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Ryanair and Easyjet passengers told "you can fly home, but not with your bags"
Earlier this week, 10 million Spanish workers went on strike to protest changes to workers rights and pensions. As usual, the strike shut down airports, forcing most European air carriers to cancel their flights. Once the strike was over, it took several days for things to get back to normal. As airlines struggled to get enough planes back to Spain to pick up passengers, both Ryanair and Easyjet had a bad message for their customers - you can fly with us, but you can't bring your luggage with you.
Most of the passengers were given absolutely no warning about this, while others only got a few hours notice. As tired vacationers struggled to find ways to get their possessions sent home, others had to give up and just leave their things at their hotels, without the chance of ever seeing them again.
One passenger left over $1,500 worth of clothes in Gran Canaria, a very quick way to completely spoil what was supposed to be a fun vacation. As is becoming common with low cost carriers, they showed that they really don't care by saying little more than "sorry for the inconvenience".
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
HH Oct 3rd 2010 4:57PM
I assume there was no alternative, but to restrict all ramp services, by these Carriers. This being due to Spanish Unions, and their members.
Re-posting a uninformed article. What is the purpose of this?
Scott Carmichael Oct 3rd 2010 6:10PM
What is the uninformed part? As a passenger, I don't care what the reason is - if I'm told that I can fly, but I'll need to abandon my baggage, I'll be annoyed and tell them that is not an option. If an airline is not capable of transporting people along with their bags, then they should simply delay the flight until they CAN load bags. The alternative is that they offer passengers a hotel until they can find some ramp workers.
I'm amazed anyone would actually try to justify that these airlines did to their customers.
The "alternative" the airlines picked was the wrong option, and one that you simply can't demand of passengers. Of course the Unions were to blame - but the carriers were ultimately the ones that decided to fly anyway.
Angee Oct 4th 2010 11:28PM
You're a moron. Which part of this was uninformed?? After reading this I would never fly with this airline. So I consider myself pretty informed. Other airline passengers should refuse to fly with Ryanair. I'm wondering if the passengers were compensated at all...
Susan Oct 4th 2010 9:46PM
I would get a class action suit against this airline and I never would have gotten on these airplanes at all. If you pay for the services, you should get them or give me my money back and I will file aa suit against you for loss of wages, etc that you have caused me to have. People should have banned together at the airport and dealt with this situation and not gotten on the airplane at all.
This company should be banned from running their business and fined for breaking some sort of airline laws that must have something to do with regards to the services that are to be given to the customers since they have paid for them before they are to get them. The customers paid for something they did not get, to be flown home "with" their luggage and all belongings. This airline should be barred from flying any airplanes and fined until they can run their business with the proper services they are supposed to be giving, as they collect the money for it.Picket this airine and ban them.
Dorothy Oct 5th 2010 4:05AM
Have you ever been a part of a class action suit of this kind, Susan? First of all, if passengers are catching a flight out, my guess is that they wouldn't have the time to be collecting information from all the other passengers. Class action suits take years to be settled and one of this sort, a person wouldn't get back what they may have left behind and would only be a slap in the face for the person that left $1500. in just clothes. I was involved in one with an airline. After about 4 years or more, I received $100. in travel vouchers, though it couldn't be used for "one" trip. Only $25.00 per ticket and had to be used within one year. They never got used. Another was with a charge card that overcharged with fees charged when out of the country. I received about $20. & my daughter never did get hers. A third time, I recieved $25. voucher, actually no physical voucher, just an e-mail from the company toward a booking fee, that has to be used within a year and I doubt if I will get to use that either. Such suits as these only make the lawyers rich.
har223 Oct 4th 2010 9:46PM
Flying is a chore now. This is a perfect example of the attitude of airlines toward passengers and the growing attitude of passengers toward carriers.
Marshall Oct 4th 2010 10:05PM
This is exactly why we need reliable charter airlines. More of them to compete
with such airlines like Ryanair.
laontour Oct 4th 2010 10:23PM
I understand being backed up due to Unions (the scourge of the earth) BUT they had more than enough time in this day of cyber communication to get the word out.
