Mum removed from Ryanair plane after being unable to pay £7 Pringles bill
She was asked to leave the Ryanair jet when it landed at the airport after she was unable to pay for a packet of Pringles, a bottle of water and a can of cola
Mum Ann-Marie Murray, 55, was marched off a Ryanair flight by police after she tucked into Pringles from the trolley without paying. She had requested snacks and drinks totalling £7 on her journey from Tenerife to Bristol on March 28.
However, when the in-flight card machine failed to process her payment and she had no cash on hand, the situation escalated. Despite her willingness to pay, three officers escorted the housing association worker off the plane upon landing.
Ryanair defended their decision, stating that the crew “called ahead for police assistance after a passenger became disruptive”. Ann-Marie, from Gloucester, refuted this claim: “I wasn’t disruptive. There were no raised voices.”
Picture dated march 2025 shows Ann-Marie Murray on holiday in Tenerife.
A woman says a holiday to Tenerife to celebrate her birthday was ruined after she was escorted off a Ryanair plane by THREE police officers when she was unable to pay her £7 in-flight food bill because “the card machine failed.”
Ann-Marie Murray said she was “mortified” when the officers led her off the plane and put her in the back of their van after she couldn’t pay for her can of Coke, Pringles and bottle of water when her card transaction failed on her flight back home to Bristol.
The 55-year-old, who had been on a four-day beach break with her partner, said: “I thought it was a joke when the air crew said they had called the police.
See copy catchline Woman escorted off Ryanair flight by police card machine fail
(Image: Bav Media)She recounted her efforts to settle the bill: “I was doing my best to pay. I tried to tap and pay, but the machine didn’t work. They tried with another machine and when it still didn’t go through I offered to get cash when we landed but they said I couldn’t do that.”
Her partner even offered to return the Pringles, but according to Ann-Marie, the steward declined. The incident left her bewildered and humiliated: “I thought it was a joke when the crew said they had called the police.”, reports the Mirror.
“I was shocked when the police came onboard and we were asked to leave. It was so embarrassing. I had done everything I could to resolve it.”
Ann-Marie insists she never refused to pay: “They then told the police I had refused to pay, but that wasn’t the case. I wanted to pay, but my card didn’t work and I had no cash.”
Ann-Marie’s getaway with her partner to the Canary Islands for her birthday was tarnished when she faced a payment issue during a Ryanair flight. Her experience led to an unexpected encounter with the authorities and a vow never to fly with the airline again.
Having observed a similar dilemma unfold on a previous Ryanair flight with another customer struggling to make a payment, Ann-Marie was astonished by the airline staff’s inflexible handling of the situation.
Describing her ordeal, Ann-Marie recounted: “Luckily the police were lovely and after I explained the situation they took me to a cash machine and I was able to pay the £7. The officers were laughing and couldn’t believe it.”
The aftermath was clear-cut as she explained: “After I paid, the crew told me we’re banned from flying with Ryanair, but I’d never fly with them again anyway after what happened.”
Local law enforcement, Avon and Somerset Police, clarified their involvement: “We received a report of a disruptive passenger on an inbound flight to Bristol Airport. Officers briefly attended, but quickly established it related to a civil dispute and no action was taken.”
Ryanair responded to the incident stating: “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.”