A couple from Kilmarnock has been embroiled in a two-year legal dispute with Ryanair after a suitcase went missing during a trip to Copenhagen in September 2023. The airline is now contesting a court order to pay £4,425 in compensation, branding the award as 'ludicrous and excessive'.
Rosie McGrane, 56, discovered her suitcase had not arrived after landing in Copenhagen for a half marathon. Despite reporting the loss and being told the bag would be delivered to a friend's address in Denmark, it never arrived. The suitcase contained a custom Saltire flag bearing the name and picture of her late brother, which she intended to wear while crossing the finish line.
Upon returning home, Rosie and her husband Chris, a retired sheriff clerk, filed a formal complaint. After a year of 'back and forth' with Ryanair, the couple initiated legal action in March 2025. In July, Edinburgh Sheriff Court ruled in their favour, ordering Ryanair to pay £4,425.37, but the airline has yet to pay and has launched an appeal.
Ryanair claims it was not notified of the legal action and therefore could not mount a defence. The couple's attempts to enforce the decree were met with difficulties when sheriff officers were told at Edinburgh Airport that all staff were subcontractors, despite Ryanair branding being present. Chris McGrane described this as 'corporate smoke and mirrors' to discourage legal claims in Scotland.
The decree has now been sent to Ryanair's Dublin headquarters, with a response deadline of October 2025. In October, the couple learned that Ryanair had lodged a recall, seeking to overturn the decision on the grounds that proper procedures were not followed. Rosie McGrane expressed frustration, noting that the lost flag held deep sentimental value and that the ordeal had marred her marathon experience.