Just about everyone picks the text option on a flight. This wasn't a 3rd world country they do have a postal service. What is wrong with Mailing bags home? They should have supplied boxes for suitcases or mailing labels and had a postal truck there to take everything but carryon's. As usual the airline had its head up its A$$
Dusty 754 Oct 4th 2010 11:02PM
Ryanair again? Maybe people should just stop flying with that joke of an airline and let it just fade out of existence.
Fortunately we don't have that problem in the US. Of course we don't have Ryanair or Easyjet either.
However, your luggage could have been shipped UPS or FedEx or the European equivalent.
crksr Oct 4th 2010 11:03PM
I can't see any justification for the Airline's actions. Granting that they were experiencing an unusual situation, they could have asked the passenger to leave their bags with the airline for later shipment. The question is, Are there any authorities in Spain.? Can carriers do as they please.? No consumer protection in Spain.? Travelers beware, stay away from Spain.
sajwife Oct 5th 2010 1:17AM
I'd sure has heck want the luggage, and to see just how many of my clothes I could put on to get them home. I've long bought really cheap underwear and tossed them in the trash as I wore them..so no worry. I think I will try and find a way to insure what I travel with anymore. Multiple shoes would be difficult, but I'd sure as heck get the clothes on. I travel with knit, crushable pieces, so they will go on top of one another. do they make men's stuff out of the same thing? Rick Steves, where are you?
bpante Oct 4th 2010 11:34PM
Look at the bright side there are worse airlines out there than Ryanair and Easyjet. Spirit is the worst, they just stranded people for weeks with no warning. Their Pilots are the dregs even Ryanair and Easyjet wouldn't hire. Every time you turn around they are trying a new scam.
bpante Oct 4th 2010 11:37PM
I gues you never heard of Spirit Airlines. They make these guys look good.
Jake Oct 5th 2010 12:36AM
Long security lines to practically being forced to disrobe at the check points, baggage fares to seat fees; late flights, late arrivals and missed connections - causing you to arrive sometimes many hours after your due time, which are all met with nonchalantness by the airline employees - - - flying is no longer enjoyable at all.
I drive or stay home.
Lois Lee Oct 5th 2010 2:00AM
My husband and I used to travel often. We are not going to be scared off by terrorist threats. However, travel on airlines has become difficult for us. We are senior citizens......in good health. I would attribute some of the problems to airline personnel. They seem to make no effort to make checking in easier for us. I've resorted to bribing SkyCap and most of the time, to no avail. The only exception has been the attitude of Southwest Airlines. They are less hassle and act like they are happy to see us. Their cross country flights are half again as much as other airlines such as Delta or US Air. One short flights, we fly Southwest. Cross country, we endure stressful tedious flights on U.S. Air or Delta.
lebb Oct 5th 2010 2:42AM
At least they did apologize.
