Ryanair is an airline I have flown to Spain once. It is also an airline I would never fly again.
After all, while they may be cheap, when Ryanair treats both passengers and cabin crew terribly, why would anyone want to support them, let alone fly with them or work for them?
Apparently, Ryanair cabin crew feel the same way this month, as thousands are now on a two-day strike due to low pay and poor working conditions. A strike that has caused Ryanair to cancel over 300 flights in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy today.
The airline is also expected to cancel 300 more flights to the same four countries tomorrow, Thursday, after five unions are now on strike at the Irish low-budget airline.
Flight cancellations have affected more than 100,000 passengers who were supposed to be flying on Ryanair flights today. Some passengers were put on other flights, while others were forced to apply for refunds and look for other ways to reach their destination.
Refunds they are likely to have a hard time getting, if Ryanair’s history of issuing refunds in the past is anything to go by.
Spain is the country that has been the most affected by the Ryanair strike, with more Ryanair flights flying into and out of Spain than any other European country.
This is not the first Ryanair strike in 2018 either, as staff has been complaining for years about paltry incomes and poor working conditions. Complaints that have already ended in several other strikes earlier in the year.
In other words, if you plan on flying into or out of Spain on Ryanair, or anywhere else in Europe, you may want to think again as there is no guarantee your cabin crew will not be on strike when you arrive at the airport for your flight.
As for the unions, one of their demands asks Ryanair to give contractors the same working conditions as their employees. Something the airline does not currently do.
As many people working for Ryanair are contractors, this affects a substantial number of people in the airline’s workforce. Hence, the strike.
Ryanair pilots in Ireland are also currently on strike, due to similar complaints about working conditions. Irish pilots are on their third day of strikes. A situation that has negatively affected almost 3,000 passengers so far.
No wonder Ryanair is currently ranked the sixth worst airline on the planet. Particularly as it is also an airline that does not always stick to international safety regulations in its attempts to cut costs.
So much so, even Ryanair’s own pilots have warned about serious safety concerns about the airline in the past.
All of which leads to the question, why would you ever fly Ryanair? And, if you do, why would you be surprised when their cabin crew or pilots are on strike? Again.
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