A MUM and her kids were turned away from a Ryanair flight over a row about the size of the cabin bag as she claims she was “racially profiled”.
Chassidy Robertson was on her way home to London on July 17 after a week-long break in Fuerteventura, Spain, with her two kids and younger sister Danique.
After going through check-in and security, confusion arose when Ryanair took issue with her 18-year-old sister's cabin bag as they were about to board the flight.
The 28-year-old mum-of-two had paid an extra £25 only 30 minutes earlier, which upgraded her sister to priority boarding and allowed for a 10kg bag on the flight – though still under strict size restrictions that Ryanair claims the bag still flouted.
However finance manager Chassidy says the row erupted because they were told they had not paid priority for the bag and that staff hadn't liked a “dirty look” or “side-eye” she is said to have given a staff member while scanning her boarding pass.
Ryanair have since claimed that while they had paid for the 10kg cabin bag, it did not fit the dimensions permitted for the flight, so the group were advised to pay a standard fee to put it into the hold several times before “forcing their way through the gate”.
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In the video, staff can be heard telling Chassidy that she is no longer allowed to fly and has to “get out” of the airport due to the “scene” she has made at the gate – with cops arriving to try to calm the situation down.
Chassidy is convinced the issue arose due to being “racially profiled” by staff – though Ryanair deny this and say it is “completely false”.
The airline point out that the passenger's bag was simply too large for their size restrictions and needed to go in the hold and claim Chassidy was removed because she became “abusive” and tried to board the aircraft without permission.
The confrontation left Chassidy feeling “attacked” and "embarrassed”, believing she had been “racially profiled”.
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Concerned about her one-year-old daughter, who had run out of the prescription formula milk she relies on due to allergies, the mum was reduced to tears and forced to book a flight on a different airline to get back to the UK.
In a furious letter to the airline, Chassidy told them it was “all because she's a black woman” and she vowed to “make sure it doesn't go unheard about”.
Chassidy, from Putney, London, said: "It gets me so upset even talking about it now. I do think it was racism. My children have never experienced anything like that, my son was crying.
"I just wanted to resolve it as my one-year-old has medical issues, she has a special formula milk which had run out that day as I didn't bring extra on holiday.
"My great grandmother had just passed away unexpectedly so we wanted to get back that day to be with family.
"They didn't want to hear it though, they just said we aren't flying today.
"The [male handling agent] said to my sister if she deleted one of her videos she could get on the plane. She deleted it, he laughed at her, and said 'you're still not getting on the plane'.
"They called the police on us. At no point were we ever violent or threatening.
"Other people waiting to board the plane were saying 'how can you be doing this to this woman and her children?'
"One lady was crying herself because of how they were treating us."
The family had purchased priority boarding via the Ryanair app for the bag just half an hour earlier so thought that they had been covered – not realising that the bag was still too large for the cabin and needed to be stowed.
However in the footage a member of staff can be heard telling Chassidy that she does not have priority and would need to still pay at the gate – prompting further confusion.
Believing the group were being “racially profiled”, Chassidy's sister Danique began filming the confrontation, but was reportedly told to delete one of her videos by a member of Ryanair's staff.
During the confrontation, a frustrated Danique can be heard in the video quoting Danielle Bregoli as she threatens, “you're lucky I don't live here I would catch you outside”.
The group were escorted to Ryanair's desk by the police, where they were told the next flight was on Friday, meaning they'd have to find accommodation to stay another four nights.
With no formula left, and unable to afford this, Chassidy ended up booking them onto an easyJet flight for later that day.
Chassidy said: "When we were boarding, they scanned our boarding passes and looked at our passports and let us through. Everything was fine.
"We were in the little tunnel about to get on the plane and I was called back. I said, 'what's the problem?'
"She told me that we didn't have priority baggage and that we wouldn't be flying today as she didn't like the way I looked at her when scanning my boarding pass.
"This made no sense to me. I had priority booking on my phone, it was on the app. She was denying that we had it.
"When I had walked through [the boarding gate], I hadn't even looked at her. I was more focused on my children and getting them through.
"Regardless of if I did look at her funny, which I didn't, that isn't a reason to not let somebody on the plane.
"I didn't think this would warrant us not flying, so I went back to my sister and kids.
"We were then forcefully removed from the line.
"They started pushing me with my one-year-old daughter in my hands. My son was crying, my daughter was crying. I felt so embarrassed and attacked.
"I asked, 'is it racially motivated?' They laughed and said 'if that's what you want to think.'
"Going over it again, it brings tears to my eyes that my children had to see that."
Since returning home, the mum has sent a complaint to Ryanair via email but she felt their response showed 'no remorse' as it denied any racism and only restated that her sister's bag was too big.
Now, she feels terrified to get on another plane and travel overseas in case the same thing ever happens again.
Chassidy said: "I was in tears, I stopped talking to them as they were just not willing to help us.
"Honestly, if I didn't have that money, how would I have gotten home? Not everyone has money at their disposal like that.
"I just felt deceived. I sent a complaint in after. There was no remorse in their email. They said it was because my sister's bag was too big, but we paid for that.
"We got kicked off because the lady said she didn't like how I looked at her.
"I'm now terrified to get on another plane because I'm scared of getting stuck overseas and all the hassle."
Chassidy shared a video online of the escalating confrontation with the caption: "Ryanair left myself, my one-year-old baby, seven-year-old son and sister overseas in Spain because the lady said I looked at her funny."
Chassidy's videos have more than 50,000 views, 2000 likes, and 300 comments.
Ryanair spokesperson said: "This passenger's cabin bag exceeded the dimensions permitted for her flight from Fuerteventura to Luton (17 July).
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“As per Ryanair's T&Cs, which were accepted by the passenger at the time of booking, oversized cabin baggage must be placed in the hold of the aircraft for a standard fee which this passenger was advised at the check in desk and again at the gate.
"This passenger refused to pay the standard baggage fee and became abusive towards staff, including forcing herself through the gate and towards the aircraft, to which the gate staff promptly requested police assistance and the passenger was removed."
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