Ryanair up prices shocker!!

sunflower27

mrsoundie wrote: »

What I don't get is this, Ryanair don't want you to have any baggage in the hold (OK with that), yet, in my opinion the allowances for cabin baggage do seem to be getting smaller year on year. So really, what do they want?

They want your money and to deal with smaller bags.

Shamrock231

mrsoundie wrote: »

What I don't get is this, Ryanair don't want you to have any baggage in the hold (OK with that), yet, in my opinion the allowances for cabin baggage do seem to be getting smaller year on year. So really, what do they want?

Money.

Grandpa Hassan

markpb wrote: »

I don't think that's entirely true. Some of the things they do are in their customers interests but we just don't realise it or appreciate it.

Being very strict about the size of carry-on luggage means that when people board, there's (generally) space for everyone's bags and we can take off on time. Are Lingus are far less strict with the outcome that the cabin crew spend 10-15 mins rearranging everyone's bags to try to make them fit.

Completely agree with this. I like that they are taking oversized or 2nd items of cabin baggage from people. I wish all other airlines were as strict. People blocking the aisle while they try to squeeze in a bag that doesnt fit is very annoying. As is being last in the plane and finding no room in the overhead compartments as people have taken on too large bags.

They are driving behaviour which, as their customer, I very much appreciate

keithclancy

rainbowtrout wrote: »

They fly into the Netherlands and the Czech Republic but not into the main cities. I would imagine more people would be looking to go to Amsterdam than Eindhoven or Groningen.

Anyway that aside if they don't want families going on holiday, people with luggage etc how far will they go before reducing their market too much.
.

The Eindhoven flight is always completely full with people that live and work in Eindhoven and other nearby cities, plus people that are going on Holidays or whatever.

It's hardly a small place with a population of 300000 people and with a main station that has direct rail links to Utrecht, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Rotterdam/Den Haag, Dusseldorf (via Venlo)

Why the fock would people living in Eindhoven want to fly from/to Amsterdam when its a 15 minute ride on the 400/401 bus that goes every 8-10 minutes from the center.

I guess I could say why does Ryanair fly to Dublin when I actually want to get to Cork.

Grayson

rainbowtrout wrote: »

They fly into the Netherlands and the Czech Republic but not into the main cities. I would imagine more people would be looking to go to Amsterdam than Eindhoven or Groningen.

Anyway that aside if they don't want families going on holiday, people with luggage etc how far will they go before reducing their market too much.

I mentioned earlier in the thread. Amsterdam is an hours train journey from Eindhoven. The Netherlands (along with Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg) has the most amazing public transport system. They are fast and very cheap compared to here). Including the bus ride to the city from the airport, you're talking about 1 1/2 hours extra if you fly to Eindhoven rather than Amsterdam. But the flights are on average €100 cheaper. So it's a trade off. I can pay €33 an hour for an extra 3 hours of holidays if I go with Aer Lingus.

But I should point out that Dublin's public transport system is so crappy that if I fly into Dublin and what to get public transport home I'm talking about 1 hour from the airport to the city center and another hour home.

languagenerd

markpb wrote: »

I don't think that's entirely true. Some of the things they do are in their customers interests but we just don't realise it or appreciate it.

Being very strict about the size of carry-on luggage means that when people board, there's (generally) space for everyone's bags and we can take off on time. Are Lingus are far less strict with the outcome that the cabin crew spend 10-15 mins rearranging everyone's bags to try to make them fit.

I don't necessarily mean with the bags and rules. I have no sympathy for people who bring too much luggage/don't print their boarding pass and then complain about being stung for more money - you agreed to that when you booked it!

What I meant was more the way they treat their customers in the airport or on the plane. Have had loads of experience of shoddy customer service from them. In Charleroi (which isn't Brussels, even if they try to say it is :pac:), they have a habit of calling passengers to board a good half an hour before they intend on doing so, so everyone stands in a tightly-packed queue for over 30min for no reason. Once, they actually let people through the gate even though the plane wasn't there yet, and 200+ of us had to queue on a narrow staircase for another 20min (health and safety??). In Seville, they let people board from both doors of the plane, meaning everyone just got stuck in the aisle and the cabin crew kept yelling at people to move down when they physically couldn't. Paying customers shouldn't be treated like cattle. I work in customer service and there's no way I'd ever treat my customers like they do (I'd probably get fired for it!).

