'Ryanair must be the only company to IMPROVE during a strike': Customers praise airline's service as it pulls out stops to snub pay-hungry pilots

  • Holidaymakers on Ryanair flights said they enjoyed 'better than ever' service
  • Despite the two-day pilot strike, passengers said they enjoyed stress-free flying
  • Ryanair at High Court in London yesterday tried to block UK pilot strike action  
  • Are YOU caught up in the strike? Email alisha.buaya@mailonline.com or call 020 3615 3602

Holidaymakers booked on Ryanair flights claimed they enjoyed 'better than ever' service despite fears the two-day pilot strike would cause major delays. 

The airline slammed members of the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) going on strike and accused them of jeopardising thousands of flights booked on Thursday.

But hundreds of flights from Ryanair's UK base at London Stansted airport, in Essex, went ahead as scheduled with little or no disruption. 

Some passengers even said they enjoyed the most stress-free flying experience they had ever had.

Holidaymakers who booked flights with Ryanair claim they enjoyed 'better than ever' service despite fears the two-day pilot strike would cause major delays to flights

Holidaymakers who booked flights with Ryanair claim they enjoyed 'better than ever' service despite fears the two-day pilot strike would cause major delays to flights

A Ryanair spokesman said there were around 600 flights - half arriving and half departing - at Stansted airport today without any disruption.

Sammy Smith, 28, a hairdresser from Essex booked a girls' trip to Budapest and said the airline had actually run better than normal.

She said: 'I immediately panicked when I heard about the strikes because we had been planning this trip for ages.

'We got here super early and everything seemed fine so I'm a little bit more relaxed now. It's actually seems to have run better than usual! I just need to get on that plane now!'

Another passenger said she was 'impressed' with how the airline handled the situation.

She said: 'It's better than normal, we fly with Ryanair all the time. We probably fly out a few times a year because we have family in Spain.

'Today has been just as good or even better than normal. We've had lots of texts and emails from Ryanair, they have really kept us in the loop. I have been really impressed by them.'

Others took to Twitter to share their surprise of their smooth journey, including David Smith who tweeted: 'Made it! With possibly the smoothest airport experience I've ever had; 20 mins in and boarded, 5 mins to disembark and get out.' 

Some passengers even took to Twitter to say they enjoyed the most stress-free flying experience they had ever had, including this man who praised the company for improving their service 'during an all out strike'

Some passengers even took to Twitter to say they enjoyed the most stress-free flying experience they had ever had, including this man who praised the company for improving their service 'during an all out strike' 

Max Helliwell tweeted: 'Thank you for pulling out the stops and making our trip possible.

'Difficult to understand the demands of Balpa (sic) in such times of economic uncertainty, it's not as though the pilots are on the breadline.'

Another said: 'Thanks Ryanair for not cancelling today and for actually 30 mins early arrival.

'We were worried sick about the strikes, so a massive thanks to everyone who turned up on the day and did not spoil our holidays. Good job.'

In response to the strikes, Ryanair said they had volunteers to fill any gaps. 

Passengers wait to check in at Barcelona El Prat Airport in August 2018, as Ryanair pilots in  European countries staged a strike that prompted the airline carrier to cancel 400 flights

Passengers wait to check in at Barcelona El Prat Airport in August 2018, as Ryanair pilots in  European countries staged a strike that prompted the airline carrier to cancel 400 flights

Ryanair passengers face delays previously at London Stansted Airport in Essex in June 2014

Ryanair passengers face delays previously at London Stansted Airport in Essex in June 2014

A Ryanair spokesman said: 'Ryanair regrets the decision by less than 30 per cent of our highly paid UK pilots to vote for strikes on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 August, in support of unreasonable pay demands that captains pay be doubled from a current £170,000 per annum to over £375,700 per annum, just nine weeks before Brexit, which could severely damage Ryanair's business and UK pilot jobs.

Foster child, 8, could miss out on his first ever flight 

A family of three including an eight-year-old foster child who has never been on a plane before are facing a concerning wait to learn whether their Ryanair flight will go ahead.

The family, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, are booked to fly from a North of England airport today at 7am, destined for Faro in Portugal.

The father told MailOnline: 'We are particularly upset because our eight-year-old is a foster child who was supposed to travel with us four weeks ago on a separate family holiday to Spain.

