20 Reasons Not to fly with Ryanair.

[Conniff]

Just seen the following on the Times website:

 

1. 1p flights are never 1p

Even if you strike it lucky and find a 1p flight you actually want to take, Ryanair charge you for the pleasure of paying for it. To the tune of £4.75. For each passenger. Each way.

And that doesn’t even include…

 

2. The check-in charge

If you want to book a bag into the aircraft hold you must check in at the airport, which will cost you £4.75 per passenger, per way, if you book online and a whopping £10 per passenger, per way if you pay at the airport or over the phone. And it doesn’t matter if only one person in your party takes a bag, everyone else still has to pay to check in at the airport too.

This week Ryanair announced that it’s all change from May when airport check in will rocket to £20 per person, per way. That is a grand total of £160 for a return flight as a family of four.

All without factoring in…

 

3. The baggage charge

Which is an extortionate £9.50 per bag, per flight. Or £19 if you book at the airport or over the phone.

 

4. The sneaky weight limit

Ryanair set its weight limit for hold luggage at 15kg catching the majority of passengers off guard.

You’re not allowed to pool bags either so, even if you have a party of four sharing luggage, if the bag weighs 16kg you will be charged £14 per additional kilo. Nevermind that it makes not a jot of difference to the weight of the aeroplane.

 

5. Queues glorious queues

If you’re still talking to your partner following the inevitable blazing row about why you shouldn’t just pay the bloody charges listed above, you won’t be after being told to join the back of the enormous queue at the ‘payments’ desk.

 

6. The additional baggage charge

Probably best to wear all of your clothes at once on the flight if you are travelling somewhere for more than a couple of days (until Ryanair start charging passengers for excess body weight that is). Check more than one bag in and it will cost you another £19 per extra piece of luggage, per way.

 

7. The website is rubbish. On purpose.

You have no choice but to book a Ryanair flight through its website so the airline may as well make it as stressful an experience as possible. The website is ugly for starters, and it crashes. All the time.

Because you can’t easily browse for dates when cheap flights are available you have to dedicate at least five precious hours of your life to sitting in front of the screen and laboriously trying different combinations to find a good deal.

And if you don’t understand what the hell you’ve just pressed there is no one to e-mail. Because Ryanair want you to spend more money and phone its…

 

8. Premium rate internet helpline

Calls cost £1 a minute to speak to someone in a call centre. Be amazed if you can explain what your problem is for under a fiver.

 

9. You can only fly cheap mid week

To get the bargains that make the pain of Ryanair worth the gain you have to be prepared to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, which can rule out the bargain European weekend break. Kind of why you wanted to book with Ryanair in the first place.

 

10. You have to travel at obscene hours.

Not only are you travelling on a Tuesday you also have to be prepared to wake up at 2am to get to the airport two hours ahead of your 6.55am flight. Or, if you choose a more civilised evening departure time, arrive in your destination at midnight with no where to stay because…

 

11. The destination airports are in the middle of nowhere.

Don’t expect to fly to Frankfurt if you book a flight to Frankfurt, to name one of many examples. Frankfurt Hahn airport where Ryanair land is 120 km from the city centre.

 

12. A bottle of water on board costs £3

I know the moral of this story is to buy a drink from WH Smith before you board, but it’s still annoying.

 

13. Sweaty, plasticky seats

Whatever you do, don’t wear shorts or you might be stuck to your seat forever and forced to listen to…

 

14. The in-flight musak

Pray that your flight is not delayed before it takes off or you’ll have to put up with the bleepy, computer-game inspired musak that is played on loop as your board, over, and over.

 

15. The fanfare

Do we really need the shrill fanfare that sounds when/if the flight lands on time? Or does it just ruin the first three minutes of each passenger's holiday?

 

16. You can’t book a seat

As if the British holiday ritual of crowding round the baggage carousel isn’t enough to warrant the use of blood-thinning medication, Ryanair invite you to partake in the extreme sport that is racing across the tarmac to get a seat next to your companion. Flip flops are a distinct disadvantage.

 

17. No refunds, ever

Unless you have a spare few days to waste do not even bother trying.

