Ryanair blasted for ‘charging disabled 6ft11in teenager another £30 for extra leg room seat his family asked for’
Jordan Hamilton, 19, has a genetic condition called Klinefelter's Syndrome which causes his limbs to grow abnormally long
RYANAIR has been blasted for allegedly charging a disabled 6ft 11in teenager for a seat with extra leg room which his family had asked for.
Jordan Hamilton, 19, has a genetic condition called Klinefelter's Syndrome which causes his limbs to grow abnormally long and doctors expect he'll keep growing until he is 21.
The teenager was due to fly from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Malaga, Spain, with his mum Dianah, 54, sisters Jenny, 33, and Samantha, 32, for two days next week to celebrate his eldest sibling's birthday.
But when Jenny called RyanAir to explain her brother needed a front seat so he can fit his legs inside, she was told he would have to fork out £15 each way for the privilege.
The extra charge is nearly the same cost as the £20 each way flight - almost doubling the cost of his flight, the chartered account explained.
She said the family usually fly with easyJet and Jordan has always been allowed to sit in the front row free of charge.
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Jenny, from Belfast, said: "Ryanair told me if I wanted extra leg room I would have to pay for it.
"It costs £15 each way to sit on the front row and the tickets only cost £20 each.
"That means he's effectively going to have to pay double the fare because of his disability.
"I'm incredibly upset about it. If he didn't suffer from Klinefelter's Syndrome he wouldn't require this extra room.
"He's being discriminated against, I do not think it is any different from a person in a wheelchair.
"I explained to the person on the phone that it's not like he is fat. He hasn't eaten himself into this state. This is not something he has done to himself."
Jordan, who also has a learning difficulty, is registered disabled and has been supported by charity Disability Action who helped him get a part-time job at a petrol garage.
Jenny said: "He doesn't like attention being drawn to his disability. People are always taking the mickey and saying things like 'how's the weather up there?' and it really affects him.
"I've seen him crying trying to fit into a normal seat before. His legs are so long that they just won't fit.
"It isn't nice for the person in front of him either because he ends up putting his knees into the back of their chair.
"It's never been a problem with easyJet before so I can't understand why Ryanair are being so difficult."
The family are now calling on Ryanair to change its minds but admit they may have little option but to pay the additional charge.
A Ryanair spokesman said: “This passenger requested to be seated in one of our reserved seat rows, and was offered this service on the same basis as all other passengers, namely upon payment of the applicable £15 fee.
"We have, as a goodwill gesture, waived the fee in this case, but he will be required to pay it, on the same basis as all other passengers, if he wishes to fly with Ryanair again.”
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