Ryanair is refusing to refund a UK man who missed his flight after fighting-off a knife attack with his bare hands and saving lives on a train.
Stephen Crean, 61, was heading home to London on Nov 1 when the knife-wielding attacker appeared in his train. People fled past Crean, but he confronted the attacker, who asked Crean if he wanted to die, before slashing his arm. The fight was on, and after being stabbed multiple times (including in the head), Crean walked away and the attacker booked into jail..
11 victims were treated for injuries, all will survive. The attacker is facing 11 counts of attempted murder.
Crean is recovering from his injuries, and is being hailed a hero. His wounds, however, are severe enough that he had to miss a planned flight and trip to Austria this week for a football game, as he focuses on recovery instead.
“It could have been Ryanair staff in that buffet car”
Ryanair says they don’t do refunds, saying passengers should secure travel insurance to protect themselves.
While it’s true that Ryanair only refunds for when they cancel flights or have to deny boarding, this particular case may rub potential future flyers the wrong way – to another airline.
“It’s not all about money. It’s got nothing to do with money. And they should know that – it could have been Ryanair staff in that buffet car,” says Crean. “They should grow up a bit and do something. Just stop being petty about this, it’s childish. Maybe they must change, because people are going to think very low of them now.”
British Airways steps in where Ryanair failed
It would have been an easy PR move to accommodate the man, and the right thing to do. Even Stevie Wonder could see that.
British Airways picked up on Ryanair’s fail, and offered to fly Mr Crean to Portugal for another football trip, including two nights at a 5-star hotel.
“Stephen’s actions that day were heroic. In a moment of terrifying danger, he put the safety and welfare of others ahead of his own,” said a spokesperson from British Airways. “We’re delighted to offer him this gesture as a small way of expressing our gratitude and recognition for his remarkable courage and bravery.”
