A 55-year-old woman from Gloucester, Ann-Marie Murray, faced a humiliating ordeal when she was escorted off a Ryanair flight by police after being unable to pay £7 for the snacks and drinks she ordered on board. The incident occurred during her flight from Tenerife to Bristol on March 28, where she found herself unable to complete the payment using the in-flight card machine and had no cash on hand. Despite her attempts to resolve the issue, police were called to intervene, leading to her removal from the aircraft.
Murray expressed her disbelief at the situation, emphasizing that she had not displayed any disruptive behavior and had made genuine efforts to make payment, both through tapping her card and offering to pay in cash upon landing. She felt embarrassed by the turn of events, stating that the incident had tarnished what was supposed to be a special four-night birthday celebration trip with her partner.
Additionally, she pointed out a prior incident she had witnessed on another Ryanair flight involving payment troubles with the same bank’s card, expressing shock at the airline’s handling of such situations. Although she eventually managed to pay the £7 with assistance from the police, the experience left her feeling indignant, leading her to vow against flying with Ryanair in the future.
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In response, Ryanair defended their actions, citing the passenger’s failure to follow crew instructions, consumption of items without payment, and subsequent disruptive behavior as grounds for involving law enforcement. Nonetheless, police clarified that it was a civil dispute and took no further action upon arriving at Bristol Airport.