Frank Lee Midere

languagenerd wrote: »

I don't necessarily mean with the bags and rules. I have no sympathy for people who bring too much luggage/don't print their boarding pass and then complain about being stung for more money - you agreed to that when you booked it!

What I meant was more the way they treat their customers in the airport or on the plane. Have had loads of experience of shoddy customer service from them. In Charleroi (which isn't Brussels, even if they try to say it is :pac:), they have a habit of calling passengers to board a good half an hour before they intend on doing so, so everyone stands in a tightly-packed queue for over 30min for no reason. Once, they actually let people through the gate even though the plane wasn't there yet, and 200+ of us had to queue on a narrow staircase for another 20min (health and safety??). In Seville, they let people board from both doors of the plane, meaning everyone just got stuck in the aisle and the cabin crew kept yelling at people to move down when they physically couldn't. Paying customers shouldn't be treated like cattle. I work in customer service and there's no way I'd ever treat my customers like they do (I'd probably get fired for it!).

They can let people through the Gate too early, but I think that's miscommunication not policy.

Opening both doors is fairly standard these days. Of course they then have to direct people to seats if they are acting the bollocks.

Grandpa Hassan

languagenerd wrote: »

I don't necessarily mean with the bags and rules. I have no sympathy for people who bring too much luggage/don't print their boarding pass and then complain about being stung for more money - you agreed to that when you booked it!

What I meant was more the way they treat their customers in the airport or on the plane. Have had loads of experience of shoddy customer service from them. In Charleroi (which isn't Brussels, even if they try to say it is :pac:), they have a habit of calling passengers to board a good half an hour before they intend on doing so, so everyone stands in a tightly-packed queue for over 30min for no reason. Once, they actually let people through the gate even though the plane wasn't there yet, and 200+ of us had to queue on a narrow staircase for another 20min (health and safety??). In Seville, they let people board from both doors of the plane, meaning everyone just got stuck in the aisle and the cabin crew kept yelling at people to move down when they physically couldn't. Paying customers shouldn't be treated like cattle. I work in customer service and there's no way I'd ever treat my customers like they do (I'd probably get fired for it!).

I see that quite a lot. And tbh, its just the customers being stupid! Not sure you can blame the staff who are probably just thinking "are these guys really this stupid?!"

Whichever end of the plane they get on, the average joe seems to want to walk to the other end of the plane in search of the miraculous empty row. And end up gridlocked in the middle! Seriously, like, I don't know when I last saw a ryanair passenger sit at the first seat available!

keithclancy

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

Whichever end of the plane they get on, the average joe seems to want to walk to the other end of the plane in search of the miraculous empty row. And end up gridlocked in the middle! Seriously, like, I don't know when I last saw a ryanair passenger sit at the first seat available!

This happens to me sometimes..

Goes like
Kid
fat
fat
looks crazy
kid
fat
skangers
Looks ok <-- Sit there


Same rules as on the bus really.

Padkir

rainbowtrout wrote: »

They fly into the Netherlands and the Czech Republic but not into the main cities. I would imagine more people would be looking to go to Amsterdam than Eindhoven or Groningen.

Anyway that aside if they don't want families going on holiday, people with luggage etc how far will they go before reducing their market too much.

Are you claiming to be better informed than the Ryanair management team?

BeerWolf

callaway92 wrote: »

No need to lie BeerWolf.

Yeah, like I need to prove myself... whatever.

:rolleyes:

IvySlayer

Less luggage = less turnaround time.

Shamrock231

IvySlayer wrote: »

Less luggage = less turnaround time.

Not really, the main bottle neck in turnarounds is passenger loading, and if it's a long sector, then loading the fuel can also be a time consuming challenge. Loading and unloading bags can be comfortably done 12-15 minutes.

Cathalibm

End of the day, if you want to feel like traveling on a bus, Fly Ryanair and put up with all their issues! Otherwise fly a different airline.

For me personally i fly a mixture of different airlines and I find them cheaper and more polite overall than Ryanair. Ryanair claim to have the cheapest air fare, but with all the various charges that seem to show up and rudeness I will go out of my way to avoid dealing with them.

gobnaitolunacy

A Primal Nut wrote: »

Really don't see what they have against hold luggage.

Processing and loading/unloading luggage takes time. Time = money.