ruthsgardens Oct 5th 2010 2:48AM
Well it is safe to say that some of you don't even know what is going on. Beings there are many seperate issues being bundeled into one story. And the story is not found here.The majority of the 10 million spanish workers that went on strike are non-union workers.That's right.Blame the unions instead.Easyjet only has 1400 union workers.Almost all of the union workers for these companies are the pilots and crew members.The rest are non-union.The non-union workers started this back in 2005 wanting a pay raise.The companies began bouncing the numbers.For you people that hate unions,this is what it is all about.For the non-union worker that says "we want a raise." The company replies,"times have been slow and we are not showing a profit, so no."And that is that and there is nothing else a non-union worker can do except strike. But now when workers utilize their right under federal law to unionize for better wages,pensions and benefits, things are different.A company cannot just blow off union workers like that even though they will try.Because now there is a law backing workers and a National Labor Relations Board to.A non-union worker can still file with that board,but they better have a lot of money and time.As the company will drag it out for decades.But they can't do that to union workers.When workers unionize, they sign bargaining agreements with their employers.The companies books are opened and the lies about no profit are swept away.If the books looked fixed they can be challenged to be audited.Then the company has to deal with the federal government about falsified documents.But when the bargaining agreement has been reached and signed by both the employer and workers, it is a legal binding contract.If either party breeches it,it falls under the provisions of the contract and will be upheld in court.What is upsetting is when issues like this arise,non-union people blame the union workers for everything.They are the same as you,except they took a stand and joined together for better wages,pensions and benefits.When the non-union employees strike,the company blames the union for instigating it.It couldn't be because the non-union workers are barely making over minimum wage now could it?When the volcano in iceland erupted covering all of europe and some of asia, the companies blamed the unions for not getting passengers to their destination.These companies blamed the union workers for a breech of contract stating that the union workers had to pay compensation to all the fliers instead of them.A volcano emits lava(slag).It also emits slag ash into the air.That greyish, black billowing smoke along with high levels of sulphur.The majority of slag ash is silica.Without getting deeper into the chemistry, it is a very insulative material.It will knock out power grids and everything.So if union pilots and crews were to try and fly through the cloud with passengers to get them to a destination,it would be met with deadly consequences.All instrumentation would fail,the engines would choke and the passengers would choke on the sulphur.Even though the companies tried this,the EU which has nothing to do with workers unions,tried to use this as a tactic to consolidate companies.In other words,no competition.That is the same push that just happened here in america and still is going on.Forcing steel mills and autogroups to consolidate.Once there is no competition, a government can take control.The profits will become theirs.Once all governments begin doing this as they are now,will bring forth the one world government.The one world order as most of you know it by.What is the only thing standing between it? Union workers.They created the competiton.They prospered our own country after the great depression.That created the middleclass.Once the unions middleclass is gone,there will be only rich and poor.Then the government will take over.And the rest of the governments in the world will take over.The the one world governemnt will take over.Don't think so?
Fred Oct 5th 2010 3:37AM
you claim Unions are the saviour of the free world. You have forgotten unions were very quickly taken over by Progressives and work hand in hand with socialists and communists to undermine our social systems. Remember that any "group rights" are poision to freedom. That our founders had it correct that "Individual rights" are the key to liberty and freedom. Remember that all the worst dictators started as workers movements and mob mentality that promised the masses equality while imprisioning them.
jean-francoise Oct 5th 2010 6:00AM
After Regan castrated federal regulatory oversight powers along with U.S. unions the airlines responded by going to cattle car economics. European counterparts have maintained traditional approaches but continue to labour under the burden of union's that periodically shut their economies down. Caveat Emptor. Faced with an accompanying bagage ban you revert to next day air-cargo which is cheaper possibly than leaving it all behind. Ryan-Air I believe is about to start charging for visits to their lavoratories - so bring a Euro when you fly with them. They are indeed unique but still provide to Europeans the ability to do what traditionally was unheard of: Go to the continent for a weekend get-away. To blame them because of the right of the unions to express their anger is childish. The problem is that American's have been sold down the river by their elected representatives and finished off by greedy corporate practices.
Susan Oct 6th 2010 8:20PM
Sorry you had such bad results in your suits. However, I have one with Walmart right now and another business also. It is not about the money back you are getting it is to punish the airlines while they blow lots of money on lawyers and courts and such so then they get the idea that maybe they should not f*** with people who are their business. If we dont fly with them again and others get the word out also, then they also lose fairs and maybe this also will punish them. It all comes down to making their lives miserable like they made ours. If you got the money to file a suit on your own, go for lots over what you think you want so you will get back what yu need, pay the lawyers and all and still come out ahead by punishing the airlines or what ever business is screwing with you. What this airline should have done was get theie executives out there to do the loading to keep their customers happy and so the customers can go home with their belongings too. Taking money from a big business still hurts them and poor image by blowing it out on facebook,twitter, and internet sites is the one way to make people aware of what this company is doing. How many tickets do you think they sold after it got out what they did to passengers just wanting to go home with their belongings? I am sure there were plenty of people who cancelled their plans-tickets and made other arrangements. This also hurt this airline. The best thing we have going now if the internet, our voices and hurting them in the pocketbook. Next time they will "get someone" to load those suitcases.