWO hours (I was wrong - it's 3), I did a video with my mobile of the customer service agent's computer terminal showing the time and then turned around and pointed the phone upwards to include the big public-facing screen showing the scheduled departure time.  In the process of doing this, I momentarily caught a fleeting and blurred side view of the head of the Ryanair flight dispatcher who was standing there.  
Immediately I got told "you're not boarding this plane".  I explained that I wasn't photographing her but merely wanting to show that the flight was delayed more than 2 hours in order to qualify for UK/EU 261 compensation.  When she and her colleagues pointed out that a flight has to be delayed more than 3 hours not 2 to qualify for UK/EU 261, I said I was mistaken, that I wouldn't have done the video at all if I had known it had to be >3 hours AND repeatedly said I would delete the clip.  But she said "I don't care" and called security, who took me back into the terminal and to the Ryanair ticket desk.  
There I was faced with the choice of either buying a ticket for the next flight the following morning (EUR 77) or be stranded in Barcelona - needless to say, I had to cough up the EUR 77.

So - I know I don't qualify for UK/EU 261, but don't feel that I deserved to be denied boarding, nor  be forced to shell out another EUR 77, given that I had made clear I'd made an honest mistake, that I hadn't intended to get any of the dispatcher in the video and that I would delete the clip. 
I had to spend the night in the terminal and, because I didn't expect not to be going home last night, I didn't have any of the blood pressure medication that I need to take daily. 
So - you can probably guess my question.  Ryanair will doubtless tell me to p1ss off when I ask for a refund of the EUR 77, but just wondered what my legal position is?  

In case it's relevant, definitely there were no swear words / insults / threatening gestures involved.  

Browntoa

I think that we only have one side of the real story here 

bluelad1927

An airport is not a public place and you were probably in a no photography zone.

Even if you weren't, taking a photo of an agents screen is absolutely a reason to remove you from the flight

eskbanker

Recording or photographing our personnel, whether at the airport or onboard the plane, without their consent is strictly prohibited.

https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/terms-and-conditions/termsandconditionsar_2101223988

mr_stripey

doubtless a foolish move to film the agent's screen. Even in the case of a valid "late" claim, I assume the airlines have their own time stamps for how late the flight departed - so probably unnecessary to "film" it.

Lesson learned, and move on.

Also - it is a good idea to take an extra couple of days of supplies of meds in case you get delayed for any reason

Bicycleman22

I am sure that you either videoed the Ryanair employee more than the post suggests or the reason for denied boarding is videoing the employees screen. Either way no chance of any recompense. With regard to videoing the screen its fortunate for you they did not call the police.

ripofflondon

All - not the happiest of reading, but I am obliged for your input.  
The ONLY reason I videoed the agent's screen was for the time shown in the bottom r/h corner - there wasn't any other info on it.  
Definitely catching the dispatcher in the video was an accident - this can be seen by how fleeting, blurred and pixellated it was and as pointed out I did say I would delete it.  If you like I can upload the clip and you can see for yourselves.  

If I had upset them that badly then I would have thought that they'd have called the police - there were police around as 30 mins earlier they had been interrogating an Arab guy sat next to me waiting for the same flight.  I further doubt that I'd have been allowed to buy - and travel with - another Ryanair ticket 8 hours later.  

eskbanker

ripofflondon said:

Definitely catching the dispatcher in the video was an accident - this can be seen by how fleeting, blurred and pixellated it was and as pointed out I did say I would delete it.  If you like I can upload the clip and you can see for yourselves.

So you obviously didn't delete it then?  I'd strongly suggest not uploading it to a public location, in the circumstances....

ripofflondon said:

If I had upset them that badly then I would have thought that they'd have called the police - there were police around as 30 mins earlier they had been interrogating an Arab guy sat next to me waiting for the same flight.  I further doubt that I'd have been allowed to buy - and travel with - another Ryanair ticket 8 hours later.  

If they'd felt it necessary to involve police then they presumably could have done, and likewise if they felt that it warranted a ban on flying with them, they could have done that too, but the fact that they did neither of these doesn't make it alright, or signify that you didn't breach their terms of carriage on that particular occasion.

oldernonethewiser

ripofflondon said:

All - not the happiest of reading, but I am obliged for your input.  
The ONLY reason I videoed the agent's screen was for the time shown in the bottom r/h corner - there wasn't any other info on it.  
Definitely catching the dispatcher in the video was an accident - this can be seen by how fleeting, blurred and pixellated it was and as pointed out I did say I would delete it.  If you like I can upload the clip and you can see for yourselves.  

If I had upset them that badly then I would have thought that they'd have called the police - there were police around as 30 mins earlier they had been interrogating an Arab guy sat next to me waiting for the same flight.  I further doubt that I'd have been allowed to buy - and travel with - another Ryanair ticket 8 hours later.  

Why did you choose to compound things by lying to them?

ripofflondon

eskbanker said:

ripofflondon said:

Definitely catching the dispatcher in the video was an accident - this can be seen by how fleeting, blurred and pixellated it was and as pointed out I did say I would delete it.  If you like I can upload the clip and you can see for yourselves.

So you obviously didn't delete it then?  I'd strongly suggest not uploading it to a public location, in the circumstances....

Given that my offer to delete it was met with "I don't care" and I was still denied boarding anyway, I guess I overlooked deleting it.  

No, I wouldn't have uploaded it to a place where it would come up in a search.     

Caz3121

also for future - the departure time has no relevance for flight delay compensation, it is the arrival time that counts. Many flights may leave over 3 hours late but arrive under 3 hours late and no compensation due.