Their model is fine for a person with a small piece of hand luggage, but must be a right royal pain in the hole for families with ankle biters in tow.

Frank Lee Midere

Cathalibm wrote: »

End of the day, if you want to feel like traveling on a bus, Fly Ryanair and put up with all their issues! Otherwise fly a different airline.

For me personally i fly a mixture of different airlines and I find them cheaper and more polite overall than Ryanair. Ryanair claim to have the cheapest air fare, but with all the various charges that seem to show up and rudeness I will go out of my way to avoid dealing with them.

They are all flying buses. And the charges are easy to avoid.

Frank Lee Midere

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Processing and loading/unloading luggage takes time. Time = money.

Their model is fine for a person with a small piece of hand luggage, but must be a right royal pain in the hole for families with ankle biters in tow.

Yes. Ryanair doesn't want families, really. It's model is really suited for commuter, lone travelers, couples, short trips etc.

Cavehill Red

Lot of Ryanair staff on this thread, I suspect.
I find it genuinely implausible that so many disinterested people would be inclined to defend Ryanair's appalling treatment of passengers, shady pricing system (which has been repeatedly condemned by the EU), and misleadingly named destinations on the (sole proffered and also dubious) basis that they are sometimes cheaper.
I have a flight in two weeks. I got it 100 euro cheaper with another airline than Ryanair. I have another in September. An alternative airline gets me to a more convenient destination airport at a more convenient time for 40 euro cheaper.
If people really are solely interested in the bottom line, then they really ought to compare prices as I suspect they'll find that Ryanair isn't the bargain option they think it is all the time.
Price comparison sites like momondo.com can be very useful in this regard.

Shamrock231

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Lot of Ryanair staff on this thread

I think you'll find Ryanair staff are going to be the last ones to defend their company, the company treats them with contempt, and they treat it with contempt in return.

Grandpa Hassan

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Lot of Ryanair staff on this thread, I suspect.
I find it genuinely implausible that so many disinterested people would be inclined to defend Ryanair's appalling treatment of passengers, shady pricing system (which has been repeatedly condemned by the EU), and misleadingly named destinations on the (sole proffered and also dubious) basis that they are sometimes cheaper.
I have a flight in two weeks. I got it 100 euro cheaper with another airline than Ryanair. I have another in September. An alternative airline gets me to a more convenient destination airport at a more convenient time for 40 euro cheaper.
If people really are solely interested in the bottom line, then they really ought to compare prices as I suspect they'll find that Ryanair isn't the bargain option they think it is all the time.
Price comparison sites like momondo.com can be very useful in this regard.

Depends how early you book. Ryanair has the cheapest fares if you book early. London gatwick for €20, all in, any time in September, anyone? There is no cheaper airline for bookings well in advance. But is one of the most expensive if you book late, and you would definitely get cheaper by shopping around

That's their model. I love it as I book early and travel light....and that makes it is so cheap that I can also book seats in row 1. Which makes for an altogether more pleasant flight.....first on and first off the plane.

Those with bags, and those that book late, get royally screwed (and I think it is the price escalation for late bookers that the EU has a problem with), but I don't mind that as it subsidises the early bookers.

(and I'm not ryanair staff. My posting history would probably illustrate that)

oldyouth

I like Ryanair. You need to have your wits about you when booking though. If a couple is going away for a week/2 week break, a checked in bag is the only viable option. If these new increases mean another provider is cheaper, then I'll use them. I presume Michael O'Leary has done his maths to see where this move takes him.

gobnaitolunacy

Had heard something about a proposal for cabin baggage being subject to a charge for recently, but may be all part of Ryanair's cunning sh!t stirring PR dept's plan, like the charging for toilets and standing room only stories.

LuckyLloyd

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Lot of Ryanair staff on this thread, I suspect.
I find it genuinely implausible that so many disinterested people would be inclined to defend Ryanair's appalling treatment of passengers, shady pricing system (which has been repeatedly condemned by the EU), and misleadingly named destinations on the (sole proffered and also dubious) basis that they are sometimes cheaper.
I have a flight in two weeks. I got it 100 euro cheaper with another airline than Ryanair. I have another in September. An alternative airline gets me to a more convenient destination airport at a more convenient time for 40 euro cheaper.
If people really are solely interested in the bottom line, then they really ought to compare prices as I suspect they'll find that Ryanair isn't the bargain option they think it is all the time.
Price comparison sites like momondo.com can be very useful in this regard.

