Travel Tales

E O'Brien, a reader from Dublin, got in touch with praise for Ryanair

“While on holidays in France this April I was taken seriously ill. I was in hospital there for six weeks, then repatriated by my insurance company.

“Some time after my return I wrote to Ryanair, explaining my situation, enclosing my flight-confirmation e-mail and a certificate from the hospital that attested to my admission and length of stay, and requesting a refund of the unused return ticket.

“I received a prompt reply and refund. I was surprised, as Ryanair has a reputation for being difficult to deal with, so I would like to give praise where praise is due.”

Anthony Walsh, who lives in Goatstown, Dublin, has a suggestion about boarding cards

“The obvious solution to Ryanair’s requirement that you print out your boarding pass is for the bar code it contains to be sent to your mobile phone. Your screen could then be scanned at check-in. This also avoids the inconvenience of having to find an internet cafe with a printer before you board your flight home.

“This system is already in use by Spanair and, in the UK, for entry to clubs and other venues where you can buy tickets in advance.

“It would be interesting to see what other uses it could be put to. Tickets for sporting events could be sent to specific individuals and would not be capable of being sold or passed on.”

E-mail your experiences to go@irishtimes.com