 

18. Poor compensation

A report by the UK’s Air Transport Users Council has found that the world’s airlines lost more than one million bags in 2007 and more than 42 million pieces of luggage were mishandled worldwide.

Guess who it named as the worst airline for compensation if your bag goes missing or is damaged?

 

19. You are always being flogged stuff

No we don't want your ridiculously overpriced travel insurance, car hire or Ryanair tea-towels. Go away.

 

20. Michael O’Leary himself

Don't tell me you can bear to make him any more smug?

By Laura Whateley

[Bookworm]

10. You have to travel at obscene hours.

Not only are you travelling on a Tuesday you also have to be prepared to wake up at 2am to get to the airport two hours ahead of your 6.55am flight.

And beware that you do not get there 1 minute past the check-in closing time (or in some cases 5 mns before)because even if the plane you were planning to catch has not even landed yet and the staff are still standing there, they will not let you in and instead will make you buy another seat for the next day at full price.

 

12. A bottle of water on board costs £3

I know the moral of this story is to buy a drink from WH Smith before you board, but it’s still annoying.

And not possible in a lot of the smaller airports where Ryanair flies from as you can not take more than 100 ml unless you have already passed security and most of the smaller airports don't have shops after security.

[Thailand]

Just seen the following on the Times website:

 

1. 1p flights are never 1p

Even if you strike it lucky and find a 1p flight you actually want to take, Ryanair charge you for the pleasure of paying for it. To the tune of £4.75. For each passenger. Each way.

 

Not quite true, my return flight to Germany in April cost 2p return. I opened a Halifax BB account just to get the Electron which is free to use.

 

I know first hand what Ryanair are like, just need to play by the rules, and if you understand them, bargains are possible.

 

Non-refund of unpaid APD still gets my back up.

 

I agree with the rest of it btw.....but just understand the game and don't get caught short! (If avoidable)

 

A hot dog on board is £4.80 I think too! Not that I'd ever avail myself of such tut.

 

I'm travelling to 'Dusseldorf' which of course is an ex RAF airport nowhere near it, which is why I am staying in Weeze to avoid the 25 euro fare to get there. If Ryanair give me any problems on my return flight I'll of course be knackered because they couldn't give a stuff. I'm going with a rucksack within the size perameters and I walk fast enough, and know enough, to realise priority boarding is a waste of time....there is always a seat!

 

It is possible to travel around europe and beyond for the price of a gobstopper.

Edited March 21, 2009 by Thailand

[Thailand]

And not possible in a lot of the smaller airports where Ryanair flies from as you can not take more than 100 ml unless you have already passed security and most of the smaller airports don't have shops after security.

 

Unrelated, but anyone travelling through Europe with duty free should remember that they will be stripped of it if passing through a EU airport on an indirect flight!

[Folkiedave]

Frankly there is no reason to fly with Whineair.

 

Just don't go with them. Once their pocket is hurt they may just imporve. But I doubt it.

[Thailand]

Yes, there is a reason. 2p...didn't you see?

[simountain1]

Best to stick to the rules and stop moaning.

We flew Ryan Air only a few weeks back Leeds to Girona return.

No problems at all planes on time and clean, very supprised after hearing all the negative reports.

As for traveling at obscene hours our flights were 3.05pm out and 1.20pm back.

Id fly with them again with no problem at all compaired to some budget airlines they arnt all that bad.

[Thailand]

Best to stick to the rules and stop moaning.

We flew Ryan Air only a few weeks back Leeds to Girona return.

No problems at all planes on time and clean, very supprised after hearing all the negative reports.

As for traveling at obscene hours our flights were 3.05pm out and 1.20pm back.

Id fly with them again with no problem at all compaired to some budget airlines they arnt all that bad.

 

Stop moaning? I'm glad you had a great Ryanair experience (as have I, always [when I've made the flight]) but 'moaning' is too much. It certainly is not, Ryanair have awful policies if things go wrong (which I accept as the norm) just because you didn't does not mean others won't. That sounded like a MSE post if I'm honest.

 

I will defend them to a point, but that's a no go.

 

Tbh, your stating (puposely or otherwise) that people should stop 'moaning' is ill-conceived (If you knew more, you wouldn't have said it)

 

It's a bad choice of word, period. I don't expect miracles from Ryanair, but I agree, they are often fantastic - the only worry I have about stupidly cheap flights is my carbon footprint, it really do.

