Filming herself in tears at the airport, Joleen Weiss recalled to her 14,000 TikTok followers a disastrous interaction that ended with her being refused boarding to her Ryanair flight.
Joleen, a self-described ‘health and wellness girly with a passion for travel,’ was planning to take a flight from Porto Airport.
And while she doesn’t mention where she was heading, it’s safe to say her video didn’t have the intended effect, as many of her followers ended up siding with Ryanair.
It all started with Joleen running late and arriving at the airport after the check-in desk closed. She decided to proceed straight to the gate.
‘I was going through security, I run through for takeoff,’ Joleen shared in the video, which has since racked up more than 78,000 likes.
‘As soon as I get to the gate, this f***ing lady, Isabella something, like f*** her. She f***ing sees me recording myself…immediately sees me, is having a s***a** day, and is like “you have to delete that video”.’
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She alleged the staff member said if she didn’t delete it, she would call the police.
At this point, it might be useful to know that filming at security checkpoints is usually heavily restricted at airports.
Joleen then claimed another staff member asked her to pay ‘another $75’ to check in her bag at the gate, despite her paying for luggage when she originally booked the flight.
‘She’s giving me the most f***ing attitude, and I didn’t do anything. I walked up to the gate, I’m smiling, I’m like thank god I didn’t miss my flight, that’s it. She’s immediately being a b**** to me,’ she said.
The interaction had a fiery culmination, with Joleen swearing at the staff member after paying the fee.
As she was about to walk through, Joleen recalled saying: ‘You know, you’re a b**** and it costs zero dollars to be nice to someone.’
At this point, the attendant allegedly said: ‘That’s it, you’re not getting on the flight.’
Concluding her video, Joleen said she would ‘never’ fly Ryanair again, claiming she was also denied a refund.
She added: ‘It’s genuinely crazy. That’s why they’re able to make money.’
The video has since garnered more than 76,000 likes, but not everyone has understood Joleen’s perspective.
In the comments, @frankiedot wrote: ‘In Europe it’s actually classed as unacceptable to verbally abuse staff,’ while @getupwithvee penned: ‘I can’t believe you’ve made the whole of Europe side with Ryanair.’
@amyharback started off with an essence of sympathy, writing: ‘I really get why you’re upset – Ryanair is the worst. But arriving late and then insulting staff usually makes things harder. Two things can be true: it feels really unfair, and the reaction didn’t help the situation.’
Meanwhile, @ruthietoothiexo said that she’s flown Ryanair predominantly for the last 10 years, but she’s ‘never been refused boarding.’
‘Then I’ve also never verbally abused the gate staff, so that might be why,’ she said, while @0_0_0_ii asked: ‘So we are on team Ryanair?’
According to Ryanair’s website, the airline has a ‘strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct.’
Generally, the UK Department of Transport’s guidance on passenger rights stipulates that those who verbally abuse staff won’t be eligible for compensation if they’re denied boarding.
And, according to Bell Lamb & Joynson Solicitors, using ‘threatening or abusive language, refusing to comply with instructions, or interfering with the duties of cabin crew may result in a criminal charge and arrest.’
In December 2024, a passenger was convicted for disrupting a flight to Athens, having refused to follow the crew’s instructions. They were handed a five-month suspended sentence, plus a €400 (£347.85) fine.
At the time, a spokesperson added: ‘The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is Ryanair’s No.1 priority and we operate a strict zero tolerance policy to try to eradicate unruly behaviour onboard our aircraft.’
This isn’t the only time Ryanair has reckoned with unruly passenger behaviour. In August 2025, a passenger was convicted for, amongst other things, verbally abusing their fellow customers. They were handed 225 hours of community service.
Metro has contacted Ryanair for comment.
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