RYANAIR - A Social Media Disaster

Don't think that your online comments won't come back to haunt you? Review the following interchange documented by ADRANTS about RYANAIR: (http://www.adrants.com/2009/02/helpful-blogger-brand-idiocy-social.php)

Helpful Blogger + Brand Idiocy = Social Media Disaster

Oh wait. Didn't we just write that headline? Here we go again. Or is it "there you go again?" I can never remember what that Reagan dude used to say all the time. Anyway, here's the deal.
In a blog post, Jason Roe pointed out a fluke on the Ryanair website that made it possible for someone to book a flight and not be charged for it. He didn't actually book a free flight but he wanted the error to be made know.
How did Ryanair react? As if a Mastercard ad, pricelessly:

10. Ryanair Staff #1 Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

jason!
you're an idiot and a liar!! fact is!
you've opened one session then another and requested a page meant for a different session, you are so stupid you dont even know how you did it! you dont get a free flight, there is no dynamic data to render which is prob why you got 0.00. what self respecting developer uses a crappy CMS such as word press anyway AND puts they're mobile ph number online, i suppose even a prank call is better than nothing on a lonely sat evening!!

Sweet, huh? But it gets worse. Upon confirmation the above comment did, in fact, come from a Ryanair employee, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said:
Ryanair doesn't want anything to do with 'lunatic' bloggers!
February 24, 2009

Absolutely hilarious, fantastic - and typical - response from Ryanair to recent shenanigans:

Stephen McNamara from Ryanair said:

"Ryanair can confirm that a Ryanair staff member did engage in a blog discussion.

"It is Ryanair policy not to waste time and energy corresponding with idiot bloggers and Ryanair can confirm that it won't be happening again.

"Lunatic bloggers can have the blog sphere all to themselves as our people are far too busy driving down the cost of air travel".

Go ahead, make their day..