Family missed Ryanair flight due to “Silent Airport”

Baby01032012

My wife and 2 small kids were travelling to kviv Ukraine this morning. Despite being there nearly 90 minutes early they missed their flight.

They had checked in luggage and were queuing in a long queue at a gate with 2 flights departing from that gate. They assumed that people queuing in front of them were for their flight. There was no announcement that the gate was closing for the flight and no call for my family’s names.

After they were told there are no announcements as it is a silent airport to cut down on noise pollution. When making their way back to Ryanair backage claim they noticed their bags sitting on a table. Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there.

The next flight is the day they are due to fly back so no point going.

Surely there should be some announcement made when gates are closing.

Die Hard 2019

Baby01032012 wrote: »

My wife and 2 small kids were travelling to kviv Ukraine this morning. Despite being there nearly 90 minutes early they missed their flight.

They had checked in luggage and were queuing in a long queue at a gate with 2 flights departing from that gate. They assumed that people queuing in front of them were for their flight. There was no announcement that the gate was closing for the flight and no call for my family’s names.

After they were told there are no announcements as it is a silent airport to cut down on noise pollution. When making their way back to Ryanair backage claim they noticed their bags sitting on a table. Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there.

The next flight is the day they are due to fly back so no point going.

Surely there should be some announcement made when gates are closing.

My name has never been called for a flight. Why didn't they approach the desk when the closing time was reached?

Dodge

Sorry OP, I know it’s a pisser for your family but loads of airports don’t make announcements.

Up to the passengers to keep themselves in the loop. Rightfully so

Atlantic Dawn

No excuse really, there's public information displays, phone apps for each airport, all telling what gate to be at. Lots of airports doing this now, Dublin will hopefully follow. When I have been at a 'silent airport' there's an announcement to say it's a silent airport and there will be no calls to the gate.

The Orb

Sorry OP, but how is this someone else's fault ?
.....and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

bohsfan

Ryanair aren't responsible for the airports policies on announcements etc. When you are flying you really need to keep alert and not make assumptions. I know it can be tough when flying with kids, but you can't assume every airport works the same. Ask staff or double check the boards if you have any doubts at all

Johnny Sausage

Yeah take this as a lesson learned and move on

kilburn

Baby01032012 wrote:

They had checked in luggage and were queuing in a long queue at a gate with 2 flights departing from that gate. They assumed that people queuing in front of them were for their flight. There was no announcement that the gate was closing for the flight and no call for my family’s names.

Not possible to have 2 flights departing from the same gate

ebbsy

I always get to airport much earlier than I should....

I've also started using Fastrack as well. Good service.

whomitconcerns

Which airport? It's their fault btw. No one else's. I know it didn't help but that's the absolute reality

Nijmegen

Queues can get mixed. I was on a flight last weekend leaving from the downstairs gates on pier D in Dublin and arrived to have my boarding card scanned behind a group who were told they were supposed to be one queue over. Cue lots of laughing and joking about where they were off to.

That being said, watching the clock and information displays is always your business. I was being paged for a flight to the US but was in the lounge and didn’t hear it, wandered up at nearer the flight closing time to find a slightly panicked looking dispatcher. My fault, I assumed rather than stayed in the loop as to what was actually happening.

thecomedian

The Orb wrote: »

Sorry OP, but how is this someone else's fault ?
.....and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

Sounds like they were that late the next flight was already queuing

Masala

People seem to feel that buying an airline ticket means getting personal services all the way. I see in Cork that a passenger didn’t want to leave his seat to check monitors on case he lost his seat and expected staff to call him when flight was going. Do people lose their ability to think when they enter an airport

Atlantic Dawn

anplaya27 wrote: »

Theres is if you're Deaf and the public displays are not updated. Has happened a few times and there was a recent case in the courts which an ISL user won v the daa due to them only announcing but not updating information boards.

Use the App then.

IngazZagni

anplaya27 wrote: »

Theres is if you're Deaf and the public displays are not updated. I had a delayed flight a few weeks ago, there was no information given and had no idea only for fellow passengers who had heard the announcements being made. There was a recent case in the courts which an ISL user won v the DAA due to them only announcing but not updating information boards.

There are special assistance services for deaf people.

Things like gate changes and errors on flight information screens if brought to their attention are announced over the pa system.

wavehopper1

kilburn wrote: »

Not possible to have 2 flights departing from the same gate

Probably the same desk processing two different flights. Obviously a cost-cutting measure for the airline, but it does lead to panicky queuers overhearing the people next to them discussing a different destination.

IngazZagni

anplaya27 wrote: »

Deaf not deaf, huge difference. What special assistance? Can you tell me , seeing as you seem to know. Do they have Irish Sign Language interpreters following them everywhere in the airport or something ?

