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Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Old Sep 8th 2007, 11:52 am
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Default Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Hi
I am about to book some flights with Ryanair for my parents
They normally fly Easyjet & my father requires assistance to the plane
which is easy to request & so far ( touch wood) has always run smoothly
Has anyone required assistance when flying Ryanair ?
Is it as easy to request with them & do they charge for the service ?

Regards

Chris
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Old Sep 8th 2007, 4:26 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

We flew with Ryanair to Jerez last Easter when my daughter had a broken leg. We took our own wheelchair and I have to say that to my amazement Ryanair and their handling agents at Stansted were fantastic!!! I booked the special assistance beforehand on the phone - all we required was escorting to the plane and reserved seats - and everything was perfect! I really could not fault them. We were absolutely dreading the journey but in fact it was painless. I also saw them escorting elderly passengers, one of whom was travelling alone, and they were very courteous and caring towards them too. At Jerez the airport is so small that we didn't need assistance of any sort. Good luck - I hope your journey is as good.
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Old Sep 8th 2007, 4:27 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

PS. Forgot to mention the service was free!
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Old Sep 9th 2007, 7:12 am
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by louisaj
PS. Forgot to mention the service was free!
Well I am amazed, I though they charged for everything as extras, start with 1 € and end with 60€`s.
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Old Sep 9th 2007, 1:56 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

My mum has had special assistance with Ryanair a number of times both from Stansted and from Spain and has had no problems.
As previously mentioned there is no charge for the service, but you need to ring them and confirm there is availability on the flight as I believe there are a limited number of spaces.
All she has to do is go to the check in desk, where they issue her with a form which entitles her to wheelchair assistance right to the steps of the plane, and again when the plane lands right into the arrivals lounge.
She usually travels on her own as well, and the staff have all been very helpful. Mind you it's not actually Ryanair staff that deal with it in the UK, as there is a special desk dealing with all airlines in the check in area.
Hope this helps.
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 8:40 am
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

They do charge, it is a built in cost that we all pay for.

But I gather they are very good as long as they are made aware that their help is needed. I am sure that all will go well.
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 2:44 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Yes, it is "free", but that is because Ryanair were taken to court about 3 to 4 years ago for charging for the service. They defended the claim by arguing it was not their responsibility to look after passengers before they got to the aircraft - the court disagreed. So, ever the gracious loser, Mr O'Leary put a 33p "Wheelchair" levy on every ticket sold - that's £60 per full 737 (see here http://gospain.about.com/od/transpor...nswchrlevy.htm). It costs Ryanair about £18 per wheelchair user traveling through Stansted, the actual process of getting the passenger through the airport is contracted out. Now, I fly as a passenger quite a bit and I rarely see passengers using wheelchairs, so simple Maths suggest that Ryanair are using the presence of disabled passengers on some of their flights and the excuse that it is to cover the costs involved in catering for their needs to make a nice little profit, though they may be able to produce figures to rebut this (see here http://gospain.about.com/gi/dynamic/...ixtrvhome.html ). But what more do you expect of them? Just be thankful they don't try to give your parents the shopportunity to buy a scratchcard en route from check-in to gate!
As I always say about Ryanair, what they do they do very well - it's just they won't do any more than get you from A to B, you gets what you pay for.
HG

