A mother has criticized Ryanair as "greedy" and "inhuman" after the airline refused to refund her £350 holiday booking because her son died just 24 hours outside the company's ten-day bereavement policy cut-off.
Tina McDermont, 45, was due to travel with her husband from Newcastle to Alicante, Spain, on August 30. However, she had to cancel the trip after her 18-year-old son, Billy McDermont, died in a tragic accident on August 19.
After providing Ryanair with her son's death certificate, McDermont was informed that she was not eligible for a refund. The airline's policy states that a refund or travel credit can be offered if an immediate family member passes away up to ten days before the scheduled flight departure.
McDermont's son died 11 days before the flight, placing the death outside the designated period.
"I could never have travelled and gone abroad. I just wanted to be at home with my family around me. I'm arranging my son's funeral. There's no way I could go," McDermont stated. "I thought when I got in touch with Ryanair there wouldn't be an issue. I thought we'd get that money back and put it towards Billy's funeral and then I hit these barriers because of this ten-day policy that I hadn't been aware of."
She expressed her belief that the policy is "disgusting and petty," comparing the situation to a "slap in the face." McDermont argued that such cases should be handled on an individual basis, rather than through a blanket policy.
"It was like a slap in the face. It should be done by a case by case basis. It's a blanket policy, but it isn't human," she said. "I felt very insulted. He wasn't meant to die. It was a tragic accident, so surely there should be special circumstances."
McDermont added that the airline's response has exacerbated her grieving process. "I was devastated. Everybody I've dealt with has been compassionate except for them. They're greedy. I was outraged. Nobody wants to lose their child. It was disbelief in their policies."
She is calling for Ryanair to implement a special circumstances clause for close relatives in its bereavement policy, urging the airline to "have a bit of heart and compassion."
McDermont also stated that she will no longer fly with the budget carrier.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed the airline's policy and stated that McDermont was not entitled to travel credit. The spokesperson added that McDermont was provided with the necessary documentation to submit a claim through her travel insurance provider.
