After her spouse passed away, a widow had a terrible experience with Ryanair’s customer service. The airline’s customer service caused Yvonne Shields a great deal of inconvenience when she attempted to cancel the tickets her spouse had purchased in order to receive a refund.
Colin, Yvonne’s husband, was selected to play powerchair football for Scotland. The man had suffered a terrible accident fourteen years prior that left him tetraplegic. Colin had arranged for two caretakers to travel with him for the match.
Prior to the trip, he had to pay for both his ticket and the caregivers’ tickets. Unfortunately, Colin’s brain bleed caused him to die in April. According to Tyla, Colin’s wife, Yvonne, clarified, “He made the reservation through a company; it’s not like it’s personal carers, we don’t know these people.”
Ryanair informed the widow that she could only get a refund for her late husband’s airline tickets when she contacted them. The woman was guaranteed a reimbursement of $258. The airline told her that it would be against company policy to give her a refund for the caregivers’ tickets.
Yvonne discovered that she hadn’t even received a refund for her husband’s tickets after weeks of waiting. The mother of two then contacted the airline once more as a result. She was even more disappointed when the airline informed her that if the original booker did not contact them, she would not be eligible for a refund.
The airline was notified by Yvonne that her husband, who had purchased the tickets, had died, and she even provided them with his death certificate. The airline continued to deny her a refund for the tickets, but to no avail.
When Ryanair declined to reimburse her deceased husband’s 827 flights, the widow was devastated and told he needed to complain from the hereafter.
July 28, 2025, The Daily Record (@Daily_Record)
“There should be no reason why they can’t refund it,” Shields said, recalling that I informed them back in April that Dad had died away. She continued by saying that because the caretakers’ contracts had already expired, she was unable to contact them either.
Even though they had previously discussed it with me, they told I couldn’t share any information with anyone unrelated to the reservation. “I don’t have passengers to contact,” Yvonne recounted, “but they said we would need the passengers to contact us to process.”
The mother of two talked about how her encounter with Ryanair’s customer service caused her to cry. She talked about the many challenges she has faced after her husband passed away. Her situation was made worse by the company’s refusal to assist her with the reservation.
Shields said, “I also have two children, ages 14 and 17, and it’s dealing with their emotions.” The two-time mother expressed how angry she has been with the airline. “It’s like hitting your head on a brick wall,” she continued. They’re making an irrational request to talk to someone who isn’t present.
After being denied a refund, Yvonne sadly acknowledged, “You feel like you are nothing.” She also mentioned how terrible and frustrating the entire experience had been.
Following Kennedy News & Media’s coverage of the woman’s tale, an airline representative contacted the public to discuss the regrettable event and offer assistance with the reimbursement.
