Alex Trelinski
A Spanish tourist stranded in Morocco has accused Ryanair of treating customers ‘like dogs’ and ‘deceiving people’ after taking bookings for cancelled flights out of the North African country.
Moroccan authorities scrapped all scheduled air connections to and from the country on November 29 through to December 13 as a preventative measure following the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Hundreds of tourists from Spain have been returning home on special ‘rescue’ flights organised by Iberia, Royal Air Maroc, and Air Arabia.
Speaking to the El Pais newspaper, Irene Varela, 33, who flew to Marrakech for a long weekend, said she was stranded until Thursday.
When she heard she could not fly from Marrakech, Varela bought a Ryanair ticket for a Tuesday flight from Agadir to Alicante-Elche airport, with the carrier’s website accepting the booking.
She took a three and a half hour drive to Agadir, only to discover that the flight had been cancelled.
Irene Varela said: “Ryanair has treated us like dogs, deceiving people. They did not inform us that the flight was cancelled and they are obliged to do so by email.”
She added that the carrier was still selling tickets for the Agadir service on the Tuesday in the full knowledge of its cancellation.
“And the price was much more expensive than the day before. I have proof, I have taken photos of the ticket prices with my phone,“ added Varela.
She also slammed all the extra expenses she incurred including extra nights in hotels and a €339 fare for the Iberia rescue flight on Thursday from Casablanca.
There has been no comment so far from Ryanair on Varela’s claims.
The budget carrier announced this week that it had suspended flights to Morocco until February 1 due to a ‘lack of clarity’ from the Moroccan government.
The Irish carrier said cancellations had already affected 160,000 customers and their suspension will affect 230,000 passengers through to February.
Ryanair’s commercial director, Jason McGuinness, blamed the Moroccan government for not clarifying whether it will be possible to fly after December 13
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