To be honest I had no idea there was a difference between deaf and Deaf. That’s my fault.
I do know that OCS staff who usually deal with persons of reduced mobility are also trained to assist deaf/Deaf people when assistance is requested. From a practical point of view though I agree, unless someone is with you all the way through the airport which they will do if requested then it’ll be tough to know of a gate change unless you are constantly monitoring your original gate and the information screens if updated.

CelticRambler

Baby01032012 wrote: »

They had checked in luggage and were queuing in a long queue at a gate with 2 flights departing from that gate. They assumed that people queuing in front of them were for their flight.

The Orb wrote: »

and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

I have been in many a queue that contained passengers for different flights. Sometimes it's just airport inefficiency (e.g. Beauvais), sometimes it's a mix of late arrivals for a flight close to departure and early arrivals for the next flight (especially if it's a small airport with only a few gates), sometimes the separation into individual gate queues happens almost at the gate itself (Stansted).

In all cases, if the airport or airline staff don't walk along the line picking people out for "fast tracking" for the flight that's boarding, you just have to look out for yourself, skip the queue and tell them that you're there and need to be on the plane.

I can't quite understand, though, if they were there 90 minutes before gate closing time, how they weren't already right up beside the desk ...

Baby01032012 wrote: »

When making their way back to Ryanair backage claim they noticed their bags sitting on a table. Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there.

Standard security protocol: unaccompanied bags don't fly. Where airports do make announcements, those desperate last-minute calls for "all remaining passengers" are more about matching cases already loaded with a name on board so that the flight isn't delayed while someone roots through the hold looking for cases that have to be taken off.

It's a rough deal for your wife and children, but the kind of mistake she/they'll only make once.

spurious

If you are availing of special assistance and there is a gate change, they come and get you - sometimes before everyone else knows.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

What’s intriguing for me is that the other 180 odd other people due to fly that day successfully managed to board the correct flight.

Hercule Poirot

Must say I find the complaint from the OP a bit bizarre - I always find that I can't hear the announcements in airports anyway due to the large volume noise of the airport in general

Therefore I make it my business to check the notification boards for info on my flight and if I'm in any doubt at all I'll ask a member of staff for assistance

Were there any signs or notifications that it was a silent airport? It's the only fault I would have is that it may not have been obvious to people that it was a silent airport, no announcements, etc.

Caranica

anplaya27 wrote: »

Huge difference, like chalk and cheese.And the wtaf they provide wouldn't know Irish Sign Language either so theres a communication barrier. Trust me, I know. English is not a Deaf persons first language, Irish Sign Language is, which was recognised as an official native language of Ireland in 2017.

The OP made no reference to his family being Deaf?

un5byh7sqpd2x0

anplaya27 wrote: »

Nothing to do with that, just announcements being made. If Deaf you cant hear them.

But utterly irrelevant to this thread?

Stark

The Orb wrote:

Sorry OP, but how is this someone else's fault ?
.....and 2 flights departing from one gate ?....really?

kilburn wrote: »

Not possible to have 2 flights departing from the same gate

I'm presuming it was a "gate lice" issue with people for the following flight queuing early.

Deep Thought

Nijmegen wrote: »

Queues can get mixed. I was on a flight last weekend leaving from the downstairs gates on pier D in Dublin and arrived to have my boarding card scanned behind a group who were told they were supposed to be one queue over. Cue lots of laughing and joking about where they were off to.

That being said, watching the clock and information displays is always your business. I was being paged for a flight to the US but was in the lounge and didn’t hear it, wandered up at nearer the flight closing time to find a slightly panicked looking dispatcher. My fault, I assumed rather than stayed in the loop as to what was actually happening.

What lounge? they always call flights in the lounge.

Stark

Deep Thought wrote: »

What lounge? they always call flights in the lounge.

Only transatlantic flights get called.

Kat1170

Kairo Hundreds Venus wrote:

What’s intriguing for me is that the other 180 odd other people due to fly that day successfully managed to board the correct flight.

How do you know that

antix80

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.
2. Your wife assumed people queuing in front of them were for their flight. That was a hell of an assumption.
3. "Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there." They clearly weren't at the gate or they'd be on the flight. See point 2 above.

I think the lesson to be learned is for your wife to arrive at the airport earlier and be at the boarding gate in plenty of time.

Stark

antix80 wrote: »

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.

No it's not. Jesus, the sanctimonious replies here :rolleyes:

antix80 wrote:

2. Your wife assumed people queuing in front of them were for their flight. That was a hell of an assumption.

It *should* be a safe assumption. Problem here is morons for the next flight allowed to block the queue for people currently boarding and nothing done about it. With Ryanair flights you can often be standing in the queue for 20 mins after the supposed "gate closing" message so queue not moving is not necessarily a sign that you're in the wrong queue.

antix80 wrote:

I think the lesson to be learned is for your wife to arrive at the airport earlier and be at the boarding gate in plenty of time.

