Following up to Mxsmanic :

mrtravel writes:

Apparently she relied on Ryanair's info the second time, after already
have suffered through many hours of questioning because of "thier"
mistake the first time. Would you?

She might not have known where else to turn. Did Ryanair suggest
other sources of information besides itself?

She's Australian. She would at least have been aware of the existence of an
embassy. Travel agents in the UK can also be helpful.
Or even her husband. She isn't alone in the big bad world.
--
Tim C.