THE mother of a two-year old child was charged 484 euro by Ryanair for a booking error which she believed had been amended.
Leanne Carey, Sean Heuston Place, had to pay for a ticket for her son Seán, who had been booked as an infant.
With 30 family members waiting to board the flight, she felt obliged to pay as she was put in a position she described as, “nothing short of putting a gun to my head”. Her mother, Marian Carey, had made a group booking online for the flight to Torremolinos and was unsure whether she had booked the correct type of ticket for her grandson.
Marian called Ryanair to ensure the infant ticket she had booked was correct.
When she provided Ryanair with the toddler’s date of birth, she claimed she was assured the infant ticket booked online was correct.
However, when Leanne arrived at Shannon, she was informed that it was incorrect as Seán was over two, and a child’s ticket was required.
Leanne initially refused to pay the e484.
She and her partner decided that they could not afford to pay and they would have to stay at home with her three children.
It was only when her daughter offered to contribute some of her communion money, that Leanne decided to pay.
She was then told she could only pay using a credit card, which she does not have.
She had to bring her mother back from the departure lounge to use her credit card.
Leanne said the experience ruined her holiday and felt she was put in a position where she was obliged to pay, as 30 members of her family waited in the departure lounge.
She suffered the indignity of trying to explain to the Spanish authorities why she did not have an infant accompanying on her return flight, which took over an hour.
Ryanair refused to accept any responsibility for an incorrect booking, claiming their website is perfectly clear.
A spokesperson told the Post that all their agents are clearly aware of the difference between an infant ticket and a child’s ticket, and it is unlikely that they would give out incorrect advise.
In relation to the €484 ticket, they argued that the price of a ticket on flight day will be expensive with any airline.
Ryanair suggested that she apply for a refund if she can provide information on when the call to amend the ticket was made, and who her mother was speaking to.
