Couple involved in 2-year legal battle with airline over lost suitcase

By Elizabeth Hunter

A lost suitcase has trapped a couple in a two-year-legal fight with Ryanair - but they still haven't seen a penny.

Rosie McGrane took a short trip to Copenhagen in September 2023 - but discovered shortly after landing that her suitcase had gone missing.

After following the standard protocol to report the loss to Ryanair, she was told that the suitcase hadn't left Edinburgh and would be sent to her friend's home in Denmark - but nothing arrived.

When Rosie returned home to Kilmarnock, her husband Chris, a retired sheriff clerk, helped her to fill out a formal complaint - which led to a year long "back and forth" with the company.

In March 2025, the couple began legal action, and by July, Edinburgh Sheriff Court ordered Ryanair to pay $4,425.37 in compensation - but Rosie is yet to receive a penny.

The airline has since refused to accept responsibility and has launched an appeal - claiming it was not notified of the legal action and was not able to launch a defence.

It also described the compensation award as "ludicrous and excessive."

Rosie, 56, said one of the biggest losses was a custom Saltire, with her late brother's name and picture printed on the front - which she was going to wear while crossing the finish line of the Copenhagen half marathon.

"On 15 September 2023, I was flying from Edinburgh Airport to take part in the Copenhagen half marathon - but when I arrived that same day, my suitcase never arrived on the carousel," Rosie said.

"I reported the case missing at the airport and we gave them my friend's address so that when the case turned up, they would deliver it.

"We were in Copenhagen for five days. We did at one point get a call to say that the case was being delivered, and it didn't turn up.

"I didn't have a thing, so I managed to get a running kit - but not what I would usually use, and not things that I'd ever used before.

"One of the key rules of running is to never run in anything you've not trained in - so it was probably one of the worst half marathons that I've done.

"I had no clothes, so I had to stop at a mall to buy underwear, deodorant, toiletries - I had absolutely nothing.

"I lost my brother to bowel cancer and during his diagnosis, we rant he Glasgow 10k together.

"Every time I do a run, I take my flag and finish with Derek around my shoulders - and the flag was in the bag."

Upon returning home, Rosie submitted a claim form to Ryanair, listing everything that had been in the case - headphones, a tablet, and multiple outfits - and where possible, submitted receipts for the items.

65-year-old Chris began regularly emailing Ryanair to ask for updates, and by 2024, the couple had submitted a complaint about the delay.

They received a response telling them that they had submitted the wrong form - despite filling out the documents Ryanair themselves had sent, and then the company stopped responding.

On 3 June that year, the couple say Ryanair closed Rosie's case - and Chris began to seek formal legal recourse.

He said: "We sent regular emails after that, seeking clarification as to why the compensation claim had been rejected, and they then refused to engage with us at all.

"In March 2025, we raised a simple procedure claim in Edinburgh Sheriff Court, and there was no response from them.

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Couple involved in 2-year legal battle with airline over lost suitcase

"In July 2025, I got a court decree for the sum that I had sued them for - £4,425 and the expense of raising the action.

"The next move then was to try and recover the funds."

Sheriff officers then set out to serve the decree to Ryanair - but at Edinburgh Airport, officers were told all workers were subcontractors.

Chris added: "To our great surprise, there's a claim that nobody there actually worked for Ryanair.

"Despite the staff with Ryanair uniforms, the gates and planes with Ryanair logos - apparently none of that is based in Scotland.

"I think that's done in order to try and dissuade people from suing in Scotland.

"They can use corporate smoke and mirrors to try and say that they haven't, but to the normal consumer, Ryanair operate regularly out of Prestwick and Edinburgh airport, and to suggest they don't have a place of business there is ludicrous."

The degree was then sent to the company's head office in Dublin, and they were given until October 2025 to respond.

In October, the couple were told that Ryanair had lodged a recall, and were attempting to fight back against the court decision - claiming that Rosie did not follow the appropriate procedures, a claim which she denies.

Chris said: "The charge was served on 17 September, and it expired on 2 October.

"We received a paper copy of the application for recall of degree on the last day that I could object to it, so I did that."

Now, the couple are set to appear in court on 26 March to lay out the basis of their objection - that Ryanair deliberately delay proceedings in the hopes that claimants will give up.

Rosie says that her complaints are nothing to do with members of staff, having had several positive experiences on flights in the past - but believes the company as a whole "doesn't care" about their customers.

"I can't imagine the amount of people that would have given up after a month or two, because there's no help from Ryanair whatsoever," she said.

"It means nothing to them, but it meant everything to me.

"I think that the sheriff should refuse their application to recall the decree because of the delay tactics they've used from the start.

"If the sheriff doesn't agree with me and recalls the court order, there'll be a full hearing in court.

"For me, I just want them to say sorry and I want this to be finished.

"We're in a very fortunate position that my husband is retired and has a legal background and can deal with this, but he's finding it difficult to deal with it and navigate it.

"Mr and Mrs Joe Bloggs would find this almost impossible to navigate, and I feel that it needs to be highlighted.

"I'm not going to give up - you can't just treat people like this."

A representative from Ryanair said: “Ryanair were not notified by this customer of this legal action which went undefended due to their failure to notify the airline.

"There is no lawful basis for this award of over £4,000, and Ryanair has instructed its lawyers to appeal this ludicrous and excessive award, now that we have received details of it, directly from the Court.”