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Ryanair denied boarding

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ripofflondon
ripofflondon Posts: 111 Forumite
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edited 22 May at 1:26PM in Flight delay compensation
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.  
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  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,340 Forumite
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    I think that we only have one side of the real story here 
    Ex forum ambassador

    Long term forum member
  • bluelad1927
    bluelad1927 Posts: 393 Forumite
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    edited 22 May at 1:22PM
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    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
  • mortgageFTB
    mortgageFTB Posts: 252 Forumite
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    edited 22 May at 1:27PM
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    Definitely one half of the story here.

    The staff made the right decision. 

    You shouldn’t be photographing non-public operational screens.

    You have no chance of getting the refund.
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 31,861 Forumite
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    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
    mr_stripey Posts: 691 Forumite
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    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
    Bicycleman22 Posts: 99 Forumite
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    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
    ripofflondon Posts: 111 Forumite
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    edited 22 May at 3:07PM
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    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
    eskbanker Posts: 31,861 Forumite
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    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....

    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
    oldernonethewiser Posts: 1,846 Forumite
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    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?

    Things that are differerent: draw & drawer, brought & bought, loose & lose, dose & does, payed & paid


  • ripofflondon
    ripofflondon Posts: 111 Forumite
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    eskbanker 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.     
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