Ryanair denied a widow a refund for two plane tickets her late husband bought last year.
Yvonne Shields, 44, attempted to cancel Colin Shields’s flight from Edinburgh to Venice after he died in April.
During a phone call, a Ryanair customer service agent asked to speak to the original booker, despite being informed of Mr Shields’s death.
Mr Shields, who was tetraplegic after an accident 14 years ago, had booked the September flight for himself and two essential carers. He was due to represent Scotland at a power-chair football match.
After his death from a brain bleed, his wife contacted the airline to request a refund on all three tickets, but she was informed she could only get the money back for her husband’s £258 ticket.
Despite this, Ms Shields said she had not received the compensation.
Upon contacting the airline again, she was reportedly told that they could not give her any information on the refund unless they spoke to the booker.
Ms Shields said she had already informed them that her husband had died, even providing his death certificate and proof she was the executor of his will.
Ryanair has since said Ms Shields should have been offered a full refund of the booking her husband had made.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Mrs Shields attempted to submit a refund request on April 26 and was advised to submit a death certificate and proof of executorship.
“On 30 June, Mrs Shields was informed that a refund (£257.58) was issued and was regrettably incorrectly advised by a customer service agent who wrongly believed that the other two passengers on the booking were not entitled to a refund.
“Our customer service department would be happy to further assist this passenger to correct this customer service agent’s error and assist this passenger with their refund.”
In a second statement, Ryanair told The Independent: “When originally contacted, Ryanair immediately agreed to refund Mr Shields booking and did so during the month of June having received a copy of the death notice from Ms. Shields.
“As the death in question took place more than 6 months prior to the date of travel, the other 2 passengers were not entitled to a refund, and could, if they so wish, travel to Venice next September, as originally booked. These 2 passengers were refunded by Ryanair – as a gesture of good will and the refund for these 2 passengers was transferred to Ms. Shields bank account on the 28th of July.
“Mrs Shields claims that she was refused a refund for her husband’s flight is false. The full amount of his booking was refunded to his credit card on 30th June last.”
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