Couple barred from boarding flight by Ryanair, leaving them £500 short due to ambiguous passport regulation
In a recent incident, a British-Irish couple, Christina and Cameron Finn, faced a challenging situation while attempting to travel from Dublin to Belfast on a Ryanair flight. The couple, who were traveling with their sick five-month-old baby, found themselves in a predicament due to Ryanair's strict identification policies.
The Irish airline states that all passengers traveling between the UK and Ireland are required to carry a valid passport when flying with them. However, this policy contradicts the Common Travel Area agreement between the UK and Ireland, which allows British and Irish citizens to travel freely without passports or visas.
Despite having no issues with their driving licenses during a previous easyJet flight to London, the Finns encountered trouble when they tried to use their licenses as a form of identification on their Ryanair flight. The couple was forced to pay £500 due to the confusing rule enforced by Ryanair.
Upon arriving at London Stansted Airport, the pair was asked to pay a £55 fee for not checking in online. They were informed by Ryanair staff that their only option was to buy last-minute flights to Belfast, costing £500.
Ryanair has defended its actions, citing the passengers' failure to check in online and their refusal to pay the required airport check-in fee. The airline has also stated that it is within their rights to impose their own strict ID policies.
However, the Finns argue that under the Common Travel Agreement, passports and visas are not required by British and Irish citizens traveling between the two countries. Christina felt treated like a "second-class citizen" due to the ordeal.
It was later discovered that no visa or passport is required by British and Irish citizens for travel between the two countries, as confirmed by the government website. The embassy worker also stated that airlines are allowed to impose their own strict ID policies.
For passengers planning to travel between Belfast and Dublin on Ryanair flights, it is crucial to ensure that their passports are valid to avoid refusal of boarding. The airline does not accept driving licenses as a valid form of identification for these routes.
| Travel Route | Acceptable ID on Ryanair Flights | |-----------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Belfast ↔ Dublin (UK-Ireland) | Valid passport only | | Driving licenses | **Not accepted** |
Ryanair has been contacted for further comment regarding the incident and their ID policies. This incident serves as a reminder for travelers to carefully review airline policies and ensure they meet all requirements before embarking on their journey.
The Irish-British couple, Christina and Cameron Finn, encountered difficulties traveling from Dublin to Belfast on a Ryanair flight due to the airline's strict identification policies, despite having no issues with their driving licenses during a previous easyJet flight. This predicament arose because Ryanair requires all passengers traveling between the UK and Ireland to carry a valid passport, a policy that contradicts the Common Travel Area agreement between the UK and Ireland.
