Our summer vacation in Galicia, Spain, and northern Portugal was picture-perfect. However, our return flight on Ryanair quickly turned into a nightmare due to overbooking. We experienced two days of airport frustration, including armed police involvement, being rerouted through another country, denied food and drink, and receiving contradictory information about our flights and rights. Though we were not affected by the recent air traffic control issues, our delay was solely the responsibility of the airline.
We had booked and paid for our August flight in February, at full price (€228 for a one-way ticket from Porto to Dublin), and even purchased priority boarding. Overbooking is a common occurrence among airlines, where they intentionally sell more seats than available, assuming some passengers won’t show up, allowing them to maximize profits. Ryanair had done just that by booking us on a Boeing 8200 with 197 seats but supplying a Boeing 800 with eight fewer seats.
Given that Ryanair is consistently flying at near-full capacity, each overbooking situation adds to the misery of customers. Under normal circumstances, airlines are supposed to ask for volunteers to take a later flight, offering incentives such as cash or flight vouchers. However, this was not the case with Ryanair.
The trouble began when we checked in for our flight and received seat numbers “00” with a note stating that our seats would be assigned at the gate. If you ever receive a “00” seat on Ryanair, be concerned. Upon arriving at the gate, the situation worsened. The flight was delayed, and Ryanair began boarding passengers. We presented our tickets but were told to stand aside, as our seats would not be assigned at the gate as indicated. When I questioned why Ryanair wasn’t asking for volunteers to fly later, the agent stated they couldn’t be bothered and instructed us to stand aside. I showed him the Irish government’s guidelines on asking for volunteers in overbooking situations, but he disregarded our concerns.
Soon after, several armed police officers arrived at the gate, and we, along with other passengers, were escorted to a different location in the airport. Eventually, we were marched through the airport by the police and released once we cleared security. At the Ryanair helpdesk, the situation continued to deteriorate. The only way Ryanair could get us back to Dublin was by flying to London Stansted the next day, waiting for seven hours, and then catching a flight to Dublin. When I suggested flying with TAP Air Portugal and getting home earlier, the agent claimed Ryanair would not cover the cost if we chose another airline. This was incorrect, as experts in airline compensation state that carriers should provide the next fastest route, even if it is offered through another company.
Next, we waited over an hour while the agent tried to find a hotel room, ignoring the reasonably priced options I had found on Booking.com within seconds. A different Ryanair representative escorted us to the bus to take us to the hotel, mentioning that overbooking issues were becoming more frequent.
The following morning, exhausted and hungry (as I have a gluten intolerance and had little to eat), we returned to Porto airport. Thankfully, our flight from Stansted departed on time. However, upon arrival, we had to go through UK border control and re-enter the airport. At the main Ryanair helpdesk in Stansted, they informed us that the earlier 7:10 pm flight was fully booked, and we had to take the 9:35 pm flight. They also claimed Ryanair had no obligation to provide us with food and drink vouchers, despite the EU261 compensation rules stating otherwise.
Refusing to give up, I approached another Ryanair helpdesk airside and received contradictory information. This representative said there were four empty spots on the 7:10 pm flight and that they would provide us with food and drink vouchers upon returning in an hour.
Finally, 26 hours later than our scheduled arrival, we landed in Dublin and sought our €250 compensation. It was a challenging process, as I had to take the lead to secure it. Despite our ordeal, I will still fly with Ryanair in the future. As the CEO, Michael O’Leary, once said at a press conference, “Ryanair’s booking system is full of people who said they would never fly Ryanair again.” Living in Dublin, where there are no trains to the continent, Ryanair remains the dominant airline, and alternatives are limited. I have learned to check in as soon as possible and not solely rely on Ryanair staff for accurate information, as they may not provide it. However, I acknowledge that not all Ryanair employees are terrible, as many try their best to assist customers.
We reached out to Ryanair with our questions, and they provided a brief statement stating that due to technical issues, they had to change the aircraft from an 8200 to an 800, resulting in a small number of passengers being moved to the following day’s flight. They claimed that they provided all necessary care, accommodations, meals, and compensation in accordance with EU261 regulations, which was €500 in this case.
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