It's the fawning hero worship you get when the topic of Ryanair is discussed that surprises me. I might understand it from older people who remember air travel pre Ryanair and credit them with revolutionising the industry. But if you're under 30 years old then you've existed in the era of affordable travel. As such, I can understand people wishing to point out that they may often be the cheapest option if you are careful with respect to the rules; but the over the top defenses you see of everything to do with Ryanair always baffle me!!

I have to travel over and back to the UK a little bit over the next while and my company is booking via Ryanair so I'll have to deal with it. But if it was my choice I'd go with Aer Lingus. A little more relaxed - less boxes to tick before you get on the flight and less noise and interruption while on it. Nice to have an assigned seat, nice to not have to print your own boarding card, etc. Why do people bristle so much at those handy things being pointed out to them?!!

Frank Lee Midere

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Lot of Ryanair staff on this thread, I suspect.
I find it genuinely implausible that so many disinterested people would be inclined to defend Ryanair's appalling treatment of passengers, shady pricing system (which has been repeatedly condemned by the EU), and misleadingly named destinations on the (sole proffered and also dubious) basis that they are sometimes cheaper.
I have a flight in two weeks. I got it 100 euro cheaper with another airline than Ryanair. I have another in September. An alternative airline gets me to a more convenient destination airport at a more convenient time for 40 euro cheaper.
If people really are solely interested in the bottom line, then they really ought to compare prices as I suspect they'll find that Ryanair isn't the bargain option they think it is all the time.
Price comparison sites like momondo.com can be very useful in this regard.

Lots of momondo.com employees on this thread. Apparently.

Frank Lee Midere

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It's the fawning hero worship you get when the topic of Ryanair is discussed that surprises me. I might understand it from older people who remember air travel pre Ryanair and credit them with revolutionising the industry. But if you're under 30 years old then you've existed in the era of affordable travel. As such, I can understand people wishing to point out that they may often be the cheapest option if you are careful with respect to the rules; but the over the top defenses you see of everything to do with Ryanair always baffle me!!

I have to travel over and back to the UK a little bit over the next while and my company is booking via Ryanair so I'll have to deal with it. But if it was my choice I'd go with Aer Lingus. A little more relaxed - less boxes to tick before you get on the flight and less noise and interruption while on it. Nice to have an assigned seat, nice to not have to print your own boarding card, etc. Why do people bristle so much at those handy things being pointed out to them?!!

I think the opposite. The dislike of RyanAir is group think. I find RyanAir not just cheap but materially better as a frequent flyer to Bristol. Faster. More reliable. More likely to fly. The anti-Ryanair squad tend to assume their reasons are universal. Printing out boarding passes is a benefit not a hurdle. Who wants to checkin?

Padkir

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Processing and loading/unloading luggage takes time. Time = money.

Their model is fine for a person with a small piece of hand luggage, but must be a right royal pain in the hole for families with ankle biters in tow.

Then don't travel with them if they're 'a right royal pain in the hole'. It's simple really.

LuckyLloyd

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

I think the opposite. The dislike of RyanAir is group think. I find RyanAir not just cheap but materially better as a frequent flyer to Bristol. Faster. More reliable. More likely to fly. The anti-Ryanair squad tend to assume their reasons are universal. Printing out boarding passes is a benefit not a hurdle. Who wants to checkin?

Okay, but you can choose to check in online with other airlines if you so desire. In anycase, you have posted 15 times in this thread in defense of Ryanair! It's that level of support for them that I find surprising. People who use their services frequently are willing to go to great lengths to fiercely defend any criticism.

omega666

I just booked flights to Rome, price 81 euro per person return.

Same flights on the same day with Air Lingus 227 euro per person return.

And the airport Ryanair fly into is half the distance to the city than the Air Lingus one.

Nuff said.

Grandpa Hassan

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Okay, but you can choose to check in online with other airlines if you so desire. In anycase, you have posted 15 times in this thread in defense of Ryanair! It's that level of support for them that I find surprising. People who use their services frequently are willing to go to great lengths to fiercely defend any criticism.

But that is only a counter to those that slag off anything and everything to do with Ryanair, and are incredulous that not everyone shares their view. Personally I find the level of antagonism toward Ryanair as surprising as you find the level of support

Crooked Jack

The problem I have with Ryanair is that they dont just tell you how much it's going to be up front. They advertise one price and then by the time they've piled everything else on it's significantly more. If they just gave you the price up front it wouldn't bother me as much. I'd rather go with Aer Lingus and just know how much it's going to cost, the end totals are rarely all that far apart.

