DAVID CARROLL,
A Chara, - As a long-time advocate and defender of Ryanair as a decent, well-meaning provider of cheap no-frills flights, may I now apologise to all of those whom I deceived so horribly.
Having waited from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and then 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Stansted Airport to get on a standby flight, being told each and every time that of course I would get on the next flight, seeing ticketed passengers receive their boarding cards right up until the 30-minute "deadline", knowing seats were still available, and each time being told that no standby tickets would be issued as there was not sufficient time for us to make it to the plane, despite the last ticketed passenger being within slapping distance casually sauntering off with boarding card (which took 30 seconds to produce) in hand, it eventually dawned on me that this airline really does not give a damn about what situation people may be in trying to get home (some for over 24 hours), and have either no idea about, or no interest in, customer service.
Mr O'Leary, basic human customer service, not to mention simple manners, are not "frills". I will never, ever fly with Ryanair again. - Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL, Castle Gate, Dublin 2