I wanted to fly Ryanair, but...

Locker10a

Del2005 wrote: »

Ryanair is fine once you obey their rules. It's the people who don't read the information when booking who run into problems, because Ryanair make/made it hard to avoid paying for the extras they are trying to bring on.

I got stung with a too big carry on and had to pay to put it in the hold. Was that Ryanair's fault because I did not have the correct sized bag when they have the dimensions allowed on their website?

No Ryanair are exactly within their right, however it’s a much nicer passenger experience when you fly with a carrier who’ll do that for free!

DoctorEdgeWild

Absolutely love Ryanair. At one point I was flying with them twice a week, before I eventually moved to England.

Very happy that I can visit really cool cities, for about 20 quid, almost always on time, just by keeping up on their rules. I understand different people want a different style of travel but there's other airlines for that. Nobody is forced to book.

JCX BXC

Locker10a wrote: »

No Ryanair are exactly within their right, however it’s a much nicer passenger experience when you fly with a carrier who’ll do that for free!

The way I see it, other passengers ignorance subsidizes my fare!

Phileas Frog

Locker10a wrote: »

No Ryanair are exactly within their right, however it’s a much nicer passenger experience when you fly with a carrier who’ll do that for free!

For twice the price.

newcavanman

I love Ryanair. Im a lifelong planespotter and , during the early 80s i made many ferry trips to the UK planespotting. I couldnt afford to fly, due to the price fixing monopoly by EI, BA and others. Now i still travel quite a few times per year, and for considerably less than i used to pay for ferry trips. The only barrier to me hopping across to see friends in the UK, often just for the day, is having the time to spare . Ive seen most of the capital cities of eastern and northern europe , places i could only read about when i was a young man. I make sure i know the current FR rules , and have never had a problem with them.
Ive bumped into MOL several times while delivering to shops near Dublin Airport and feel like doing like the lads in Waynes World , when they meet Alice Cooper "We're not worthy "

TheDriver

The priority queue annoys me abroad whereby everyone ends up in the holding cell before boarding the plane. Priority only means cabin luggage now.

eagle eye

eagle eye wrote: »

I've never flown with Ryanair and I probably never will. I've heard so many bad stories about them and the same people who told me the stories go fly with them again.
I'm not a wealthy person but I like a few little comforts when I fly so I'll always pick an airline I can trust.

Give it a go and make your own mind up. I’m a regular Ryanair passenger. They get me from A to B at a time and price that suits. I rarely go priority unless I’m staying longer than a couple of days. I have a “Flying” coat with plenty pockets for sweets, water, book, passport, phone etc. Everything else fits in an average size backpack. I never check in until the last minute so I always get an aisle seat.

donkeykong5

eagle eye wrote: »

I've never flown with Ryanair and I probably never will. I've heard so many bad stories about them and the same people who told me the stories go fly with them again.
I'm not a wealthy person but I like a few little comforts when I fly so I'll always pick an airline I can trust.

I don't actually mind paying a bit extra to fly with aer lingus. At least you are safe and spoken to by staff like a human.

DoctorEdgeWild

donkeykong5 wrote: »

I don't actually mind paying a bit extra to fly with aer lingus. At least you are safe and spoken to by staff like a human.

Ryanair have a fantastic safety record unless I'm mistaken? The great thing is, other airlines cater to your needs, Ryanair cater to mine, that's the beauty of it all.

donkeykong5

DoctorEdgeWild wrote: »

donkeykong5 wrote: »

I don't actually mind paying a bit extra to fly with aer lingus. At least you are safe and spoken to by staff like a human.

Ryanair have a fantastic safety record unless I'm mistaken? The great thing is, other airlines cater to your needs, Ryanair cater to mine, that's the beauty of it all.