Grandpa Hassan

Crooked Jack wrote: »

The problem I have with Ryanair is that they dont just tell you how much it's going to be up front. They advertise one price and then by the time they've piled everything else on it's significantly more. If they just gave you the price up front it wouldn't bother me as much. I'd rather go with Aer Lingus and just know how much it's going to cost, the end totals are rarely all that far apart.

But that is one of those myths that is often trotted out about Ryanair. They do show the cost of the flight up front. My €22.99 advertised flight to London actually cost me €23.49 after I had gone through all the booking screen (the card fee added a few pence). That is hardly "significantly more"

It is only if you check bags that you pay extra....and that is an extra service that shouldn't be shown up front anyway. I rarely check a bag and thus don't want to pay it

markpb

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Okay, but you can choose to check in online with other airlines if you so desire. In anycase, you have posted 15 times in this thread in defense of Ryanair! It's that level of support for them that I find surprising. People who use their services frequently are willing to go to great lengths to fiercely defend any criticism.

I defend them too but not because I think they're great, only because some of the criticism they face is ridiculous and, in some cases, purely childish. If you can't follow the fairly simply rules, don't complain when you get caught. If you don't like unassigned seating, book with someone else - it's not a surprise, they've been that way for years. If you want to bring checked luggage, expect to pay for it - it's been that way for years.

I don't understand people who complain about those things. IMHO there are valid complaints like how they handle cancelled or delayed flights, their extortionate credit card handling fees and a few others but they rarely come up.

Amirani

Grayson wrote: »

The frankfurt flight lands you a two hour bus journey away. Rome too. But if you balance the time versus cost it's normally cheaper to fly ryan air.

Just worth pointing out. The "Ryanair airport", Ciampino, is actually closer to Rome than the main Fiumicino (Leonardo Da Vinci) airport.

Tar.Aldarion

In the last few years, there has only been two occasions where aer lingus has worked out cheaper more convenient for me. It doesn't matter how charges are split out on ryanair, one will be more expensive than the other and I will get the cheaper one. This difference is comfort etc is nonsense, they are practically the same, as well as their planes generally being newer.

Nonoperational

mrsoundie wrote: »

Have not flown with Ryanair for around 6 years and after that it won't be any-time soon.

Bye bye Mr O'Leary, I would rather give the money to Aer Lingus for the comfort.

I'd rather get the cheapest flight (within reason) and spend the money at my destination. At the end of the day your in the same place, but have an extra few hundred €€ to spend.

If the cost of the flight with EI is within €50 or so then I go with EI.

Frank Black

oldyouth wrote: »

If a couple is going away for a week/2 week break, a checked in bag is the only viable option.

If a couple going away for a week, don't have enough space in 2 carry on bags, then the woman needs to remove a few of the seven pairs of shoes she has packed.

Cavehill Red

Shamrock231 wrote: »

I think you'll find Ryanair staff are going to be the last ones to defend their company, the company treats them with contempt, and they treat it with contempt in return.

Au contraire. The staff Ryanair treat with contempt are all sub-contracted employees, I believe.
I suspect the true believers in HQ would be more than inclined to defend their master's voice.
Also, to the true believer who felt I was being partisan in relation to flight price compare sites, let me also share a recommendation for mobissimo.com and cheapflights.co.uk, all of which are worth checking to insure that you really are comparing like prices before you fly.

Shamrock231

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Au contraire. The staff Ryanair treat with contempt are all sub-contracted employees, I believe.

So, basically 80% of Ryanairs pilots, 100% of their Cabin Crew, all of their maintainence staff, all of their clerical desk / support staff, all of their ground handlers and gate agents. :rolleyes:

Clarehobo

I think people are on here defending Ryanair because they are tired of hearing all this bs from people who don't even fly Ryanair.

I lived in the UK for a few years and flew AL frequently because Heathrow was my local airport - they NEVER ran on time. This was 20+ occasions spaced over a few years and the delays were always 20 mins or longer. In their defence, it's Heathrow: it seems like Irish flights do not have a priority on their runways, maybe because we have a shorter distance to go or maybe AL is incapable of turning around their planes in time to get their allocated slot.

