Actually, Lauda Europe and Ryanair should be happy that passengers were booked on flight FR 104 from Vienna to Palma on Friday. However, the low-cost airline left 30 travelers in Vienna because of valid Austrian PCR results that were not recognized by the airline and then tried to collect a brazen rebooking fee of 300 euros, reports the Mallorca Zeitung.

If the 30 people concerned had not suffered any financial damage, one could almost laugh about it: Ryanair and Lauda Europe interpret the Spanish entry regulations in their own way and have instructed ground handling to pay close attention to the type of PCR test: Only those who can show negative RT-PCR results are allowed to fly to Palma. However, for those who tested negative using RNA-PCR, the journey ends at the gate. However, Spain expressly accepts both test procedures for entry.

That didn't interest Ryanair and Lauda Europe. The ground staff referring to an instruction from the airline on RT-PCR findings and refused to transport. As already mentioned, 30 passengers were affected. It goes without saying that Ryanair has nowhere communicated that RNA-PCR results are no longer worth anything with this airline.

Low-cost airlines wanted to collect 300 euros per person

But now it's getting really bold: those affected unanimously told Mallorca Zeitung and Aviation Direct that they were asked to do a "suitable" PCR test. You could then fly to Palma on Sunday, but you wanted to see a whopping 300 euros for the rebooking.

The mood, which was already heated, should now - if you believe the descriptions of those affected - have been on the verge of escalation. Thanks to FFP2 masks, it was then a little bit silenced. The uprising of the 30 angry passengers was successful: The low-cost airline waived the horrific fee and those affected interpret that Ryanair did something wrong.

The airline Ryanair commented on the allegations made by passengers as follows: “Ryanair fully complies with government restrictions. A number of passengers on this flight from Vienna to Palma de Mallorca (February 5) were refused boarding because they did not present a negative Covid-19-RT-PCR / TMA / RT-LAMP test result, as required by Spanish government regulation As a token of goodwill, the flight change fee was waived and all passengers who still wanted to travel were rebooked on the next available flight. As the travel restrictions are updated regularly, Ryanair urges all passengers to check for the latest travel updates on the Ryanair.com website and with the relevant authorities before their flight ”.

The carrier also points out that Spain would only allow entry with RT-PCR results (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test) and refers to, among other things this link of the Spanish consulate in Stuttgart.

Spain would have recognized PCR results for entry

A man who does not want to be named told Aviation Direct that he feels that he has been treated unfairly by Ryanair and Lauda Europe because, despite the pandemic, he uses this route several times a month for professional reasons and so far neither Ryanair nor the Spanish have Immigration control complained about his RNA-PCR findings. However, on Friday everything was different. By the way: The passenger openly admitted that he did not even know that there were “differences” in the PCR tests. In the two laboratories (in Vienna and Palma), in which he is forced to be a regular customer, he has never been told which process is used and on top of that - as mentioned - nobody has been interested so far.

The fact is that Spain would have accepted the negative RNA-PCR results of the 30 stranded passengers and Ryanair should not have refused boarding. Due to the airline's obvious mistake, the travelers are entitled to a compensation payment of 250 euros and, if applicable, accommodation costs and it is also conceivable that the costs for the additional PCR test, which Ryanair would not have had to do if Ryanair had behaved correctly are also to be replaced. One can only hope that the financial aspect will not be the next hurdle. The flight connection was carried out with the Airbus A320, which bears the registration 9H-LMG. The machine landed punctually in Palma de Mallorca without the 30 people whose PCR tests were unjustifiably objected to. Incidentally, this route from Vienna is one of the very few that is often almost fully booked despite the corona pandemic and government travel harassment.