 

Each to their own.

[Seminole]

At the end of the day you get what you pay for and what do you expect with Ryanair.

 

Michael O'leary summed it up when he asked "What part of no f***ing refund do you not understand?"

[Bookworm]

Best to stick to the rules and stop moaning.

We flew Ryan Air only a few weeks back Leeds to Girona return.

No problems at all planes on time and clean, very supprised after hearing all the negative reports.

As for traveling at obscene hours our flights were 3.05pm out and 1.20pm back.

Id fly with them again with no problem at all compaired to some budget airlines they arnt all that bad.

 

If you don't go over your o/draft limit, you won't get charged.

If you don't fall behind with your loan payments, you won't get debt collectors after you.

If you always leave plenty of time to travel, you won't be late.

 

AKA the "bend over" attitude to life.

 

Newsflash: Sh*t happens. When it happens, that never gives "them" the right to trample over us.

 

On this site, we challenge the inujustice and might of the big powers every way we can in the hope to make things change, and it does work.

 

Ryanair used to charge extra to people in wheelchairs until a court case made them change that. If you don't challenge and just "stop moaning" you give them grounds to do what they want, as they want.

 

I was the same as you, travelled plenty of times with Ryanair and thought that it was adequate, no more, but for what you pay... It all changed the one time where things went wrong. Ryanair staff's attitude was disgusting and cruel, and it got compounded by the "don't give a crap" response when we complained to HO later on. That was the last time we travelled with them. Ever.

 

So you had ONE good flight and that makes you an expert? Well, good luck to you when things go wrong.

[ScarletPimpernel]

21. Ryanair pretend not to know the correct name of the city through which the River Foyle runs.

[skonk]

Well, I've just got a return flight, for the 3 of us to Belgium for a big heavy metal concert, for the amazing price of £20!! That's not per person, that's for all three combined! So, I don't care if I'm sitting next to a crate of chickens, I'm not arguing with that price!

[Bookworm]

How far from your destination are you arriving, though? How much is that going to cost you to get to the concert on top?

[skonk]

We're lucky enough to have friends in Belgium who will be picking us up, and they only live 20 minutes away. The concert were going to, the ticket price includes free train travel anywhere in Belgium as well, which we could've used. Unlike this country, festivals in europe care about the people who are attended, don't rip them off and the camping arrangements are excellent. really does put British festivals to shame.

[Bookworm]

That's really good. Hope you have a good time! (and good weather)

[skonk]

Thanks Bookie! The weather is strange in Belgium, starts off dark and gloomy, rains for half an hour then is scorching sunchine! We saw KISS and Iron Maiden last year, but we were flying with Easyjet from Amsterdam. We've gone for the cheaper flight option this year.

[Thailand]

20 Reasons Not to fly with Ryanair

 

That list is definitely going to grow for some! Introduction of a 'fat tax' amongst other things.

 

Over 100,000 passengers voted, via (website), to decide which cost reduction idea should win a €1,000 cash prize. Ryanair confirmed the final poll results as follows:

 

1. 29% - Excess fees for very overweight passengers,
   
2. 25% - €1 for toilet paper – with O’Leary’s face on it,
   
3. 24% - €3 to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle,
   
4. 14% - Annual subscription to access Ryanair.com,
   
5. 8% - €2 “corkage” fee for passengers who bring their own food onboard
   

Ryanair will now consider how to implement such a charge and asked passengers to vote, via (website), on which format the charge should take:

 

1. Charge per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (female);
   
2. Charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female);
   
3. Charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese);
   
4. Charge for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously.
   

Wowzers, just stumbled across this looking for todays new promotion. 1 euro for toilet paper? I'd call it a swizz! Is it compulsory? Can one take our own stash? Will it be coin operated? (and O'Leary is/was considering £1 or 1 euro just to get into the toilet). What about emergencies?. Ah well, someone will be happy to wipe their crack on a picture of O'Leary.

