The Hurler On The Ditch

You don'’t need Channel 4'’s five months of undercover filming to find out that Ryanair takes a hard-nosed attitude to its customers. Just try claiming for a pair of missing prescription sunglasses.

On the journey home from a family holiday in Italy, my prescription sunnies vanished from the zipped outer pocket of my bag after I had checked it in at Rome Ciampino airport for the Ryanair flight to Stansted. I did not notice they were missing until unpacking at home that night.

I reported the loss the next morning, via expensive phone calls (Ryanair’s number is a premium-rate line) and then faxes. Ryanair refused to consider my claim, aiming a double-barrelled shotgun at me. Bang: I had not filled in a Property Irregularity Report at Stansted, detailing my loss. Bang: I should not have packed “valuable” spectacles in my checked baggage...

I filed a compensation claim against Ryanair online....

some months later that I finally got my day — well, my hour — in the county court at Hastings. I represented myself. Ryanair sent a solicitor from London on a 100-mile day return. Expensive, but he looked young enough to pay half-fare...

It took the judge less than 10 minutes to rule in my favour. The specs had gone missing while in Ryanair’s care.