Comments on: Ryanair: A Bird Strike, Refund Update, and A Rant http://www.studentscrooge.com/2008/11/15/ryanair-a-bird-strike-refund-update-and-a-rant/ Fri, 29 May 2009 08:29:40 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: David http://www.studentscrooge.com/2008/11/15/ryanair-a-bird-strike-refund-update-and-a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-10143 David Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:22:31 +0000 http://www.studentscrooge.com/?p=536#comment-10143 I had the same problem with Ryanair - traveling with a US passport and having to pay the "optional" airport check-in fee - and filed a complaint of discrimination with the Civil Aviation Authority in Britain and with the European Union's consumer protection agency. They are required by both British and European law to not discriminate against people based on national origin. However, the likely outcome of that, according to a response I got from CAA, is that they will investigate this fee and, if it is discriminatory, they will require Ryanair to change its practices. Essentially, Ryanair gets a free pass on charging that fee until it is pointed out to them that it's illegal... which doesn't help you or me any... but I would file a complaint with the authorities too, in the hopes that it helps some future traveller. Oh, and just don't fly Ryanair ever again. If everyone simply did this, they would evolve some basic humanity in their operations... or die out. I had the same problem with Ryanair – traveling with a US passport and having to pay the “optional” airport check-in fee – and filed a complaint of discrimination with the Civil Aviation Authority in Britain and with the European Union’s consumer protection agency. They are required by both British and European law to not discriminate against people based on national origin.

However, the likely outcome of that, according to a response I got from CAA, is that they will investigate this fee and, if it is discriminatory, they will require Ryanair to change its practices. Essentially, Ryanair gets a free pass on charging that fee until it is pointed out to them that it’s illegal… which doesn’t help you or me any… but I would file a complaint with the authorities too, in the hopes that it helps some future traveller.

Oh, and just don’t fly Ryanair ever again. If everyone simply did this, they would evolve some basic humanity in their operations… or die out.

]]>