 

3 euros to smoke? Love the idea, and why the hell not as long as non-smokers don't have to breathe it, but 3 euro..... no thanks (can you have 2? or does a buzzer go off - interesting to see what happens). I'd expect bigger waits for the unconverted 2 toilets, not helped by other users getting value because they had to pay to visit the watering hole.

 

2 euro fee to bring on own food? (I'm still going to smuggle mine on in any case, as I'm naughty). Corkage????

 

I cannot see the annual subscription to (website) ever being realised, sounds barmy to me.

 

Now for the big issue. I feel bad about it in a sense, but having endured sitting next to someone on a coach in Thailand for 16 hours, who took up half of my seat, I cannot sympathise (I mean the super big people) Why should I sit in discomfort, for the same price, whilst the other person is quite comfy (well, as comfy as they can be). I want the space/pitch I am entitled to, and if someone takes up more than their allotted room, then pay for it. How they actualise this, if they do, could be very embarrassing to the subject, however. I would hope it is done discreetly. Contentious issue.

 

Of course, it's all a money making making exercise using the justification of supposed opinion. Heck, they are entitled to do so, they didn't go into business to lose money. We can talk with our feet if we want to, not that I think I would.

 

Ryanair think of everything, regardless of what we think of it! I've just come back from my trip (no problems lol) and the return plane even had 'Bye bye Easyjet' written on it. Guffaw!

[Bookworm]

Ah, but where do you stop? If you have s/one slimmer, but with BO/farting issues (you know the people I mean, right? ), shouldn't they then pay more because the air needs to be recycled more often?

 

(and the BMI is utter and complete BS btw, like the 5 a day, it has no significance in the real world. By BMI standards, some of the world's best rugby players are clinically obese, lol, and DD would be seriously underweight, and did she look unhealthy to you? Don't get me started on BMI, ok? [the index, not the airline!])

[Lula]

OMG Bookie, we are singing from the same hymn sheet again re BMI!!!

[Thailand]

Ah, but where do you stop? If you have s/one slimmer, but with BO/farting issues (you know the people I mean, right? ), shouldn't they then pay more because the air needs to be recycled more often?

 

(and the BMI is utter and complete BS btw, like the 5 a day, it has no significance in the real world. By BMI standards, some of the world's best rugby players are clinically obese, lol, and DD would be seriously underweight, and did she look unhealthy to you? Don't get me started on BMI, ok? [the index, not the airline!])

 

I was thinking why the British Midland talk lmao. Good point on BMI, Rugby players won't be happy being classed as obese! It's not going to be easy to implement!

 

Ahh....a 'fart tax' don't give him any more ideas! though a thouroughly interesting article in the Daily Star (I found it lmao) said that obese people are adding to climate change through increased food production, and hinted all the way through that they fart more. Maybe they'll clamp a fart detector to the seats. A 'BO tax'? lol, you're right...where do you stop (and perish the thought of sitting next to a stinker).

 

And nah, DD looked just cracking!

[Thailand]

Ryanair confirms that ‘fat tax’ is a non-runner

 

because it’s not collectible

 

Passengers want very large passengers to pay more

 

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (8 May) confirmed that it will not implement a ‘fat tax’ because there is no way to collect it without disrupting its 25 minute turnarounds and its online check-in process. Ryanair confirmed that more than 16,000 passengers voted in its latest online poll to identify how the airline should charge larger passengers. The poll results showed:

 

46% - Charge per kg over 130kg/20 st (male) and 100kg/15 st (females);

37% - Charge for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests;

11% - Charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index

6% - Charge for every waist inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female);

Ryanair confirmed that the competition’s €1,000 cash prize goes to Mrs Judy Powers, a retired British ex-pat living in Spain and the first passenger to suggest that larger passengers should pay more.

 

 

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

 

“Over 30,000 Ryanair passengers called for a ‘fat tax’ for very large passengers. However, as all passengers will soon be checking in online we have no way of collecting a ‘fat tax’ without disrupting our un-rivalled punctuality and our 25 minute turnarounds.

 

“Ryanair will continue to examine avoidable discretionary charges, which are paid for by some passengers but help lower fares for all passengers. We are delighted to present Judy with her €1,000 cash prize and thank all 150,000 passengers who either entered our competition or voted in our online polls”.