Ryanair passenger fumes after being 'denied plane seat' despite having ticket

Most people have endured some level of drama while at an airport, but one man's experience left him furious, as he was apparently told he couldn't board the plane. The man alleged he was travelling from Verona to Dublin with Ryanair when he was told he wouldn't be able to get on the plane, despite having a ticket.

According to him, he was told "you booked a ticket sir, not a seat", which left him standing in utter confusion. The anonymous man opened up about the story onReddit where he detailed what he claims happened, and the story took many by surprise.

Though it may seem confusing, it appears it's not the first time something like this has happened. Earlier this year, another Ryanair passenger expressed their fury at discovering they didn't have a seat on board too.

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In the post, he said: "Checked in online, was given the status of ‘seat will be assigned at departure gate’. Got to gate, was told there was no room for me. I would not be travelling on the flight I had booked and it wasn’t cheap (Verona to Dublin).

"I asked how can it come to pass that I have a ticket, was allowed to check in, but now I can’t fly? I was told exactly this: 'Sir you booked a ticket, not a seat, so there is no room for you.' Penalisation for ‘allow random seat selection’ is real."

He later updated the post explaining that the flight he was moved to was over four hours late for departure, and was also scheduled to depart over eight hours behind schedule. People couldn't believe what happened during his journey.

One person said: "They changed it now and it’s a random allocation. I have a very unlucky friend who somehow is always refused boarding if the plane is overbooked. So she started checking in as soon as check-in opened and was still refused boarding (two months ago).

"She questioned it at the gate and they said that it is now a random allocation. System chooses random people, no matter when you check in."

Another added: "Happened to me going from Dublin to Greece. Me and a mate and two others were lucky to get on because they must have changed the plane.

"We got the last two seats and the other two guys had to sit at the back of the plane where the flight attendants sit. Ryanair say they don’t overbook but, if they change to a smaller plane, then some passengers won’t get on. I’ve been flying with them for years and this is the first time it’s happened to me."

A third replied: "Happened to me with a different airline last year. Ultimately got a hotel for the night, food, a ticket for a flight the next morning and £260 compensation. A result of only checking in on the way to the airport."

Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: "If the aircraft was changed to a slightly different design, with fewer seats, that could be why you didn’t get a seat. I noticed the difference between [an] outgoing flight to Portugal compared to [an] incoming flight a couple of weeks ago."

On its website, Ryanair confirms it doesn't overbook flights. It also clears up some things about the potential of being denied a seat. It explains: "Ryanair, as a policy, does not overbook its flights.

"However, in the unlikely event that a seat is not available for a passenger with a confirmed reservation, we will seek volunteers to surrender their seats in exchange for benefits that we and the volunteer may agree upon before involuntarily denying boarding to other passengers. If there are insufficient volunteers, and we deny you boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to the rights set out."

Ryanair also operates a random seat allocation that assigns you a seat free of charge when you check in online between 24 hours and two hours before your flight. To better your chances of getting a more desirable seat, or to boost the likelihood of remaining with your travel party, it's advised to reserve a seat at booking or during check-in.

When asked about the incident, a Ryanair spokesperson said: "We cannot comment on an unsubstantiated Reddit thread." More details about seat allocation and your rights can be found on the website.