STAN-STILL
Massive Ryanair queues at Stansted cause passengers to miss their flights – ahead of fresh strikes this Friday
PASSENGERS flying on Ryanair from Stansted are facing lengthy queues to check in today – some as long as the entire terminal, and the airline is blaming it on last night's thunderstorms.
Videos and photos taken by customers have shown long lines to check in bags, with one customer claiming there is “just one man” in charge of check in and others saying they missed their flights because of the long wait.
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A video posted by user @UrbanEASTa is captioned: “This is the Ryanair check in queue this morning at #stansted airport... Happy Holidays.”
In the comments section underneath, a passenger called Marie Miri has replied revealing that she missed her flight as a result of the long queues.
She wrote: “We missed our flight because of this after queuing for hours, nobody there to help us no customer service, we now have to head home.”
Another passenger called Martyn Chambers wrote: “@Ryanair 4.30am queue the entire length of the terminal building at Stansted. Other airlines minimal queue. Total fail. #ryanairfail.”
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Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner was also travelling from Stansted, and tweeted about the queues as well.
He wrote: “So this is what @Ryanair "Priority" looks like. Pay €7 extra not to queue but sit for 40 minutes on stairs? #joke #noannouncement #paytowait.”
Another Twitter user called @missgochicoa wrote that she was frustrated she had been charged for the flight that she had missed due to the queues.
She wrote: “Hey @Ryanair! You trying to charge me for a flight that I missed because of YOU and YOUR incompetence is a downright cynical. Get your s*** together. This has been the line at #StanstedAirport since 4:30 this AM. #Ryanair.”
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A Ryanair spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: “Due to forecast thunderstorms at Stansted yesterday, Ryanair took the decision to cancel 28 flights in order to give customers time to move to alternative flights and to minimise congestion at the airport.
“Affected customers were notified by email and SMS text message and advised of their options of a refund or free move to the next available flight.
“A knock on effect of this weather disruption has caused some delays at check-in desks at Stansted this morning. Ryanair sincerely apologise for these weather disruptions and further delays which are beyond our control.
"There have been no cancellations from Stansted today."
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They continued: "All customers affected by yesterday’s weather cancellations were notified by SMS and email which included their options as well as a link to an automatic refund or option to move themselves to the next available flight.
"There are some delays at check in desks as a number of customers return to the airport to be re-accommodated."
Sun Online has queried why the returning customers would cause queues at the check=in desks, not the customer service desks, but haven't yet received a response.
The airline faces fresh travel chaos this Friday as Irish, Swedish and Belgian pilots go on strike.
146 flights have been cancelled, which will affect 25,000 passengers, with 104 flights to and from Belgium cancelled, 22 to and from Sweden and 20 to and from Ireland.
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A Ryanair spokesperson said: “As FORSA have called a fifth strike by a small minority (25 per cent) of our Irish pilots, we regrettably have cancelled just 20 (7 per cent) of our 300 planned flights to/from Ireland on Fri August 10.
"All 3,500 affected customers were notified by email/SMS earlier last week (August 3) and will be readily re-accommodated (or refunded) on other Ryanair flights between Irish and UK routes.
"We have received strike notice from pilot unions in Belgium and Sweden for Friday (August 10) and have regrettably cancelled 104 (to/from Belgium) and 22 (to/from Sweden) out of over 2400 scheduled flights across Europe next Fri (10 Aug).
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"All affected customers were notified by email/SMS last week (3 Aug) and will be readily re-accommodated (or refunded) on other Ryanair flights.
"We apologise to our customers for the disruption these unnecessary strikes will cause.”
Sun Online Travel has all the latest on the strikes this Friday here.
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