Last edited by silverchick; Sep 10th 2007 at 2:46 pm. Reason: Add a link for more info
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 3:04 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by silverchick
Yes, it is "free", but that is because Ryanair were taken to court about 3 to 4 years ago for charging for the service. They defended the claim by arguing it was not their responsibility to look after passengers before they got to the aircraft - the court disagreed. So, ever the gracious loser, Mr O'Leary put a 33p "Wheelchair" levy on every ticket sold - that's £60 per full 737 (see here http://gospain.about.com/od/transpor...nswchrlevy.htm). It costs Ryanair about £18 per wheelchair user traveling through Stansted, the actual process of getting the passenger through the airport is contracted out. Now, I fly as a passenger quite a bit and I rarely see passengers using wheelchairs, so simple Maths suggest that Ryanair are using the presence of disabled passengers on some of their flights and the excuse that it is to cover the costs involved in catering for their needs to make a nice little profit, though they may be able to produce figures to rebut this (see here http://gospain.about.com/gi/dynamic/...ixtrvhome.html ). But what more do you expect of them? Just be thankful they don't try to give your parents the shopportunity to buy a scratchcard en route from check-in to gate!
As I always say about Ryanair, what they do they do very well - it's just they won't do any more than get you from A to B, you gets what you pay for.
HG
Vote with your bums, fly with another airline. ;-))
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 3:23 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by jdr
Vote with your bums, fly with another airline. ;-))
Well voting with my bum
I have looked and looked but i can never beat Ryanair flights prices I dont mean by just a little I mean a lot. We are coming back for a week in December, 1st to the 8th, it has cost us in total 40 euros. We dont have lots of baggage and have got the baggage thing to a minimum. I looked at alternative airlines, no one can even come close. I dont mean by a few Euros, it is 5 times as much and I would have to travel to Malaga and park the car. I would use another airline if they could get near the price.
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 3:39 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by gallerie9
Well voting with my bum
I have looked and looked but i can never beat Ryanair flights prices I dont mean by just a little I mean a lot. We are coming back for a week in December, 1st to the 8th, it has cost us in total 40 euros. We dont have lots of baggage and have got the baggage thing to a minimum. I looked at alternative airlines, no one can even come close. I dont mean by a few Euros, it is 5 times as much and I would have to travel to Malaga and park the car. I would use another airline if they could get near the price.
We always find Squeezy jet comparable by the time you add on all of Ryanair extras. ;-))
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 4:46 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

I can confirm that Ryanair certainly used to charge for providing wheelchairs for passengers, as I used to work for the Disability Rights Commission's casework service in England and we advised and assisted the complainant with the case against Ryanair. Their record with regard to assisting passengers with disabilities is disgraceful and accounted for by far the greatest number of complaints we received about any airline - and we all know how helpful and sympathetic Ryanair's "customer services" (I use the inverted commas on purpose) staff are to anyone who complains about anything, if they can be contacted at all.
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 4:48 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by gallerie9
Well voting with my bum
I have looked and looked but i can never beat Ryanair flights prices I dont mean by just a little I mean a lot. We are coming back for a week in December, 1st to the 8th, it has cost us in total 40 euros. We dont have lots of baggage and have got the baggage thing to a minimum. I looked at alternative airlines, no one can even come close. I dont mean by a few Euros, it is 5 times as much and I would have to travel to Malaga and park the car. I would use another airline if they could get near the price.
I agree, you'll have a job matching their prices. The problem comes if there is a problem. If I remember correctly, when asked about what people who had complaints were supposed to do as Ryanair doesn't have a department to deal with this, Mr O'Leary said something like, they can f*** off and fly with someone else. Ryanair is good for price and, if it goes OK, they're OK. But if it doesn't you are liable to be dumped with or without bags with little or no chance of redress.

HG

Last edited by silverchick; Sep 10th 2007 at 4:49 pm. Reason: To attribute to HG not Silverchick
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 5:24 pm
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Smile Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by jdr
We always find Squeezy jet comparable by the time you add on all of Ryanair extras. ;-))
Hi jdr,

We have now worked out how to remove all O'leary's furtive add-ons some are quite difficult to get off! We also have pared our lugage back to maximum carry-on size cases which with either weight allowance is sufficient for us for about 10 days. So far so good. lets look at the whole package though.

Nearest airport to Milton Keynes Luton about 25 mins 1/4 tank of fuel round trip. Nearest airport to CE Faro about 45mins cheap hire car rates.

