Now Ryanair refuses to board a bow
OrchestrasFrom Georgina McGrath:
I’m very sorry to share that I had a horrible experience with Ryanair today. I feel I need to share this in order to try to stop this happening to other musicians.
I was finishing a week of touring, and was travelling with a small, narrow bow case. This case easily fits on top of other luggage stowed in the overhead lockers, and does not take up any additional space. As such, double bassists are never required to either book an extra seat or pay extra to take these small cases into the cabin.
I have worked professionally for over 14 years and never encountered an issue travelling with this item. This week alone I took the same bow case on 3 other flights with no issue – one of these flights was also with Ryanair.
Today the staff refused to allow me to board with this item. They told me my options were to not take the flight, pay £60 for an additional bag charge, or they would call the police to remove my bowcase.
They were extremely aggressive, rude and confrontational. They would not allow me to finish a sentence, and were talking over me, shouting and laughing at me. They left me shaking and in tears, as can be attested by the staff who greeted me on the flight, who were horrified to hear how the gate staff had behaved. The staff onboard were the complete opposite – they took extra care to check I was ok during the flight, and the supervisor came to see the bowcase in question and confirmed there was no reason for the treatment I received from the gate staff.
There was no reason for the denial of taking this small item on board, and there was absolutely no reason for the nasty and aggressive behaviour of the staff, which included an older female employee literally laughing in my face. The gate staff refused to give me any details such as their staff numbers to add to this complaint.
They were highly unprofessional and the behaviour they exhibited amounted to nothing less than bullying. They took obvious pleasure in my distress and were vicious. Several other people boarded this flight with garment bags, which they were not charged for.
I doubt Ryanair will even acknowledge this or my formal complaint, so I fully expect I’ll need to take this to their regulators.
Such a rude and penny pinching outfit. EasyJet are always nice
So:
– you accept there is a clear limit for carry-on luggage
– you accept your carry-on luggage breaks this limit, but nonetheless you still describe it as “small”
– you accept you did not pay for your luggage when booking your ticket (and this would have only been a small amount)
– you accept you refused the option of paying the additional bag charge at the gate
– you accept you did not check with the airline prior to your flight or ask for an exception in advance
– you nonetheless feel entitled to special treatment to break the limit at the gate without paying anything, as if you deserve better treatment than all other passengers
– you are now complaining online because you did not get your way
– you are making untrue claims such as “staff refused to allow me to board with this item”, where in fact you were allowed, but you had just refused to pay when booking or at the gate
– you likewise make assertions such as “double bassists are never required to…pay extra”, even though this is in clear contradiction with the ticket you bought with your airline
– and your only excuse is “but I got away with it on the flight before”…
Your behaviour undermines those who have genuine complaints and bad experiences with airlines.
You knew you were breaking the rules and you thought you could get away without paying. You thought you were more important than the other people on that flight who either stick to the rules or pay for their luggage.
As for “shaking and left in tears”…
If you want to play a game of “can I take extra luggage without paying”, don’t go crying for sympathy when you’re challenged.
Is it wrong that airlines do not think enough about what musicians need? Yes.
Is it wrong that Georgina tried to save £30 (price is doubled at gate) by not adding her bow to her booking, then played the victim when she was called out? Yes.
If the bow exceeded the length maximum for carry-on items, a customer should just paid the fee graciously. The fact that other airliness allowed one to exceed the limit is irrelevant. RyanAir is an ultra low-cost airline, so the flight probably cost less. This “problem” was not important enough to argue about, much less cry.
What does she want the regulator to do!? Tell Ryanair that they were wrong for asking someone attempting to bring over-sized baggage to pay for their over-sized baggage?
‘Several other people boarded this flight with garment bags, which they were not charged for.’
She sounds very confused here.
With Ryanair, passengers get a small carry-on free and can pay for a second, larger carry-on when booking.
The other passengers were not charged because they would have paid for their luggage when booking.
Her problem is she turned up without paying and hoped it would be fine, then tried again at the gate to avoid paying. It’s difficult to have sympathy for her when all she does is blame other people.