Amidst the controversial flight-cancellation drama wracking Ryanair this week, the airline could do with some good press... But they committed another customer service sin on Wednesday by reportedly kicking a woman and her support dog off a flight for no clear reason.
Sophia Costabal, who suffers flight anxiety, and her little support dog Hamilton were escorted off the flight from Valencia to Ibiza minutes before it was due to take off. Sophia and Hamilton were seated and ready to fly before they were approached by three people, whom Sophia believes were a stewardess, the pilot and a man responsible for checking boarding passes. Despite Sophia having passed through check-in with no problems and carrying all the relevant documents allowing Hamilton to travel with her, including a confirmation email to say her service dog was confirmed on the flight, the pair were ordered to leave the plane and were left stranded in the airport with no talk of a refund or a rearranged flight. She was forced to book a ferry to Ibiza, and says the incident has cost her around €250 (£220).
Speaking about taking her pup on board to ease her flight phobia, Sophia, from Miami, said 'I think it is a lot more common in the States and I knew I should check the situation over here so I had it all confirmed that it would be ok. Then I was kicked off the flight. There were ways it could have been handled and they were so rude. There was no solution, no explanation and no desire to help me.' She said that Hamilton is 'very little and very calm', therefore posed no problems to staff or other passengers.
Sophia explained that before traveling to Spain, Hamilton was checked by a vet, microchipped, and had his travel documents approved by the US Department of Agriculture for travel to Europe.
Service dogs like Hamilton are trained to assist people with disabilities, and help people who suffer from PTSD, major anxiety issues and phobias.
Ryanair's website says that guide/assistance dogs are allowed on all intra EU/EEA flights and domestic flights, as long as the dog has a pet passport or official veterinary health certificate.
As Sophia waits to see if she will be able to fly Hamilton to Barcelona with Ryanair before going home to the US, more of the airline's customers may find their holidays cancelled as pilots reject payment to work on their days off.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.