All time favourite was city jet. Treated like royalty. Travel and staff were superb.

billy few mates

I take dozens of flights every year, I never check in a bag but I like to keep my cabin sized bag and laptop case with me. I can't remember the last time I was on a Ryanair flight but possibly two years ago. I don't like the seats, I don't like the panic queues that form up twenty minutes before the aircraft arrives, I don't like the priority queue that's bigger than the normal queue and I don't like the hard selling or the cabin service.
That doesn't mean I won't use them if the price is right and I always check them out whenever I'm looking for a flight.
I'm going over to the UK for a family event shortly, Ryanair were asking for €100 for the flight including priority boarding, I decided to go with Aer Lingus for €120 without priority, both flights had roughly similar timings and I was quite happy to pay an extra tenner each way to avoid the hassle...

Credit Checker Moose

That's all well and good if you have a choice.

For many Ryanair is the only airline serving many destinations. No choice and no competition.

Noxegon

billy few mates wrote: »

I don't like the hard selling

I find EI is just as bad as FR in that regard.

A few years ago I was on a very late flight from CDG-DUB (it was the last one of the night, and a few hours behind schedule). I distinctly remember a spiel about perfumes that seemed to go on for ever when it should have been obvious to anyone with even 1/16th of a brain that passengers just wanted to sleep.

mikemac2

donkeykong5 wrote: »

I don't actually mind paying a bit extra to fly with aer lingus. At least you are safe and spoken to by staff like a human.

You can blast Ryanair for many things, their safety record is not one of them

Now if you mean safe from drunken stag/hen parties well you may have a point :pac:

Strumms

mikemac2 wrote: »

You can blast Ryanair for many things, their safety record is not one of them

Now if you mean safe from drunken stag/hen parties well you may have a pint :pac:

. More then one perhaps

dartboardio

Ive been flying with Ryanair for as long as I can remember (10 plus years) and only ever had one problem due to weather

Yeah their website can be slow but apart from that its really a no frills airline. Never had any issues.

Flying with Aer lingus in June for the first time in ages just because its an earlier flight for the same price.

seamusk84

Whats bothered me recently on Ryanair flights is when I sit down and then I have some parent beside me asking can their kid have my seat as they are seated away from them.
I mean just pay for seat selection when booking. Not my fault if you didn't!

seamusk84

seamusk84 wrote: »

Whats bothered me recently on Ryanair flights is when I sit down and then I have some parent beside me asking can their kid have my seat as they are seated away from them.
I mean just pay for seat selection when booking. Not my fault if you didn't!

Or even worse. You arrive at your seat to find it occupied by someone who expects YOU to willingly let them sit in the aisle seat you’ve paid for towards the front of the plane, while you take their randomly selected middle seat towards the rear.

Credit Checker Moose

The problem is that staff won't move them. A stand off develops and the departure is delayed.

ThunbergsAreGo

Phileas Frog wrote: »

For twice the price.

Once you add on baggage I find there is minimal difference in price between AL and Ryanair.

Ryanair are grand until something goes wrong and then they are awful. The lack of communication, honesty and caring displayed from Ryanair to their staff and in turn to passengers when I was delayed in Lanzarote means they are a fly if no other option airline now

wirelessdude01

donkeykong5 wrote:

At least you are safe and spoken to by staff like a human.

What do you mean 'safe'?

dartboardio

seamusk84 wrote: »

Whats bothered me recently on Ryanair flights is when I sit down and then I have some parent beside me asking can their kid have my seat as they are seated away from them.
I mean just pay for seat selection when booking. Not my fault if you didn't!

Cheek of them!
Id say no

Strumms

Deleted User wrote: »

Or even worse. You arrive at your seat to find it occupied by someone who expects YOU to willingly let them sit in the aisle seat you’ve paid for towards the front of the plane, while you take their randomly selected middle seat towards the rear.

Yes, that’s beyond annoying. I generally pay extra for a window seat and towards the front. You are paying for a service/product and I expect to receive it. I have no issue now getting into a standoff with any fûcker or family who wants themselves or their little Barry / Bethany situated in my pre-paid seat. The whole airport experience and flying can be beyond a ball ache these days and the least you can expect is to receive the comforts and service you had the foresight to choose and pay for.

