First Ryanair flight for years...

[MrCanary]

I am just back from my first Ryanair flight for a number of years. My wife and I did a round-trip from Stansted to Tours, getting back Monday evening (09/05). I imagine many people will know I am a regular critic of the company and how they operate...

So how did my trip go?

I have to be honest and say it was much better than I had expected and what I had perceived as a complicated purchase and usage procedure, was actually relatively smooth and easy. I do still think the cost and weight allowance for putting a bag in the hold is very unreasonable, but I have to put that aside as I knew that before we set out.

Getting our boarding passes online was simple and is a good idea. (I was paranoid about folding them or getting them creased as I was sure I would be refused boarding if they were not pristine.) Going through security is much stricter than the last time I flew, but I am all for that. Going to the gate, queueing and boarding has not changed that much - but I had to smile at the self-important people who had paid to get on first, but then got overtaken on the tarmac! Tours airport has changed its procedures since I was last there, but they are better and more straightforward.

All the Ryanair staff, at both airports and on the planes, were polite and helpful. So, all in all, I am struggling to find anything to complain about... Ah, hang on, yes I do have a big gripe about something...

My Hertz rental car at Tours was scruffy and damaged - just the same as the last time I had one from there - I must try a different rental firm next time!

[sid]

I think your approach was right; go with low expectations and you could well be pleasantly surprised. I'm a regular user simply because it's so cheap, even with all the extras. We tend to treat it like a journey on the bus.

As I've said so many times you can always pay more for a better brand and possibly better service. Long may RA continue.

I expect that the profit margins on RA partner's car hire are very low; RA tend to squeeze everyone, but the fault is with Hertz. Car hire is SO expensive here, isn't it! I find that the customer service with the car hire companies is worse than with RA themselves. My son arrived at La Rochelle (different airline) last summer with wife and 2 kids to find that there were no cars left and the receptionist just packed up and went home leaving them totally without transport; no apology or help!

[MrCanary]

You are right Sid, I set out this time with an open mind - albeit somewhat nervous about everything I had read - and ended up being quite happy!

I will be using Ryanair again, although my prefrred mode of transport does remain car/ferry.

[Hoddy]

I met some Ryanair virgins last Friday on my flight to France. They were nervous because of all they'd heard. I didn't help really either because the staff can be quite obnoxious. That said the cabin staff were delightful and we arrived half an hour early. Brilliant.

Hoddy

[idun]

I realise that if booked at the last minute flights can still be fairly expensive, but for careful shoppers they are cheap these days even including the price of baggage. If I shopped around  from 30 years ago to the start of the cheap flights, our return flights Lyons or Geneva to LHR always averaged £120 per person and that was a lot then. Then we had to get north in England. 

When Easyjet started Luton/Geneva my MIL used it. I told friends who were sceptical and interogated her as to whether it was a turbo prop plane rust bucket or not. Not much luck with her, it was white and orange apparently[:)] a lot of orange, and the flight had been fine. And that was the start and we felt like it was a real treat getting these very cheap flights.

OK so the cheapies have manipulated price increases via various means and also the main airlines have come down in price, well, with careful shopping they have. They are all still cheaper than they ever they were. I am loathe to criticise the cheapies though, I am glad that they exist and they need using. As they say 'use it or lose it' and that would be a shame if they were lost.

 

EDIT, I never have expectations on low cost flights. A seat, a loo available and getting me from A to B safely at a decent price and they'll do for me.

[dave21478]

I don't understand all the Ryanair hate. They can fly me a third of the way across Europe for less money than I spend on petrol driving to the airport.

Book early, pay attention as you make the booking, travel light, don't buy priority boarding, no extras, dont buy anything onboard, sit in the first seat available, and thats all there is to it. If you want an allocated window seat and a free lunch then fly with BA and see how much that lunch costs you.

[Renaud]

The image problem with RyanAir is all down to O'Leary. As mentioned above the prices are usually amazingly good value.

O'Leary's problem is rather than basking in the praise he could get for the low prices, prefers to try for niggling extra bits of income and thereby loosing the goodwill.

If he doubled the basic airfares and said that the extras were throw-in for free the airline would still be low cost and he would be the traveler's champion.

[sid]

Spot on, Dave!

[pachapapa]

Just done my boarding pass for tomorrow out of PIS, absolutely no problem other than that the Epson Multifunction hesitates to load the cheap A4 paper that has been waiting all winter for the next user.

It would be interesting to do a poll to ascertain if Orange LiveBox subscribers have more problems with Ryan Air due to their pretentious life style.[:P]

€ 20 return including € 12 for admin.

[idun]

I have never ever had such a cheap return flight, well done, I thought that the days of those SUPER cheap flights were over, apparently not.

[DavyH]

We are flying from Stansted to Poitiers tomorrow for £4 each!!  No add-ons, this was bought when their sale for May was on, no hold luggage, don't care where I sit, I have debit cards for use with easyjet (£24 Edin - Stansted 0630 groan!).  At that price I will accept an outside loo!

