Overview

• The airline replaced a 737-8200 with a 737-800 on May 1, reducing capacity from 197 to 189 seats.
• Gate staff told Scott McCormick and Helena Boshwick that only one seat was available, asking them to step aside during boarding.
• Unwilling to travel separately, the couple paid a £100 missed departure fee, waiting four hours for the next flight to Palma de Mallorca.
• Ryanair says it offered both free rebooking with reimbursement for reasonable receipted expenses; no expense claims have been submitted.
• Public response suggested the couple were targeted for not reserving seats; McCormick alleged the treatment amounted to discrimination.