Mum THROWN OFF Ryanair flight in police van over £7 Pringles after card machine failed and crew refused her offer to pay at airport
A tube of Pringles led to a police escort off a plane.
Birthday Trip Turns Into Nightmare
What should have been a relaxing return from a birthday celebration quickly descended into a humiliating ordeal for one Gloucester mum.
Ann-Marie Murray, 55, had been enjoying a four-night mini-break in Tenerife with her partner to celebrate her birthday when the unthinkable happened.
The housing association worker found herself surrounded by police officers and escorted off a Ryanair flight – all over a simple snack purchase gone wrong.
The incident took place on March 28th on a flight from Tenerife to Bristol.
What started as a routine in-flight purchase spiraled into a situation that would leave Ann-Marie saying she'll never fly with the budget airline again.
A Simple Snack Request
During the flight, Ann-Marie ordered what many passengers do – a few refreshments from the trolley service.
Her selections were modest: a tube of Pringles, water, and a cola. The total bill came to just £7.
But when it came time to pay, things took an unexpected turn.
"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," Ann-Marie explained.
Despite her willingness to resolve the situation, the crew's response left her stunned.
Escalation Beyond Belief
As tensions rose over the unpaid snacks, Ann-Marie's partner made what seemed like a reasonable offer.
They asked if the crew wanted the Pringles returned.
The answer? "No."
Yet despite refusing the return of the items, the situation continued to escalate in a way that seemed disproportionate to the circumstances.
"I thought it was a joke when the crew said they had called the police," Ann-Marie said. "I was shocked when the police came onboard and we were asked to leave. It was so embarrassing."
The Gloucester mum insists she wasn't being difficult or confrontational during the incident.
"I wasn't disruptive. There were no raised voices. I was doing my best to pay."
The Police Response
When the flight landed at Bristol Airport, the situation took an even more dramatic turn.
Three police officers boarded the aircraft and escorted Ann-Marie off the plane.
The 55-year-old was then placed in the back of a police van – all over a £7 snack bill she had repeatedly tried to pay.
In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed: "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."
The officers, according to Ann-Marie, were "lovely" and even seemed bemused by the situation.
The Resolution and Aftermath
What happened next reveals just how easily the situation could have been resolved without the dramatic police intervention.
After explaining her side of the story, the police simply took Ann-Marie to a cash machine where she withdrew the money and paid the £7 bill.
"The officers were laughing and couldn't believe it," she recounted.
Despite the simple resolution, Ann-Marie claims the crew told her she was now banned from flying with Ryanair – a consequence she says doesn't bother her in the slightest.
"I'd never fly with them again anyway after what happened."
Ryanair, however, has defended their actions, claiming Ann-Marie "proceeded to ignore crew instructions, consume the items prior to payment and subsequently became disruptive."
The airline stated: "Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour."
For Ann-Marie, what should have been a happy return from a birthday celebration instead became a humiliating ordeal that "ruined the trip" – all because of a card machine that wouldn't process a £7 payment for some Pringles.
