Ryanair

Profit Before Customer Service As Always!

Friday 5th October and I'm writing this while waiting for my wife to arrive at Carcassonne airport from East Midlands. She left this morning on Ryanair flight FR1612 at 7.00am which was scheduled to arrive at 9.55am. Unfortunately, due to fog the flight has been diverted to Bordeaux - yes, that's Bordeaux on the west coast, over 330km away! To put this in perspective, it's the equivalent of flying to Luton and being dropped off at Edinburgh. An absolutely insane decision which can only have been made for the benefit of Ryanair, for there are many closer airports. I receive the following frustrated text updates during the next 8 hours:

11.10am - 40 minutes after landing, still on the tarmac while the captain deliberates whether to take off again or not.
11.30am - they've disembarked and are waiting outside of the airport.
2.00pm - 2.5 hours later, two coaches arrive for the 4 hour trip to Carcassonne. Promised food & drink vouchers never authorised.
4.30pm - coaches stop for driver's half hour rest period.
6.15pm - after a total journey time of 10 hours, coaches arrive at Carcassonne.

While I don't hold Ryanair responsible for an act of God, I do expect the Company to try to minimise the impact when things go wrong. To abandon a plane load of passengers, 330km from their destination and to fritter away their day is nothing short of contemptible. These passengers had plans, appointments and commitments all of which were obviously of no consequence to Ryanair. It's well known that the basic principles of Customer service are not recognised by Michael O'Leary. But as they say - "every dog has it's day". No company can continue to treat it's Customers with such indifference and survive long term. Customers vote with their feet.

We, along with many others on this flight, will never travel with Ryanair again, even if the alternative is to pay three times the price. I don't make a habit of writing reviews or trashing company service, but then I had over 8 hours to kill and this is as bad as it gets. My wife and I are so incensed with our treatment today, that if I can drive just one nail in to the coffin of Ryanair, it will have been worth the effort. Customers deserve better!