'But due to an issue not related to Ryanair he wasn't able to travel. This will be his first ever flight and he is beyond excited. We haven't told him about the problems yet and just hope that when we get to the airport at 5am the issue will be resolved.

'We currently have no back up plan and are very anxious because of the effect this will have on the child. He has been through a lot in his life and this will be devastating.'

He added that he was 'very disappointed with Ryanair' and that the family have 'heard absolutely nothing' from the airline so far.

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'Ryanair applied today to the London High Court for an injunction to prevent this unjustified strike by a small number of pilots going ahead during the last week of the UK school holidays.

'However thanks to the great work and volunteerism of the vast majority of our UK based pilots, Ryanair now expects to operate its full schedule of flights to/from our UK airports on Thursday 22 and Friday 23.' 

Earlier this week, Ryanair lost their last-minute High Court bid to stop UK pilots from staging a 24-hour strike in a bid to improve their working conditions and £375,000 salary.   

Bosses slammed pilots for casting doubt on the getaways of thousands of families because they want their salaries doubled from £170,000 to £375,000 a year.  

But they insisted all passengers should go to their airports as they expect planes to take off on time, but could not rule out 'some small delays'.

In a scathing statement, Ryanair's spokesman said: 'British pilots earning six figure annual salaries should not be threatening the holiday flights of thousands of British passengers and their families - very few of whom earn over £170,000 per annum.'

Elsewhere the airline successfully got an order in Dublin to prevent around 180 pilots based in Ireland from going on a separate 48-hour strike from midnight.    

The proceedings in London and Dublin took place before planned action by UK pilot members of (Balpa). 

Experts believe the planned strikes could disrupt the holiday plans of up to 250,000 passengers booked on at least 1,714 Ryanair flights due to depart from UK airports. 

There is currently no list of flights affected, with Ryanair officials insisting there will only be minor delays throughout Thursday and Friday.  

It comes after Portuguese cabin crew at the airline began striking at 00:00 yesterday, with action set to continue until August 25 at 23:29.

Ryanair said the union 'should not be disrupting the return holiday flights of UK families later this week' (Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is pictured in October last year)

Ryanair said the union 'should not be disrupting the return holiday flights of UK families later this week' (Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is pictured in October last year)

Passengers told of their concern at the planned 48-hour strike in the UK, with Kayla Flynn tweeting: 'I'd be better off swimming to Lanzarote at this rate.'

Another, Steve Webster, said: 'Can you tell me how you will not completely ruin two years of wedding planning for me, my wife and 75 guests with strike action?' 

Are YOU caught up in the strike? 

Email alisha.buaya@mailonline.com or call 020 3615 3602 

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One pilot on a package of £158,042 a year is said to be demanding a rise which would push up their total package to £349,922 in 2021.

The strike has been backed by around 350 of the airline's 1,250 UK-based pilots. Another walkout is due to take place between September 2 and September 4.

In London today, after Ryanair's application was rejected, Balpa said it had responded to their legal victory by 'offering an olive branch to Ryanair - a framework to allow constructive negotiations to take place and if agreed by Ryanair will avoid the need for strikes'.

Lawyers representing the airline at the High Court in London had asked the judge to grant an injunction at a hearing.

Mother's fears for son in Venice with limited epilepsy medication

A mother has been up all night worrying about her son who could be stranded in Venice without enough epilepsy medication due to the strikes.

Janis Boyes, 58, of Ashingdon, Essex, said her son Damon, 22, is supposed to return to London Southend Airport today after a five-day holiday in Italy with a friend from work.

But he has only got medication for his epilepsy that will last up to Saturday night, so she is extremely concerned he may be in danger if stranded.

Upon learning of the strikes, Ms Boyes told MailOnline: 'I just panicked, I didn't sleep at all. I don't know whether to book another flight because there are other flights available. I did warn him about it last night and I'm waiting to hear from him this morning.'

She added: 'The trouble with his medication is it's not one that could be changed - he couldn't just go to the pharmacy.'

Ms Boyes said she is now considering whether to book him another flight home on an alternative airline, with EasyJet now only having limited seats at £110 each on flights to Gatwick.

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Mrs Justice Lambert was told that members of the Balpa planned industrial action, and in early September.

Barrister Paul Gott QC, who was leading Ryanair's legal team, told the judge, in a written case outline, that strike action could be 'enormously disruptive'.