I have yet to be on a Ryanair flight that didn't get me in on time.

I fly a lot with a lot of different air lines:
People go on about having to pay for food: air craft food is muck unless you can afford first class.
People go on about unallocated seating: I like not having to sit beside the weirdos and the kids.
People go on about luggage and women can't travel light: I am a woman. I travel light. Miniature toiletries, no hairdryer(hotels always have some to lend out), if I have to bring 2 pairs of shoes I wear the boots when travelling to take up less space, etc... It can be done if you can be logical about packing. When I go away with friends and are staying in apartments, different people carry different essentials so we all share the burden.
People go on about online check in: it is brilliant not to be stuck in a massive queue with people who didn't think to check in online. On my last flight to Australia, people were in huge queues - my friend and I had checked in online and just had to brave bag drop: a queue of 3 people. You couldn't check in online for our flight to Chile - we spent 4 hours in the queue due to technical issues: they failed to inform passengers of these difficulties(how is that for customer service on an expensive flight).

I like flying Ryanair.
I hate waiting to check in when I could just walk through.
I hate queueing just because some numpty didn't realise that you had to remove your shoes and belt at security even though EVERYONE else before them did it(With the money I saved on the flights, I pay for airport genie to skip the queues and avoid these people).
I hate not having room to stow my hand luggage because someone with duty free bags and coats and massive carry on bags has filled up the overhead luggage bin.
I hate when people recline their seat into your lap.
I hate having to wait to collect luggage.

Basically, I am one of Ryanair's target market: I follow their rules, I am civil to their staff and other passengers, I am efficient. Every rule they enforce makes travel more pleasant for me.
People need to get over the idea that air travel is glamorous. It is not. It is a necessary evil. No matter how much you pay for economy class tickets, you will be treated like cattle.

PinkLemonade

Hi, does anyone know when the prices are increasing for luggage? It's not on their site yet, and I'm flying with them in September.

Shamrock231

Clarehobo wrote: »

I think people are on here defending Ryanair because they are tired of hearing all this bs from people who don't even fly Ryanair.

I lived in the UK for a few years and flew AL frequently because Heathrow was my local airport - they NEVER ran on time. This was 20+ occasions spaced over a few years and the delays were always 20 mins or longer. In their defence, it's Heathrow: it seems like Irish flights do not have a priority on their runways, maybe because we have a shorter distance to go or maybe AL is incapable of turning around their planes in time to get their allocated slot.

Off topic, but they've turned that around and last year were the most punctual airline at London Heathrow:
http://www.flightontime.info/scheduled/airports/lhr12.html

Aer Lingus are the 5th most punctual airline operating out of the UK, Ryanair the 15th for the year to date:
http://www.flightontime.info/scheduled/scheduled.html

If you're after punctuality though, CityJet are the airline to use.

AlanG

Ryanair make a huge amount of profit on checked bags – they know they will always have about 20% of people bringing bags so this is all about increasing the profit on those passengers. O’Leary knows he can’t sell it as a money grab so he claims they want to get rid of checked baggage. Far from it this is actually a very profitable part of the business.
Apparently a growing number of people are shipping with DHL instead of checking bags.

keithclancy

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Lot of Ryanair staff on this thread, I suspect.
I find it genuinely implausible that so many disinterested people would be inclined to defend Ryanair's appalling treatment of passengers, shady pricing system (which has been repeatedly condemned by the EU), and misleadingly named destinations on the (sole proffered and also dubious) basis that they are sometimes cheaper.
I have a flight in two weeks. I got it 100 euro cheaper with another airline than Ryanair. I have another in September. An alternative airline gets me to a more convenient destination airport at a more convenient time for 40 euro cheaper.
If people really are solely interested in the bottom line, then they really ought to compare prices as I suspect they'll find that Ryanair isn't the bargain option they think it is all the time.
Price comparison sites like momondo.com can be very useful in this regard.

I'm not Ryanair staff.

But I think your looking at it purely from a living in Ireland perspective.

People live near that Airport in 'the middle of nowhere' and for them its convenient to Travel to Ireland.

Living abroad I travel quite regularly and tbh having Ryanair flying from Eindhoven - Dublin is a godsend, since its usually between 50-80 euros return if we book in advance.

25 minutes from my Front door to the Airplane, hasn't been late so far and on occasion has been early.

