A RYANAIR customer was left fuming after receiving £9 of compensation from the airline after her 40 minute flight was delayed – by a jaw-dropping 17 hours.
Jemma Wood was set to jet across the Irish sea to Dublin with husband Reece and their friend Christian Newton on Saturday when the group’s plans were thrown off course by a text from Ryanair.
The 31-year-old claims the text – which was received after they arrived at Newcastle International Airport – informed them that their flight had been rescheduled from 6:05am to 11am.
However when 11am came, Jemma from Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, claims another text came in informing them of further delays.
Children’s worker Jemma couldn’t believe it as delays kept flooding in, with their gruelling wait in the airport finally ending when they boarded a flight at 12:30am the next day.
Jemma claims that the incredible 17 hour wait resulted in the trio using their short time in Dublin to simply catch up on sleep in their £300 hotel before heading straight back home.
Jemma took to social media yesterday to air her complaints, writing: “17 hour delay for a 40 minute flight. Not even sure what happened to our original flight as [it] just disappeared.
“Any idea how we claim compensation? Left us in Newcastle airport from the 6:05am original flight and then transferred to new flight at 11:15pm.
“£9 in compensation, spent 18 hours in the airport.”
The post received dozens of likes and comments from users who lended their suggestions to help Jemma out.
One person wrote: “As the UK is no longer in the EU and this is a EU law, I saw on another site this law was changing for UK Airports.”
Another said: “It depends on reasons outside Ryanair’s control (e.g. bad weather strike etc, no comp) [or] if it’s Ryanair’s fault (e.g. pilot ran out of hours etc EU261).
“If no joy, complain to Aviation ADR (free).”
A third joked: “Just walk.”
A fourth added: “Small claims, will be quicker.”
Speaking to Jemma today she said: “We got gate information on the board and it changed to delayed until 9:05pm.
“We were also unable to contact Ryanair via telephone as customer service didn’t open until 9am, and were told by staff in the airport to contact Ryanair as they know nothing.
“We were unable to contact customer service via online chat as it’s a ChatBot and to speak to customer service there were over 100 in the queue.
“The delay just kept changing hour by hour from 9:05am to 11:05am, then to 1pm, then 2pm.
“Then to 6pm and then to 11:15pm. We ended up changing to another flight after spending 19 hours in the airport.
“We were given £3 after the first 3 hours and then another £3 hours later then another £3 at around 7pm but nothing after that.
“All facilities to get food closed apart from a bar and WHSmith – you can’t even buy a meal deal for £3 – lucky to get a bottle of water.
“We ended up landing in Dublin at 12:30 on Sunday morning and had paid £300 to sleep at a hotel for a few hours before having to return to the airport to fly back again.
“We had seven hours in Dublin when we should have had a full day and night.”
“We were all just so exhausted but managed to try and stay positive and squeeze what we could – we spent a lot of money waiting in the airport.
“But, when you have taken time off work, paid to put the dog into kennels and made arrangements for the children for a rare weekend away and it’s ruined, its heartbreaking.”
