Latest news with #ColinShields
The Independent
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Why airline refused refund to widow over late husband's ticket
Ryanair initially denied Yvonne Shields a full refund for flight tickets purchased by her late husband, Colin Shields. Colin Shields, who was tetraplegic, had booked flights from Edinburgh to Venice for himself and two carers to attend a power-chair football match before his death in April. The airline told Ms Shields they needed to speak to the original booker, despite being informed of Mr Shields' death and seeing a death certificate. Ryanair later confirmed that a refund of £257.58 for Mr Shields' ticket was issued The airline said the 'incorrect' advice given to Ms Shields was 'regrettable' and added their customer service department would assist her in correcting the error and processing the full refund.
The Independent
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Airline apologises to widow over late husband's ticket
Ryanair has apologised to Yvonne Shields after initially denying her a full refund for flight tickets purchased by her late husband, Colin Shields. Colin Shields, who was tetraplegic, had booked flights from Edinburgh to Venice for himself and two carers to attend a power-chair football match before his death in April. Ms Shields was initially told she could only receive a refund for her husband's ticket and was later asked to speak to the original booker, despite informing the airline of his death and providing a death certificate. Ryanair confirmed that a refund of £257.58 for Mr Shields' ticket was issued, but a customer service agent incorrectly advised that the other two passengers were not entitled to a refund. The airline has since apologised for the 'incorrect' advice and stated their customer service department would assist Ms Shields in correcting the error and processing the full refund.
The Independent
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ryanair apologises after telling widow her late husband had to apply for a ticket refund
Ryanair has apologised to a widow after denying her 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 apologised to Ms Shields, saying that she 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.'
Daily Mail
28-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Ryanair is forced to apologise after telling widow her dead husband would have to apply for £827 refund
A widow was left in tears when Ryanair refused to refund her dead husband's £827 flights - telling her he needed to complain from beyond the grave. Yvonne Shields' husband Colin Shields booked his flights to Venice, Italy, last year and was meant to fly out in September to represent Scotland at a powerchair football match. Colin was tetraplegic after he had an accident 14 years ago and needed two essential carers to accompany him on the flight, whose tickets he paid for. But when Colin tragically passed away due to brain bleed in April 2025, Yvonne contacted Ryanair customer support to notify them and request a refund. The 44-year-old said she was told she could not get a refund for the carers' tickets as it was against Ryanair's policy despite Colin having paid for them. She was promised a refund of only £258 for his ticket but claims she has not even received that either, adding: 'It's so upsetting and trivial.' When Yvonne got back in touch to chase the refund, she was reportedly told they could not disclose any information unless they speak to the original booker - despite being informed the 'booker is dead'. The mother said she even provided Ryanair with Colin's death certificate and proof that she is the will executor, but they still refused to speak with her and ended the chat. Ryanair have since apologised for the ordeal and said that she was 'regrettably incorrectly advised wrongly' by their customer service agent. Yvonne, from Glasgow, Scotland, explained: 'They said there's nothing else we can help you with and ended the chat.' She said the lack of empathy and understanding from Ryanair is frustrating and caused her to burst into tears. The mother-of-two said it is a lot for her to deal with while also handling grief and feels like she is 'bashing her head on a brick wall.' Yvonne added: 'I burst into tears because I have quite a lot to deal with right now since Colin passed. It's a lot. 'It's not like you're getting this clean slate to start again. I constantly have to deal with things. 'I've got two kids as well, 14 and 17, and it's dealing with their emotions as well. 'The fact they're not even giving me the money back is infuriating. It's like bashing your head on a brick wall. They're trying to speak to someone that isn't here, it's an unreasonable request. 'It's frustrating, it's devastating, you feel like you're nothing. We've dealt with so much because of his disability. Things are always that little bit tougher, harder.' Colin was paralysed from the chest down after an accident in 2010 and developed a condition called autonomic dysreflexia, which meant his blood pressure could soar and cause a stroke if not treated - which is what led to his brain bleed. Yvonne said: 'Colin had an accident 14 years ago, a month before our youngest was born. It's just constant battling and I feel tired, I feel drained, sometimes I want to just ignore it but my sister says 'you're not ignoring this, they stole from you.' 'It's the lack of empathy, lack of understanding, it's not a bog-standard person going on a flight, it's a disabled person. 'If you had a family member who died, surely you would think it's all cancelled.' A Ryanair spokesperson said: 'Mr Shields was due to travel from Edinburgh to Venice on September 16, 2025, but passed away prior to this flight. 'Mrs Shields attempted to submit a refund request on April 26 and was advised to submit a death certificate and proof of executorship. 'On June 30, 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.' Ryanair admitted the customer service agent also incorrectly informed Yvonne that the refund of £257.58 would be sent to her husband's Ryanair wallet, instead of the card used to pay for the booking.
