A senior UK passenger, Maxine Haughian, felt discriminated against by Ryanair when she was asked to pay a $100 bag-checking fee, while younger and supposedly more attractive passengers boarded without facing penalties. In a Facebook post, Haughian expressed her disgust at the situation, claiming that other bags similar to hers were allowed to go through without any issues. She included a photo of a younger female passenger who was let through despite having an oversized bag, which added to her feelings of being singled out due to her age and appearance.
Haughian’s ordeal occurred while she was boarding a Ryanair flight from Leeds, UK, to Alicante, Spain. She was stopped in line to have her bag measured, even though she had flown with the same suitcase on the airline before without any problems. Despite the bag fitting within the guidance rack with only a slight protrusion of 2 centimeters, she was still asked to pay a bag-checking fee of $98, leading her to believe that she was unfairly targeted by airline officials.
In a turn of events, officials started randomly selecting passengers to charge for their bags, regardless of the suitcase size. Haughian observed that some passengers with clearly oversized bags were let through without any fees, while others, including herself, were charged on the spot. This inconsistency in enforcement led Haughian to believe that people were being discriminated against based on their appearance. She felt that the younger and more attractive passengers were given preferential treatment compared to older passengers like herself.
Despite feeling unfairly treated, Haughian was eventually allowed through without being charged extra after showing authorities a photo of the younger female passenger who had been let through with an oversized bag. She expressed her frustration and disappointment at the entire experience and believed that the airline’s policy was more focused on making money rather than enforcing rules fairly and consistently. Haughian also noted that she felt older passengers like herself were targeted because they were seen as more compliant and likely to pay the fees without protest.
In hindsight, Haughian acknowledged that she may have overreacted but could not find any other reason for being singled out other than her age and appearance. She questioned the arbitrary nature of the enforcement and reiterated that rules should be applied evenly and equally to all passengers. Haughian’s experience with Ryanair sheds light on the potential issues of discrimination based on looks and age, as well as the challenges faced by older passengers when traveling. The Post reached out to Ryanair for comments on the incident but did not receive a response.