I find no negotiating with them is best...”ok you ARE situated in the wrong seat, shall I call a member of the cabin crew to assist you ?” *finger hovers on call bell*..

Credit Checker Moose

Strumms wrote: »

Yes, that’s beyond annoying. I generally pay extra for a window seat and towards the front. You are paying for a service/product and I expect to receive it. I have no issue now getting into a standoff with any fûcker or family who wants themselves or their little Barry / Bethany situated in my pre-paid seat. The whole airport experience and flying can be beyond a ball ache these days and the least you can expect is to receive the comforts and service you had the foresight to choose and pay for.

I find no negotiating with them is best...”ok you ARE situated in the wrong seat, shall I call a member of the cabin crew to assist you ?” *finger hovers on call bell*..

Does nothing in my experience. Ryanair staff don't want to get involved. I see it play out time and time again. The discommoded passenger has to take a random seat and the seat hogger wins.

I generally book an aisle seat near the front. I make it my business to be at the front of the queue to prevent such issues.

Strumms

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

Does nothing in my experience. Ryanair staff don't want to get involved. I see it play out time and time again. The discommoded passenger has to take a random seat and the seat hogger wins.

I generally book an aisle seat near the front. I make it my business to be at the front of the queue to prevent such issues.

I agree, it’s happened to me too where I’ve commented elsewhere in the forum. The FR staff want an on time departure and the fact that you or me are being fûcked over by some scrounger wont be anywhere on their agenda. So better take the matter in your own hands with the ‘threat’ of staff involvement.

Locker10a

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

Does nothing in my experience. Ryanair staff don't want to get involved. I see it play out time and time again. The discommoded passenger has to take a random seat and the seat hogger wins.

I generally book an aisle seat near the front. I make it my business to be at the front of the queue to prevent such issues.

Ryanair staff are not at all respected by the company, of course they don’t care, crew themselves don’t agree with the policy, there’s not way they’re going to encourage it to continue by helping out everyone sort it out onboard and thus nothing will change.

Mebuntu

Credit Checker Moose wrote: »

Does nothing in my experience. Ryanair staff don't want to get involved. I see it play out time and time again. The discommoded passenger has to take a random seat and the seat hogger wins.

I generally book an aisle seat near the front. I make it my business to be at the front of the queue to prevent such issues.

I'm the opposite. I wait until nearly last to get onboard and have never had the experience of having to take a usurper's random seat instead of mine. Full support from cabin crew when required on the many occasions it happened over the years. Strangely enough all such events happened on UK-DUB flights, mainly Gatwick. On one occasion the passenger beside me said the bloke had already been moved twice before I got on!

Idbatterim

Strumms wrote: »

Yes, that’s beyond annoying. I generally pay extra for a window seat and towards the front. You are paying for a service/product and I expect to receive it. I have no issue now getting into a standoff with any fûcker or family who wants themselves or their little Barry / Bethany situated in my pre-paid seat. The whole airport experience and flying can be beyond a ball ache these days and the least you can expect is to receive the comforts and service you had the foresight to choose and pay for.

I find no negotiating with them is best...”ok you ARE situated in the wrong seat, shall I call a member of the cabin crew to assist you ?” *finger hovers on call bell*..

Can’t stand airports or flights. Heading off to us in a few weeks. Hand luggage only, even if it constrains me a bit. Will pay for fast track even at eleven am and will be one of the last to get on the Plane ( also this priority boarding thing is a farce, pay extra to sit in that tin can for a second longer then I need to ) not a chance !

Kev11491

Ive found that if you tell a cabin crew member that you are an anxious flyer and purchased said seat because of it they will move the person with no questions asked.

ExoPolitic

Kev11491 wrote: »

Ive found that if you tell a cabin crew member that you are an anxious flyer and purchased said seat because of it they will move the person with no questions asked.

I have also found that it depends on how you ask the person to move, politely at first with no hesitation usually does the trick. Moving on to more assertive language there after has 100% effectiveness - things like "I will not be taking somebody elses seat, you should go take your own, or the plane will not be moving until we have all taken our seats".