An irate airline passenger has sparked a heated debate after moaning about children on her Ryanair flight during school term time. Retired tour guide Cathy McKeown fumed on social media that there were “kids in front and behind” her as she waited to board her plane.
Scouser Cathy, who was flying back to Liverpool from Torrevieja to celebrate her 70th birthday, wrote on X: “Why aren’t they in school?”
And she was met with hundreds of replies from Twitter users who pointed out that many schools are still off for half-term this week, while others told her to simply “mind her own business.” She was hit with a number of rude replies too.
One user claimed she didn’t “like to see kids excited for the family holiday”. Another said: “Because they are going on holiday to enjoy themselves. You’re not even on the plane and you’re moaning, hope your seat is amongst all the kids, I’m sure you were a kid once.”
Parents in England face hefty fines for taking their kids out of class during term time. But many see it is a cheaper alternative to the huge price hikes during half-term for family getaways.
Another user wrote: “Posts like this annoy me. Kids have a right to make memories on holidays too… Some schools are still in half term… And even if they weren’t, parents can’t afford to take kids during the school holidays…”
A third replied: “Probably because it’s about £500 cheaper to go this week than it is as last week.” The same social media user asked what “has it got to do with you?”
Someone else said: “I’m due to take my daughter away on June 22. She finishes school early this year so she’s not missing school, but the same holiday a week later over £1,000 dearer. Lifetime memories mean more than a random week in school.”
But some were supportive of Cathy’s stance. One wrote: “British parents will take their children out of school to get sunburnt in Benidorm, have their children fall behind and leave school with no GCSEs or qualifications then cry when skilled immigrants are needed to ‘take’ their jobs.”
Cathy, who once featured on the ITV gameshow May the Best House Win, later responded to the backlash. One person told her: “See I choose adult only holidays as I don’t have kids, however do I suck the fun out of everyone else’s holidays? No.”
She hit back: “Oh you should, it’s so much fun!” And when one person called her a “sausage”, she said: “Where I come from being called a sausage is a complement! Are you flirting with me?”
She later posted: “I’m in Liverpool for a week. I really hope there’s no kids on the plane going when I’m going back to my massive big mansion with its huge pool and hot tub. The flight out was horrendous, little children all over the place. Ryanair should ban them all!”
And on Thursday, she posted: “Well after asking why our flight to Liverpool was full of kids I went viral! I also gained over 200 new followers, got called tennis ball head (my favourite) and the C word quite a lot!
“Don’t actually know why some people got involved but it kept me amused! Thanks to everyone.”