I don't agree that ryanair should charge everyone a higher basic fare with the optionals included, why should i subsidise someone who has hold luggage and therefore costs the airline more to transit?  Maybe the unavoidables like the cancellation and admin fee should be included but at sale time these are often waived.

Ryanair, the best bus in Europe :)

[PaulT]

[quote user="Mel"]My Hertz rental car at Tours was scruffy and damaged - just the same as the last time I had one from there - I must try a different rental firm next time!
[/quote]

Mel

Obviously a Hertz thing - they did that to me twice at Toulouse and arriving at about 11pm with virtually no lights on in the car park you cannot check for damage until next day. The documentation with the car did not show the damage. When contacted they accepted that the damage was there when I collected the car.

Now avoid Hertz.

Paul

[MrCanary]

Hi Paul - yes, I will also be doing that!

[Wilko]

So how many airlines have you run Renaud ?

"If he doubled the basic airfares and said that the extras were throw-in for free the airline would still be low cost and he would be the traveler's champion"

If that would work he would have already done it.

"The image problem with RyanAir is all down to O'Leary" No it's not it's all down to the 1% who whinge when their flight is late/cancelled.or inconvenienced in some way.

He runs a public company which continues to make profits in these difficult times.

RYANAIR’S FULL YEAR PROFIT RISES 204% TO €319M FARES FALL 13% AS TRAFFIC GROWS 14% TO 67M PASSENGERS RYANAIR TO PAY DIVIDEND OF €500M IN OCTOBER

Wilko

[malclom]

I'm always amazed by people who cannot find cheap flights on Ryanair.It's very simple -keep a regular eye on the website and be flexible about dates. There are still loads of incredible offers. Yes some add-ons can't be avoided,but most can-it's simply a matter of priorities. I'm a regular (ish) user and have found little to moan about. Forget your prejudices ,ignore all the anecdotes and save yourself a fortune.

[idun]

Now I know that some of you are more doué than I am but on the odd occassion I have tried to look at Ryanair's site I found it very hard to use and especially to find multiple choice dates.

They never flew near me anyway, but occassionally I had thought about travelling to get a cheap flight and never did.

[PaulT]

[quote user="malclom"]I'm always amazed by people who cannot find cheap flights on Ryanair.It's very simple -keep a regular eye on the website and be flexible about dates. [/quote]

And there is the problem not all of us, i.e. those who still have to work for a living, cannot be flexible on dates.

So the slogan should be:

Ryanair - the budget airline for OAPs

Paul

[sid]

There always seem to be plenty of families and young people of the flights I use.

Incidentally, we flew to Tenerife in February for 43€ each return! The flight was fairly full, mostly young couples so we were the exceptions!

I assume that BA and Air France arrange their flights to suit you Paul? How accommodating, but then I guess you have to pay for that. [;-)]

[PaulT]

[quote user="sid"]

There always seem to be plenty of families and young people of the flights I use.

Incidentally, we flew to Tenerife in February for 43€ each return! The flight was fairly full, mostly young couples so we were the exceptions!

I assume that BA and Air France arrange their flights to suit you Paul? How accommodating, but then I guess you have to pay for that. [;-)]

[/quote]

As we live near to Gatwick our preferred airport is naturally Gatwick (flying to Toulouse).

Sadly BA no longer flies from Gatwick having relocated the flight to Heathrow.

Sometimes, flying when we want to fly, both BA and Easyjet have been cheaper than Ryanair and sometimes BA has been the cheapest.

And no, BA does not arrange their flights to suit me - they have 3 flights per day every day - but as I have said above have been the cheapest when I want to fly.

[powerdesal]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

Just done my boarding pass for tomorrow out of PIS, absolutely no problem other than that the Epson Multifunction hesitates to load the cheap A4 paper that has been waiting all winter for the next user.

It would be interesting to do a poll to ascertain if Orange LiveBox subscribers have more problems with Ryan Air due to their pretentious life style.[:P]

€ 20 return including € 12 for admin.

[/quote]

I did notice the Icon but......Orange Livebox subscribers and pretentious life style - what is that all about?????????

[Salty Sam]

"pretentious life style "!

Obviously talking about himself Powedesal.

:-)

[bettyboop]

Ladies (and maybe gentlemen) probably travelling with ryanair in a couple of weeks, if I take a cabinsize suitcase on the plane, can I also carry my handbag??

Or would that be classed as an extra bag?

[FairyNuff]

[quote user="bettyboop"]Ladies (and maybe gentlemen) probably travelling with ryanair in a couple of weeks, if I take a cabinsize suitcase on the plane, can I also carry my handbag?? Or would that be classed as an extra bag?[/quote]

Yes I'm afraid so. Your handbag has to go in your cabin baggage. A coat with big pockets is a good idea, depending on what you need to carry. Also don't forget the security restrictions on liquids/gels and sharp objects.

FairyNuff

[bettyboop]

Brilliant, thank you FN

[Hoddy]

I hate this wretched rule. I think it's sex discrimination. Men have more pockets than women. I'm thinking of getting a poacher's coat.

Hoddy