They were at the boarding gate in plenty of time so that's not the lesson to be learned.

Hoboo

antix80 wrote: »

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.
2. Your wife assumed people queuing in front of them were for their flight. That was a hell of an assumption.
3. "Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there." They clearly weren't at the gate or they'd be on the flight. See point 2 above.

I think the lesson to be learned is for your wife to arrive at the airport earlier and be at the boarding gate in plenty of time.

90 minutes is plenty of time in Dublin. About 30 too much.

ted1

Deep Thought wrote: »

What lounge? they always call flights in the lounge.

That’s far from true, very few if any lounges call flights.

antix80

Stark wrote: »

No it's not. Jesus, the sanctimonious replies here :rolleyes:

If you're familiar with the airport layout, busy times and security it can be fine.

In the op's wife's case she was travelling with young kids, wasn't familiar with airport policy, joined the wrong queue (seemingly the back end of another queue). She absolutely should have been at the airport earlier.

mightyreds

I can see where the OP is coming from I was recently flying Dublin - Manchester from, I think the gates around 300 with Ryanair air, It's the part of the airport where the gates are in a circle and all the queues merge into 1 in the centre.

There were so many people in my flights queue meant for other flights it wasn't even funny and I've done it before there myself so was cautious to it, add to this the flight will say take off at 14:00, gates open at 13:15 closing 13:45.
With Ryanair you usually get they open 13:40 and close 13:50 or depending how quick they scan the queues boarding card.

Even at that if I missed a flight, I'd blame myself for missing it rather than the airport or airline.

Hoboo

antix80 wrote: »

If you're familiar with the airport layout, busy times and security it can be fine.

In the op's wife's case she was travelling with young kids, wasn't familiar with airport policy, joined the wrong queue (seemingly the back end of another queue). She absolutely should have been at the airport earlier.

For what? She was at the gate in time.

Arrival

antix80 wrote: »

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.
2. Your wife assumed people queuing in front of them were for their flight. That was a hell of an assumption.
3. "Their bags had obviously been removed when they didn’t turn up at the gate even though they were there." They clearly weren't at the gate or they'd be on the flight. See point 2 above.

I think the lesson to be learned is for your wife to arrive at the airport earlier and be at the boarding gate in plenty of time.

What are you on about lol, 90mins is loads of time for any flight except maybe transatlantic ones. It takes 10-25 mins max to get through security in Dublin airport, the longest it ever took me was 25 minutes during an absolutely ridiculously busy period following a storm with loads of delays and cancellations, but this is a rare occurrence and it's basically always 10-15mins max. To get to your gate then would take another 15 mins max unless you need to stop for a couple of things in one of the shops, but even with that you're talking max 45mins needed to get through security, stop in a shop and get to your gate. And I do exactly this basically every time I fly from Dublin, except when I'm going somewhere with friends and we want to get food and drinks

If you're checking in bags an extra 10-15 mins again would be the norm for this thanks to how quickly most airlines can check in bags lately

CelticRambler

antix80 wrote: »

1. 90 mins is cutting it fine for an international flight.

G'way out of that. 10-15 minutes to get through security, depending on the airport, plus 20 minutes walking time before and after. Add another 15 for checking in bags and/or shepherding children and three quarters of an hour is plenty, regardless of where the flight is going.

antix80

CelticRambler wrote: »

G'way out of that. 10-15 minutes to get through security, depending on the airport, plus 20 minutes walking time before and after. Add another 15 for checking in bags and/or shepherding children and three quarters of an hour is plenty, regardless of where the flight is going.

I'll be honest, I misread the original post and thought his wife was flying in the opposite direction.

Still stand by my point. She should have been at the gate earlier, then joined the correct queue.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Kat1170 wrote: »

How do you know that

Because it would be on the front page of the Mirror instead of on Boards...

CelticRambler

antix80 wrote: »

Still stand by my point. She should have been at the gate earlier, then joined the correct queue.

Well that's also the bit I don't understand: how could she not have been within shouting distance of the actual gate/desk, having arrived with 90 minutes to spare.

I can't imagine that the gate staff wouldn't have made some effort to walk along the line looking for stragglers, knowing that someone would have to go looking for their checked-in luggage if they didn't find them.

antix80

CelticRambler wrote: »

Well that's also the bit I don't understand: how could she not have been within shouting distance of the actual gate/desk, having arrived with 90 minutes to spare.

