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Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

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Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because you'll often be faced with a 500 euro+ fare for a short flight on the national airlines, with either one of WizzAir/RyanAir offering the same flight for 20-80 euro. 9/10 times the service is near-identical to a flagship. 1/10 times, the sub-par exception handling reveals itself. That's a trade-off I make regularly to save 400 euros.

They are cheaper until their not. Family booked a flight to Colorado from Georgia one winter to go skiing. Spirit let us know an hour before the flight that out flight was overbooked and offered us another flight....4 days later. We ended up coughing up an extra $1200 to fly Delta and Spirit never refunded us because "we could have taken the flight we offered". Last time I ever flew with a budget air carrier. Now I f…

I don't think you understand, friend. The airline market in Europe is like a whole different world of deregulated competition. For example: ryanair operates a scratch card gambling thing on all of their flights once they reach cruising altitude. Because this is considered similar to international waters, and Ireland's advantageous gambling laws can be observed. (as a result, they will do anything they can to fill seats. Planning to make up any loss on cheap tickets elsewhere. I'm talking bonkers shit, like flash sales on 99c tickets)

Assuming you don't get caught by every hidden charge along the way, an airplane ticket isn't going to cost you >$100, even if you spring for "business class".

I think insurance would make a better insurance policy in your case. (especially when the airline tries to rob you)

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#72

I understand the anger against Ryanair aloofness and its dictatorship compliance, but I think it's diverting energy from the real culprits, which are the kidnappers and their boss.

Israel very well could do something similar to get someone they wanted badly, but if they did it will it be greeted by a similar reaction?

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#73
post #5

The main purpose of that statement (as always with Ryanair) was to state it was outside of their control and therefore they will auto-reject any claims for delay compensation, regardless of legality.

I do not know why anyone uses them still. I find them awful in every way. Will stay-cation if I cannot afford the ticket with another airline.

Easyjet are even worse. During corona they canceled bookings for British tourists wanting to get back home and resold the flights for 5x more while trying to claim kudos for running "rescue" flights.

I would prefer to fly with Ryanair these days.

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#74
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Well two MiG-29 was actually "escorting" the plane Info about MiG's escort NOT verified — there are no any photos/videos at this moment which shows MiG-29 side-by-side with Ryanair's plane.

There is an interview with the First Deputy Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus where he confirms that Mig-29 escorted the Boeing https://youtu.be/dsyfJ_HqjtQ Additionally there is an alleged video of the Mig landing after escort with 6 air-to-air missiles visible https://youtu.be/AV8Im44ZtoI

But any credible Western source has confirmed the same? For example any of the passengers or the pilots have vouched that the airliner was escorted by military aircraft?

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#75
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How can it be pilots fault? Avoiding that request could have been another MH17 story. EU and NATO must show their strength now, it is not up to Ryanair anymore.

> Avoiding that request could have been another MH17 story MH17 is not related in any way to "bomb on a board" cases. Russian state terrorists, invaded in Ukraine, shot down MH17 using surface-to-air missile.[0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17

the intercepting MIG the pilot had to consider says otherwise

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#76

I wonder if EU airlines will now start avoiding Belarusian airspace if they aren't actually flying in to Belarus. Or I wonder if they will just disclose the flightpath prior to take-off. If I was an Russia/Belarus opposition journalist, I'd be scared shitless to fly around the EU and risk something like this happening.

airBaltic just announced they will be avoiding Belarusian airspace completely. [1]

1: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL3N2NB1ZX

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are cheaper until their not. Family booked a flight to Colorado from Georgia one winter to go skiing. Spirit let us know an hour before the flight that out flight was overbooked and offered us another flight....4 days later. We ended up coughing up an extra $1200 to fly Delta and Spirit never refunded us because "we could have taken the flight we offered". Last time I ever flew with a budget air carrier. Now I f…

I don't think you understand, friend. The airline market in Europe is like a whole different world of deregulated competition. For example: ryanair operates a scratch card gambling thing on all of their flights once they reach cruising altitude. Because this is considered similar to international waters, and Ireland's advantageous gambling laws can be observed. (as a result, they will do anything they can to fill sea…

*regulated. In the EU if a flight is > 4 hours late you are entitled to financial compensation. You don't get that in the US: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-right...

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#78
post #63
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the time for what-about. Why is it worth noting?

Because in that case nothing happened, even though we expect better from established democracies compared to the dictatorship from Belarus. And most of us live in those established democracies and not in Belarus, hence what happened back then was even more f/cked up.

We expect "better" from democracies largely because they have more sophisticated and effective ways to defang troubling journalists.

You don't really need to murder or imprison them when you can just make it so no one trusts them or they can't find an audience.

That said I do think Belarus fucked up here evaluating by their own best interests. Having an open dictatorship in Europe has always made a lot of people uncomfortable but was tolerated as long as they didn't draw too much attention to it or do any scary shit to outsiders.

Here they kinda did both. Would not surprise me if this ends up being a huge problem for them long-term.

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#79
post #44
post #29

Worth noting the incident in 2013 where the US and EU collaborated to ground a plane to target a whistleblower: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evo_Morales_grounding_incident

Not the time for what-about. Why is it worth noting?

It helps Lukashenko win the domestic propaganda war.

The West is trying to present itself as a viable alternative to Russia to Belarussian people. The opposition politicians he is attacking largely support leaning westwards. How do they criticize this without appearing hypocritical? It's very hard.

If the West tries to punish Belarus with sanctions that hurt the ordinary Belarussian it will likely look even worse.

I can't actually think of a scenario here where Lukashenko doesn't win something.

Re: Ryanair’s statement on diversion to Minsk Airport

#80
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is an interview with the First Deputy Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of Belarus where he confirms that Mig-29 escorted the Boeing https://youtu.be/dsyfJ_HqjtQ Additionally there is an alleged video of the Mig landing after escort with 6 air-to-air missiles visible https://youtu.be/AV8Im44ZtoI

But any credible Western source has confirmed the same? For example any of the passengers or the pilots have vouched that the airliner was escorted by military aircraft?

> Western source has confirmed the same?

Source?

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