BTW, some of the Airports even have Dubious names, e.g. Maastricht-Aachen Airport (2 hours to the Airport by Public Transport or a 35 minute drive)

For me there is no really clear difference between Ryanair, Transavia (Budget KLM) Germanwings, Easyjet, BMI Baby and so on.

The Staff are polite whenever I'm flying with them.

Crooked Jack

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

But that is one of those myths that is often trotted out about Ryanair. They do show the cost of the flight up front. My €22.99 advertised flight to London actually cost me €23.49 after I had gone through all the booking screen (the card fee added a few pence). That is hardly "significantly more"

It is only if you check bags that you pay extra....and that is an extra service that shouldn't be shown up front anyway. I rarely check a bag and thus don't want to pay it

Well that hasnt been my experience. I used to fly fairly frequently to London and would always just fly Ryanair because I assumed they were the cheapest. After I copped on a bit I found that once you'd totted up everything including the weird charges and the fact that they land you somewhere that could only be called London in the loosest sense they werent all that much cheaper (occasionally more expensive) and whatever you saved in money you paid for in hassle.
Then again, apart from that I wasn't a regular flyer so maybe I'm just missing out on some tricks of the trade that everyone else knows.

josip

Clarehobo wrote: »

I am a woman. I travel light. Miniature toiletries, no hairdryer...

:eek:
Do you compete in the 400m?

Clarehobo

Shamrock231 wrote: »

Off topic, but they've turned that around and last year were the most punctual airline at London Heathrow:
http://www.flightontime.info/scheduled/airports/lhr12.html

Aer Lingus are the 5th most punctual airline operating out of the UK, Ryanair the 15th for the year to date:
http://www.flightontime.info/scheduled/scheduled.html

If you're after punctuality though, CityJet are the airline to use.

Good to see, but having looked at how they calculate those stats I can see how Ryanair is coming out the worse. They operate 4 times as many flights from the UK and do not operate out of Heathrow, which has an assumed taxi time of 25 mins.

CityJet is impressive until you look at the fact that they only fly from London City and Edinburgh - the two most efficient airports in the UK included in these stats. They came in 5th in London and 4th in Edinburgh this year.

And then you realise they don't include airports such as Cardiff or Bristol...

Are there similar stats available for Ireland?

Clarehobo

josip wrote: »

:eek:
Do you compete in the 400m?

What do you mean?

Grandpa Hassan

Crooked Jack wrote: »

Well that hasnt been my experience. I used to fly fairly frequently to London and would always just fly Ryanair because I assumed they were the cheapest. After I copped on a bit I found that once you'd totted up everything including the weird charges and the fact that they land you somewhere that could only be called London in the loosest sense they werent all that much cheaper (occasionally more expensive) and whatever you saved in money you paid for in hassle.
Then again, apart from that I wasn't a regular flyer so maybe I'm just missing out on some tricks of the trade that everyone else knows.

Which airports do you class as 'London in the loosest sense?

I generally in and out of Gatwick (which was the above mentioned €22 fare), which is the same airport as aerlingus, and you get the same gatwick express. Stansted has an express, which gets you in to London in a similar time, and actually to a more convenient station for business people (Liverpool Street compared to Victoria).

Sure aerlingus flies to heathrow, admittedly a shorter train ride from London than gatwick and stanstead, but you take your chance at Heathrow with delays. Gatwick and Stansted are much more punctual airports

Frank Black

Clarehobo wrote: »

What do you mean?

It's an athletics track event, where competitors try to complete a distance of 400m in the quickest possible time.

grimm2005

As much as I'm not a fan of Ryanair, I always fly with them because they always are considerably cheaper, certainly to London, whenever I'm looking at prices/booking. They fly to 3 airports in London, all of which are an hour max on a bus to city centre which never costs more than £15 return. The Ryanair flights are always under €100 (provided you book in good time) whereas the next cheapest are Aer Lingus at over €100. If aer lingus are at €90, Ryanair are at €50. That just seems to be the way it goes.

I'd much rather fly with Aer Lingus every time as it's just a nicer experience but for an hour flight and over €50 more expensive it's not worth it (for me anyway). If you follow the rules and know not to fall for any of their "gotchas", Ryanair is consistently the cheapest and while flying with them isn't always pleasant, I'm glad they're around because without them I wouldn't be able to afford to fly as often.