He said Ryanair would suffer 'significant reputational' damage.

Mr Gott said Balpa had refused an invite to suspend strike action. He said Ryanair had no 'realistic alternative' but to ask for a 'restraining' order.

Barrister Andrew Burns QC, who is leading Balpa's legal team, said, in a written case outline, that Ryanair's application should be dismissed.

Mr Gott said Balpa had not conducted a ballot which complied with the requirements of labour relations legislation.

He said the union had not complied with requirements to: 'accord a vote equally to all members', specify when industrial action was expected to take place, explain how figures set out in a strike notice were arrived at.

Mr Burns said Ryanair was raising 'trivial and immaterial technicalities'. 

He said it was 'readily apparent' that Balpa had 'substantially complied' with legislative obligations.

In Ireland, a trial, which began in Dublin on Monday, heard from senior counsel for the airline, and the union representing the pilots, Forsa, the parent union of the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa).

Justice McDonald said he would restrain Forsa 'from directly or indirectly, organising, directing or endorsing their members to participate in a strike on August 22 and 23, 2019'.

Disruption is set to continue for the rest of the summer holidays, with a series of strikes

Disruption is set to continue for the rest of the summer holidays, with a series of strikes

The legal arguments surrounded whether an agreement signed in the summer of 2018 through mediation at the Workplace Relations Commission was an 'over-arching agreement' that covered pay conditions as well as seniority and annual leave.

Ryanair argued that the 2018 agreement covered issues surrounding salary, however Forsa and a number of named pilots say that the previous agreement only covered the issues that arose at that particular time. 

Justice McDonald told Dublin High Court that he would 'restrain the immediate industrial action' of around 180 pilots in Ireland.

Martin Hayden SC, appearing for the airline, told the court in Dublin he found it 'extraordinary' that the union claimed the 2018 agreement signed by both parties does not cover pay, and the union had shown 'complete indifference' to resolving the dispute which will affect 'hundreds of customers'.

Family might miss my daughter's wedding, says worried mother 

A mother called Olive from Billericay called BBC Essex to explain how members of her family from Ireland could miss her daughter's wedding.

She said: 'I can't really understand why it's taken them so long. They've been in the High Court since Monday, and I don't know why they're leaving it until the last minute for all the people who have to fly.

'I have some of my family coming over from Dublin and my best friend and her husband. 

'They only told me about two weeks ago - they've known for quite a while that Ryanair might strike but they didn't want to tell me because they knew I'd be a bit upset.

'So they're on sort of tenterhooks because they don't really know what to do and they sort of have to get a B plan.'

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Forsa told the court that Ryanair has been 'curt and dismissive' of a 30-page proposal it submitted to the company on pay and conditions, and at one point stated that the submission had 'no basis in reality'.

Their affidavit stated that Ryanair has no basis to apply for an injunction to stop strike action, as the previous agreement signed by both parties in summer 2018 was 'not a full collective agreement'.

Balpa said earlier this week their chance to resolve the dispute involving pilots had been lost because Ryanair 'has wasted time with unnecessary court action'.

It added: 'Instead Ryanair is relying on legal technicalities to try to persuade the High Court to block the strike.'

Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said: 'Ryanair pilots in the UK have a serious dispute with their company which will not be resolved by raising legal technicalities in the High Court.

'Their attempt to block lawful strike action is just another demonstration of the bullying tactics the airline appears to favour.

Ryanair bosses today criticised their 'highly paid UK pilots' for 'unreasonable' pay demands that captains' salaries be doubled from £170,000 to £375,700 per year

Ryanair bosses today criticised their 'highly paid UK pilots' for 'unreasonable' pay demands that captains' salaries be doubled from £170,000 to £375,700 per year

'It means all the time that could have been used to try to find a resolution will now be spent preparing for the court action. 

'It's also worrying to see Ryanair continue to sell tickets for strike days – are they prepared to offer compensation to passengers if they are affected? I think they should tell passengers exactly where they stand.' 

However, a senior Ryanair insider told the Daily Telegraph that the airline had contingency plans in place to most of its UK flights even if the legal action failed.  

Members of Balpa voted by four to one to back a campaign of action on a 72 per cent turnout.

* Does it affect you? Email: alisha.buaya@mailonline.com or call 020 3615 3602*