Missed flight due to departure gate not being announced.

Mamitch

Yes, gate numbers can be found by checking the various apps and websites, but most people rely on the departure boards, hence the crowds sitting in the departure lounge. The airline app is great if you have booked the flight but when your flight has been booked by an agent, your boarding pass doesn't show in the app. Those people who booked directly with the airline will have made the flight as they will have been given the gate number via the app.

Having checked with my insurers this morning, it appears that I would have been covered had I been delayed getting to the airport but once inside the airport, the responsibility shifts to the airport authority. I have made a complaint to the MAG and await their response.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936700#Comment_81936700

They are but if its saying it will be updated at 16:40 and its now 17:10 and still saying the same thing something has clearly gone wrong and Im not sure how you've been comfortable ignoring the problem for 30 minutes. Sure if it says 16:40 and its now 16:41 then not immediately going to say its wrong but certainly by 16:45 I'd be twitchy and would have looked at other sources before 16:50

Unfortunately, contrary to some people's belief, there often is at least an element of personal responsibility and sometimes it's the majority of the responsibility.

Isthisforreal99

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936700#Comment_81936700

Absolutely some blame attached to OP (and the group of 6). Not one thinked to look at the airport website or if there are 6 split up and do a reccy of the gates and find it. Think they took the 'relax' bit too far.

TELLIT01

I've been to a number of airports where gate numbers aren't announced. They are shown on the boards and it's up to the passenger to keep an eye out for information.

As others have said, if the majority of passengers made the flight it would seem the information was available somewhere.

To stand much chance of the insurer paying out you would need written confirmation from the airport that all screens had gone down, along with the time period they were down, along with confirmation that announcements weren't being made.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936781#Comment_81936781

The insurer won't pay, queues at airports, failures of baggage systems, failures of boards are not insured perils, as their own insurers have already explained to them

Aylesbury_Duck

What happened to your luggage? You checked that in so it would have been loaded onto the plane. In my experience, airports put out numerous calls for no-shows at the gate because they can't allow unaccompanied luggage to fly, for obvious reasons.

I'd have thought that if lots of people missed the flight (and there were six in your party, to start with), there would have been quite an effort to trace the passengers because no one wants the delay and cost of finding and offloading people's luggage. Given it's Ryanair the majority may not have had checked luggage, I suppose, but there were six people in your party with luggage on the flight.

elsien

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936700#Comment_81936700

From my perspective, these are helpful questions to ask (taking the blame element away), because it’s very likely that if they try and claim against the airport, the airport be asking the same so they need to have clear answers and timescales.

Renfrewman

I would have been rattling/chapping doors and not being relaxed… Common sense! It used to say India on the tyres of Buses…the buses did not go anywhere near India!

Mamitch

Thanks everyone for your advice. I can see with hindsight that I should have been more proactive after the 16.40 deadline had passed. The bags were removed from the plane and we were able to retrieve them by showing the boarding pass. Lesson learned!

Woodstok2000

Definitely continue to push the airport company for some compensation though - it seems like there were definitely mitigating factors in play too.