The situation escalated rapidly from an order of Coke and Pringles to a police escort off the aircraft
15:24, 07 Apr 2025Updated 15:34, 07 Apr 2025
Ann-Marie Murray, who was escorted off a Ryanair flight from Tenerife to Bristol by police. (SWNS)(Image: SWNS)
A woman and her partner were escorted off a Ryanair plane by police after their card was unable to process a £7 transaction for onboard snacks.
Ann-Marie Murray, 55, was flying from Tenerife to Bristol on March 28 when she ordered a bottle of Coke, a bottle of water and some Pringles from a member of the cabin crew.
When she went to pay for the items, Ann-Marie’s Barclays card failed to work.
The airline staff member requested that she pay in cash instead, however, the couple had used up all of their cash while on holiday.
According to the Gloucestershire mum, she offered to withdraw money from an airport ATM as soon as they landed, but this was apparently refused by the crew.
When the couple started tucking into their snacks without paying, flight crew decided to confiscate their boarding passes and told them that police would be waiting for them when the plane landed at Bristol Airport.
Despite their protestations and several other passengers coming to their defence, flight crew maintained their position and footage taken by Ann-Marie shows the moment two officers arrived onto the aircraft to escort them off.
Ann-Marie, who works as a retirement living assistant and was on her way home from a four-night mini-break to the Canary Islands to celebrate her birthday, said: “It was really embarrassing – they stopped everyone getting off the plane and we had to be escorted off.
“I think they thought we had another card or cash, but I emptied my bag and showed them I had nothing else.
“Other passengers stuck up for us and said we can’t pay, it’s your machines not working but she doubled down and said we were refusing and being rude.”
The 55-year-old added that one of the flight attendants confessed to her that this had happened with similar cards before.
She added: “As she went to get another machine, the other flight attendant turned round and said this had happened before with these cards.
“This has happened to other people on flights we’ve been on before; the machines seem to have problems with these credit cards.”
As if their ordeal wasn’t traumatic enough, after retrieving their car from the Silver Zone Aiport Parking at Bristol Airport, Ann-Marie and her partner found the front bumper “smashed.”
“We got in the car and heard scrapping on the floor,” she said.
“We got out and found the front bumper smashed up.
“We went to complain, and the car park owners said it wasn’t their problem – they looked at our car and said it was undrivable.
“They said we have to get it towed away and repaired and then go home.
“Eventually, they decided to get us a taxi home,” Ann-Marie explained.
“We asked for CCTV footage, and they said they couldn’t give it to us.
“I’ve emailed, and they are saying they won’t take responsibility.”
Ann-Marie Murray, who was escorted off a Ryanair flight from Tenerife to Bristol by police. (SWNS)(Image: SWNS)
The couple were told they’d been banned from flying Ryanair again in the future, but Ann-Marie declared: “I’d never fly with them again anyway after what happened.”
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “The crew of this flight from Tenerife to Bristol (28 Mar) called ahead for police assistance after a passenger became disruptive onboard.
“During this flight, this passenger attempted to purchase food onboard, however the card did not process payment.
“As crew looked to resolve the payment issue, this passenger proceeded to ignore crew instructions, consume the items prior to payment and subsequently became disruptive.
“The aircraft was met by local police upon arrival at Bristol Airport and this passenger was removed.
“Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption.”