I can't imagine that the gate staff wouldn't have made some effort to walk along the line looking for stragglers, knowing that someone would have to go looking for their checked-in luggage if they didn't find them.

Who knows? But the woman messed up. Maybe the kids distracted her, or maybe there was a thing where she didn't feel comfortable asking the person in front of her whether she was in the right line.

Nijmegen

Deep Thought wrote: »

What lounge? they always call flights in the lounge.

In my experience only a minority of lounges call flights. In this case it was the post-CBP lounge, 51st and Green.

Baby01032012

OP here.

I’m not denying that my wife ****ed up. As intelligent as she is, far more than myself, smart people make dumb mistakes some times.

I wasn’t looking to blame Ryanair or the airport. They had been at the gate an hour before hand. However I do think if someone has checked in for a flight has turned up and checked in their bags that it would be less effort to make a final boarding call or announce passenger name. As much effort as it took to get baggage to remove the bags.

I’m not trying to take away fault here but those simple things could help passengers from missing the flight.

Baby01032012

OP here.

I’m not denying that my wife ****ed up. As intelligent as she is, far more than myself, smart people make dumb mistakes some times.

I wasn’t looking to blame Ryanair or the airport. They had been at the gate an hour before hand. However I do think if someone has checked in for a flight has turned up and checked in their bags that it would be less effort to make a final boarding call or announce passenger name. As much effort as it took to get baggage to remove the bags.

I’m not trying to take away fault here but those simple things could help passengers from missing the flight.

Baby01032012

OP here.

I’m not denying that my wife ****ed up. As intelligent as she is, far more than myself, smart people make dumb mistakes some times.

I wasn’t looking to blame Ryanair or the airport. They had been at the gate an hour before hand. However I do think if someone has checked in for a flight has turned up and checked in their bags that it would be less effort to make a final boarding call or announce passenger name. As much effort as it took to get baggage to remove the bags.

Hoboo

In fairness OP I fly 3/4 times a month and I've never heard of a silent airport and have never heard of final call announcements not being made. All news to me.

And I've been in Dublin departures in that area where there's maybe 8 gates in a dead end, it's bedlam. Queues to each gate completely mixed with people from different flights, I could imagine how difficult it would be with young children in tow, I've had to push and shove to get through to make a flight, and I'm a big lad.

Can't see an issue with making an announcement, doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't if a passenger is checked in and not on board.

CelticRambler

Baby01032012 wrote: »

I wasn’t looking to blame Ryanair or the airport. They had been at the gate an hour before hand. However I do think if someone has checked in for a flight has turned up and checked in their bags that it would be less effort to make a final boarding call or announce passenger name. As much effort as it took to get baggage to remove the bags.

Any chance you could tell us which airport has "gone dark" ? I think it's pushing things for an airport to claim that they're trying to combat noise pollution by not making announcements within a sound-proofed building. Not having jet engines in use outside would be more effective! :pac:

Baby01032012

I’m referring to Dublin airport.

Staff advised my wife they are a silent airport now when asked why no final boarding call it call for missing passengers was made.

I don’t have link to Dublin airport being silent that my wife showed me earlier. Copied some info. Below.

I don’t really see the point myself.

https://www.vanemag.com/travel-healthy/airport-wellness-trend-silent-airports/

According to American broadcaster CNN, the "silent airport" movement aims to reduce noise pollution such as airport announcements. The London City Airport, Helsinki Airport, Barcelona's El Prat Airport, Chennai Airport, Changi Airport and Cape Town International Airport have adopted the "silent airport" policy.

Silent airports may seem like an impossible dream. ... London City Airport operates a silent airport policy. This means that announcements are only made in the case of emergency or during severe weather. No announcements call passengers to their boarding gates.

Alun

Baby01032012 wrote: »

I don’t have link to Dublin airport being silent that my wife showed me earlier. Copied some info. Below.

I don’t really see the point myself.

Me neither. Airports are inherently horrible, stressful places anyway. Reducing the number of announcements won't make a jot of difference.

Hercule Poirot

I went through Dublin airport last week and I'm certain I heard a few announcements, as I said earlier I have trouble making out what they are saying but they were definitely there

Just checked with the lady of the house and she's certain she heard announcements calling people for flights and announcing gate openings

Stark

They definitely still have announcements. Ryanair are one of the those airlines that prefer people to miss their flight rather than make an announcement though.

CelticRambler

Stark wrote: »

Ryanair are one of the those airlines that prefer people to miss their flight rather than make an announcement though.

If you've checked in luggage (which was the case in this situation) no airline - not even Ryanair - wants the hassle of going through all the bags already loaded on to the aircraft to try and find the one or two or three or four that are a missing passenger and take them off. Much quicker, easier and cheaper to grab their attention with a call over the PA system.