Ryanair have shared their brutal opinion on passengers who miss their flights and then complain to the airline, and people have said their video was ‘accurate’
Ryanair shared a hilarious video online (stock photo)(Image: rparys via Getty Images)
Missing your flight can prove an enormously frustrating ordeal, particularly when the hold-up is completely beyond your control. Delays can occur due to security complications, last-minute boarding gate changes requiring you to trek across the entire airport, or even a late taxi journey to the terminal.
However, occasionally the blame lies squarely with the traveller themselves. It’s widely understood that arriving at the airport with ample time to spare is essential to accommodate these possible setbacks, and opting to turn up at the eleventh hour or lingering so long in duty-free that you miss boarding entirely isn’t the airline’s responsibility.
And in a cheeky video, Ryanair have been refreshingly blunt about their views on such passengers. The Irish budget carrier shared a clip on Facebook in which they mockingly demonstrated what travellers who miss their flights apparently expect the aircraft to do to accommodate them.
The footage depicted a man reaching the airport precisely as his plane departed from the tarmac. He yelled in desperation and dashed onto the runway, whereupon the aircraft looped back and employed some kind of science fiction film-style beam to teleport the man aboard whilst still airborne.
Ryanair captioned it: “What passengers that miss their flight expect us to do.”
Ryanair’s candid video had commenters in stitches, with many responding with laughing emojis. Some expressed bafflement at how frequently travellers lose track of time in airports, ignoring boarding announcements and then becoming irate when the plane departs without them.
One individual commented: “Accurate!”
Another chimed in: “I would work for free in this marketing team.”
A third shared: “I watched four people chatting for like two hours in front of me whilst their gate was open and they waited until everyone boarded the flight, and then went to the gate after it was closed and started shouting at the employees. The whole time they were sitting and chatting, 10 steps, literally, from the gate!”
What to do if you miss your flight
If you find yourself missing your flight, the first course of action should be to ring the airline you’re booked with as soon as you realise you’re going to be late. This could be due to traffic en-route to the airport, other travel disruptions, or lengthy queues at security once inside the airport.
According to Which?, this can boost your chances of being rebooked onto another flight at no extra cost, or if a fee is required, it may be less than the price of purchasing a new ticket. Some airlines offer a “rescue fare” or a “rescue fee” for missed flights, but the conditions for this will vary depending on the airline you’re flying with.
You may also incur a “no-show fee” from certain airlines if you fail to turn up to the airport at all, so if you’re running behind schedule, you should still attempt to reach the airport, even if you don’t manage to board the plane.
Certain travel insurance policies might also provide cover if you miss your flight, but this will be dependent on your policy, and numerous policies don’t offer protection if it’s down to lengthy queues at the airport.
The most effective way to reduce the risk of missing your flight is to allow ample time to journey to the airport and pass through security, taking into account any possible delays.