Second choice Stansted 1hr 15 mins 1 tank of fuel round trip and Seville 1hr 45 mins cheap hire car rates. We think that the Stansted/Seville route cost about £50 more in additional travel costs and another £40 in parking (people are prepared to drop off and pick up at 25 min distance but not at 75 min).

What this means is that O'leary has to beat squeasyjet by about £80 to £100 for the two fares to compete. Sometimes he does that but not often.

We always book as early as possible and have a target of between £45/£55 each ticket and have made that over about the last two years with squeasyjet out of Luton but if we need to go at short notice we always get a ryanair price for comparison and they have on occasion been better than squeasyjet.

For a record attempt the last trip was for me out of Luton at 07.05 the day after the Glasgow bomb fiasco. Got up at 05.30 Luton 06.15 checked in online so straight through about 5 mins at security then long treck to gate boarded at 06.35 departed 07.05 landed early picked up hire car at 09.35 at Faro checked in to hotel in Monte Gordo at 10.30. Could not believe it!

Coming back 4 days later hire car had a puncture on the morning of departure plane was an hour late taking off late for landing slot and luton was choked but you win some you loose some!

Regards,

John.

Last edited by EsuriJohn; Sep 10th 2007 at 5:26 pm.
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 5:47 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by silverchick
I agree, you'll have a job matching their prices. The problem comes if there is a problem. If I remember correctly, when asked about what people who had complaints were supposed to do as Ryanair doesn't have a department to deal with this, Mr O'Leary said something like, they can f*** off and fly with someone else. Ryanair is good for price and, if it goes OK, they're OK. But if it doesn't you are liable to be dumped with or without bags with little or no chance of redress.

HG
I agree. But we have flown with them now I would think 6 return flights and all our visiters have used them. and honestly not a problem. As long as you know the baggage allownce and follow it, no problem, actually the last twice flying back we were over but no one bothered.
Just hasten to add and we have never paid more than 35 euros return.
My sis her husband and there 3 boys came in the middle of august and it cost them 279 pounds not bad for 5 people to have a holiday for 2 weeks,
I would love another choice but there isnt one to match his price,
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Old Sep 10th 2007, 7:14 pm
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Default Re: Has anyone had special needs assistance with Ryanair

Originally Posted by John & Kath
Hi jdr,

We have now worked out how to remove all O'leary's furtive add-ons some are quite difficult to get off! We also have pared our lugage back to maximum carry-on size cases which with either weight allowance is sufficient for us for about 10 days. So far so good. lets look at the whole package though.

Nearest airport to Milton Keynes Luton about 25 mins 1/4 tank of fuel round trip. Nearest airport to CE Faro about 45mins cheap hire car rates.

Second choice Stansted 1hr 15 mins 1 tank of fuel round trip and Seville 1hr 45 mins cheap hire car rates. We think that the Stansted/Seville route cost about £50 more in additional travel costs and another £40 in parking (people are prepared to drop off and pick up at 25 min distance but not at 75 min).

What this means is that O'leary has to beat squeasyjet by about £80 to £100 for the two fares to compete. Sometimes he does that but not often.

We always book as early as possible and have a target of between £45/£55 each ticket and have made that over about the last two years with squeasyjet out of Luton but if we need to go at short notice we always get a ryanair price for comparison and they have on occasion been better than squeasyjet.

For a record attempt the last trip was for me out of Luton at 07.05 the day after the Glasgow bomb fiasco. Got up at 05.30 Luton 06.15 checked in online so straight through about 5 mins at security then long treck to gate boarded at 06.35 departed 07.05 landed early picked up hire car at 09.35 at Faro checked in to hotel in Monte Gordo at 10.30. Could not believe it!

Coming back 4 days later hire car had a puncture on the morning of departure plane was an hour late taking off late for landing slot and luton was choked but you win some you loose some!

Regards,

John.
I think that is the secret, book the flights while they are cheap and hope they suit you when the time comes, if they are cheap enough then its not a lot to lose if you can`t use them. ;-))
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