An elderly couple have expressed shock after being charged £110 by Ryanair for printing their boarding passes at the airport. Ruth and Peter Jaffe, aged 79 and 80, from Ealing, mistakenly downloaded their return tickets instead of their outgoing ones before a flight from Stansted to Bergerac.
Mrs Jaffe told the BBC's Today Programme that she found Ryanair's website confusing but believed she had successfully printed the correct tickets. At the airport, she was informed she had to go to the Ryanair desk, where she was charged £55 per person. 'I was horrified,' she said, adding that the situation was distressing for her husband, who has difficulty walking.
The couple's daughter posted about the incident on X, formerly Twitter, calling it an 'honest mistake' and criticising the airline for charging £110 for '2 pieces of paper which took 1 minute.' The post went viral, with over 13 million views, sparking widespread complaints about Ryanair's fees.
Consumer rights expert Martyn James said the case 'touched a nerve' as many others have faced similar unexpected charges. He argued that it is 'deeply unfair to penalise people who made an innocent mistake' and urged airlines to reconsider such fees.
Ryanair defended the charges, stating that the couple failed to check in online despite receiving an email reminder. The airline said the fees were in line with its terms and conditions, which passengers agreed to at booking.
The Jaffes have complained to Ryanair but do not expect a refund. Mrs Jaffe acknowledged it was a genuine mistake but noted the difficulty for elderly people not brought up with computers. Mr Jaffe added that the couple also had to pay extra to sit together due to his disability.
