A 55-year-old woman from Gloucester, UK, says her birthday trip ended in embarrassment after she was escorted off a Ryanair flight by police — all because she couldn’t pay for a £7 snack.
Ann-Marie Murray and her partner were flying back to Bristol from Tenerife on March 28 when they ordered Pringles, water, and a cola onboard. But when it came time to pay, her Barclays card wouldn’t go through on the airline’s card machine — and she had no cash left after their four-night mini-break in the Canary Islands.
Ann-Marie says she offered to pay upon landing, but the crew refused and instead called the police, who were waiting when the plane touched down. Three officers arrived, removed the couple from the flight, and took them to a police van. Murray described the situation as “shocking” and “so embarrassing,” claiming she was doing everything she could to pay but the card machine wasn’t working — not her fault.
She even offered to return the Pringles, but a crew member reportedly declined. The airline accused the couple of being “disruptive” and “refusing to pay,” claims Murray denies. According to her, there were no raised voices and multiple passengers supported her, blaming the malfunctioning card machine. One staff member allegedly admitted similar card issues had happened on other flights.
Thankfully, the police were understanding and even laughed at the situation. After taking her to a cash machine, Ann-Marie was able to pay the £7. Still, the crew banned her from flying with Ryanair in the future — not that she plans to, anyway.
Adding insult to injury, the couple returned to Bristol Airport’s Silver Zone Parking to find their car’s bumper smashed. The staff there reportedly denied responsibility, saying the car was undrivable. It had to be towed, and the couple were sent home in a taxi. When they asked Ryanair for CCTV footage of the incident, the airline allegedly refused to release it.
Ryanair issued a statement defending their actions, stating the passengers ignored crew instructions and consumed the items before paying. They reaffirmed their zero-tolerance policy for any onboard disruption, insisting passengers must follow rules without causing issues.
Ann-Marie, a housing association worker, maintains she never refused to pay and simply had no way to do so until they landed. What was meant to be a short birthday getaway turned into a viral travel nightmare — all over a £7 snack.
