2.10.14 Ryanair Baggage Advice "Service"

I know the can of lager is something that cannot be taken on to the plane (440ml) as I need instead to purchase something on board at approximately ten times the price, but the other two items apparently are a no go.

Live Chats

Judit[11:42]#!#library

Judit[11:42]Hi TMWSC, I'm Judit from Ryanair, how can I help?

[11:45]Hi - I have just purchased from Lidl two small motoring items that I am hoping to take in my hand luggage in 4 weeks. I have checked the terms and see no reason why they would not be acceptable but would like clarification/confirmation. 1 - small 1.7kg compressor which plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter, and means I can blow up a flat tyre, and 2 – a small 0.3kg battery pack that can be used to boost a flat car battery

Judit[11:48]Is it a wet battery or dry batter included in it?

[11:50]not wet, dry. tiny thing that goes in glove box in case battery goes flat. Seems to be a glorified battery that you'd get on a laptop.

Judit[11:52]I see.

Judit[11:52]Let me check this for you.

Judit[11:57]I apologize for the wait. Thank you for your patience.

Judit[11:58]I have checked this for you, it is not possible to take it unfortunately.

Judit[12:00]Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Judit[12:03]If there is anything else I can assist you with, please come back to us.

Judit[12:03]#!#library

Judit[12:03]Goodbye TMWSC, thank you for using our Live Chat Service. You will shortly receive by email an overview of our conversation. If you do not receive this in your inbox please check your junk mail.

[12:03]What a weird world we live in . . . oh well. NB

At this point, the communication was closed, and my further point (NB) that I typed was not recorded and went nowhere.  I queried whether it was okay to take the mini compressor, and whether the advice was from Ryanair or in synch with the Security people who vet baggage at the airport.  I therefore had to try again.

Re-engage

Judit[12:10]Hi TMWSC, I'm Judit from Ryanair, how can I help?

[12:11]hi - you just closed down my further query before I could hit the button. Having declined to carry a small dry battery charger, I was left without confirmation regarding the mini compressor. This has no power, and plugs into a car's cigarette lighter. Can I carry this item?

Judit[12:17]I am sorry, but it is not possible to take the compressor either as it can contain gases.

[12:18]It contains absolutely nothing !!!! It plugs into a lighter in a car, and then sucks up air, pushing it into the flat tyre !!!!!!

Judit[12:21]I see. In this case you can take it but it cannot have pressure in it.

Judit[12:25]Is there anything else I can help you with today?

[12:25]Is this for sure, or just your opinion? I need to know that after packing my bag and arriving at Security, someone is not going to say 'no' to a simple gadget that can blow up flat tyres (and balloons) causing me to have to bin it . . ?

Judit[12:27]I have double check this for you and it is possible to take it if it does not contains gases and has no pressure in it.

Judit[12:27]If you wish you can also call the airport security and they can confirm it.

[12:29]I'd appreciate some peace of mind that your own advice is in sync with the people who are based at the Security dept, because they might have a different view on what's okay . . thanks . .

At this point I went to the loo, and upon my return, saw the Goodbye message, and had no visibility of the following four lines, and thought that Judit was actually going to check with Security.

Judit[12:30]where are you travelling from? At which airport?

Judit[12:33]Are you still there?

Judit[12:34]If there is anything else I can assist you with, please come back to us.

Judit[12:34]#!#library

Judit[12:34]Goodbye TMWSC, thank you for using our Live Chat Service. You will shortly receive by email an overview of our conversation. If you do not receive this in your inbox please check your junk mail.

At this point, I considered I had received no proper advice, and certainly nothing I could rely upon.  I therefore had to try for a third time.  I logged a chat request, and up popped Robert.  I typed an overview for him, in the hope that he would be able to add some sense to the equation, but just as I was about to hit the ‘send’ button, the facility closed!  The transcript logged is thus rather shorter than my input!

Re-engage

Robert[12:43]#!#library

Robert[12:43]Hi TMWSC, I'm Robert from Ryanair, how can I help?

Robert[12:45]How can I help?

Re-engage

David[12:53]#!#library

David[12:53]Hi TMWSC, I'm David from Ryanair, how can I help?

[12:53]I missed the answer from Judit, ref Security's comments on the mini compressor

David[12:54]How may I help you today?

[12:55]I have just typed ?

David[12:57]You cannot take it to the plane due to security reasons, if that would be the question.

[12:58]I am confused. I asked about the mini compressor and Judit said that was ok. She was double checking with Security . . ?

David[13:00]We cannot check this by the airport security you have to ask it from the airport.

[13:02]Right; Judit says, after my extensive emails, that the mini compressor is okay for hand baggage. The offer was made to check with security, so that when I pass security, I am allowed to proceed by them. Do you speak just for Ryanair, or for the Airport security who actually check the baggage for you?

David[13:03]We cannot speak instead of the airport, some items are not airline restricted items its depends on the airport if they are allowing it or not.

[13:05]What on earth is the point of me asking you if something can be carried if there's the probability that you'll say yes, and then when I arrive for my flight and go through Security, I am told I cannot take it?

David[13:08]If you would like to make sure that you can take the item contact with the airport, as I wrote some items are not airline restricted.

[13:10]This 'service' is a complete farce

David[13:11]Thank you for your feedback.

David[13:11]If there is anything else I can assist you with, please come back to us.

David[13:11]#!#library

David[13:11]Goodbye TMWSC, thank you for using our Live Chat Service. You will shortly receive by email an overview of our conversation. If you do not receive this in your inbox please check your junk.

At this point I checked my junk, and found I still had a dick and two balls, though not as much in the way of bollocks as the advice line managed.  Judit had managed not to really understand what I was wanting to carry on board, and her final ‘yes’ gave me as much confidence as might be gained from holding a cushion in front of me in the face of an oncoming train.  The speed with which any chat communication is closed (whether manually of automatically) means that unless something is actually transmitted every minute, the thread will be lost; once the screen flicks to the Thank You message, and a request to give feedback, there’s no view of the exchange.  Needless to say I ticked the “No” to confirm I was not satisfied with the responses.

In summary, there is absolutely no point in asking anything of Ryanair, or perhaps any other airline, regarding what can and cannot be carried in luggage/baggage, because it's got nothing to do with them at all. Instead, there needs to be a line to the security people who on behalf of the airlines decide what can be allowed. The conclusion is that what is acceptable under the terms for any airline must in fact be identical. I've never seen Security people say that 200ml of liquid is okay for Easyjet but not Ryanair, or that a toothpick is fine for Ryanair to Dublin but not Jet2 to Barcelona.

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