WINGS -- $50 Each?

That would sound absurd if we were talking about chicken wings, even if they were from Frank & Teresa's Anchor Bar, the original Buffalo, NY home of the hot wing (and MAN are they good!). Even more absurd would be if, in this crazy atmosphere of airline fees, that was an add-on to your ticket price, to make sure your plane actually had wings. "You DO want to get off the ground, don't you?" We may not be far from that, particularly if Ryanair has any say-so in the matter. I've denounced airline add-ons that border on insanity, and Ryanair, the low-cost carrier servicing Europe, leads the pack. They are a bare-bones operation based in Ireland & The UK, and even though you may not know their name, you probably heard about an airline charging to use the restroom. Ryanair. Most people thought it was a joke, but the brainchildren at Ryanair are constantly trying to extract the most money possible, while still pretending to fly under the label "low-cost." This time instead of your typical add-on fees, they've created a new penalty. Penalties have a historical basis, such as airlines charging for overweight fliers, whose hips and "surroundings" spill over from 1 seat into another, being forced to buy that additional seat. Ryanair, as always, takes things to another level, with a penalty aimed directly at Senior Citizens and poor people trying to travel. That might sound ludicrous, but the details bear it out. Ryanair's latest move is to REQUIRE all passengers to check-in online. It doesn't matter if you happen to be in your 70's, 80's or 90's and don't own a computer. Or if you happen to be poor, and maybe you're only flying because a relative is dying or to attend a funeral, but you don't own a computer due to financial hardship. There are lots of scenarios, and while it's true most public libraries have computers, not everyone lives in or near a city, or has easy access to a library. I guarantee you people like my Mom who is 87, don't even know where the On/Off switch is on a computer. REQUIRED by Ryanair. You're probably asking yourself how big a deal is the penalty for NOT checking in online? Unbelievable. People coming to the airport without going online will be assessed, and I'm quoting here, an "EMERGENCY CHECK-IN FEE" of $40L (British Pounds), which is equal to about $64 US. They're calling it a "ticket re-issue" fee, which is not even true. We're talking about E-Tickets, as in E for electronic. No ticket was ever issued, so how could there be a re-issue fee? As crazy as that sounds, it gets worse.
The $64 is EACH WAY! Hopefully there will be enough tirades and bad publicity for Ryanair, that they will quickly drop this ridiculous idea. The UK media is blasting them from all sides already.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Just in case any of you thought, "Well, it serves people right who are stuck in the 20th century. They need to just figure out how to get to a computer, and they could have checked in online for free." You forgot one important point. We're talking Ryanair. No, if you do the REQUIRED online check-in, just like needing to use the lavatory onboard their planes, nothing is free. There is a $5L Pound fee (about $8 US) just for logging on to their website to do your required check-in! And yes, that thought that just popped into your head is correct - that $8 US required online check-in fee is EACH WAY! For all my customers who travel to Europe, I'll leave you with this: There is right, and there is wrong.
Ryanair is wrong: Boycott them.

Earlier in the blog I mentioned chicken, and unlike Buffalo where chicken makes people happy, in Boston it makes some people sad. Or worse. Earlier this week, a couple in line at Kentucky Fried Chicken started complaining, because the people in front of them were moving too slowly with their orders. The two became incensed and started yelling profanities, as if that were going to speed up the decision between extra crispy or original recipe. Another customer asked them to please stop with the verbal assault, for the sake of the children in line. According to Boston Police, 31-year-old Jared Garfagna then punched the man in the head, and his girlfriend, 24-year-old Sara Mohn, kicked the victim when he fell to the ground. Both were arrested and charged with assault and battery. The victim had cuts on his eyelid and wrists but refused medical treatment at the scene. I guess the moral to the story is....eh....no, there is no moral to the story. But when in Boston, stick to burgers. And maybe the drive-through.

Things weren't much better in Columbus, Ohio this week. 80-year-old Ralph Needs was the victim of a recent home invasion, where he was tied up and pistol-whipped by at least 3 intruders, who broke into his house. Mr. Needs' nose was broken and his pickup truck, computer and credit cards were stolen. After conferring with his sons, he decided it was time to take a self-defense course, and buy a gun for protection. During the self-defense lesson this week, Mr. Needs' new 9mm pistol went off as one of his sons was loading it, shooting Ralph in the hand. Groveport, Ohio Police have ruled the case as an accident, and no charges will be filed. Mr. Needs is resting at home. Boston might be safer. Maybe Ryanair can fly you there...