New Ryanair Boarding Charges

[toni]

All bookings made with Ryanair after 3 June will be subject to a £4/€5 priority boarding charge. This facility was previously free to those making online bookings and carrying only hand luggage. They say;

''By charging the same fee for priority boarding for both webcheck-in and airport check-in passengers, we hope to ensure that priority boarding will always be available for sale at airports for family members and groups who wish to purchase it.''

[Cat]

Toni, when you say all bookings will be subject to a 5€ priority boarding charge, I assume you mean only those who wish to purchase priority boarding, and not all bookings?

As I have said before, so many people now choose priority boarding that often more than half of the passengers on a flight are priority boarders, which make a bit of a farce of the whole scheme.

Not knocking Ryanair, BTW, just the laughable idea of priority boarding being something special.

[toni]

Yes just for those who want it, apparently Ryan air have a 40% priority boarding allocation on all  their flights but as  this is pretty nearly always full now  they are introducing the new charge to ensure future priority boarding availability.

[AnOther]

Exactly Cat. I've always though it was just another crafty way of surreptitiously increasing revenue as it is was inevitable it would end up like this.

Anyone for priority priority boarding [:D]

Come on now, who can honestly say that the haven't quietly chuckled to themselves as they board the same bus out to the aircraft as the PB's, especially when you end up closer to the door and consequently are up the stairs and on the plane before them [6]

 

[Val_2]

Last year both ways the flight was only half full so we could choose wherever we wanted to sit and for 55mins does it really matter? I'd rather save my money for something else than that.

[Ron Avery]

Spoke to bruv, he said that there is the additional bonus with on-line Priority Boarding of not having to queue up to check-in, you go straight to the security gates, that has got to be worth a £5, saves putting a fuel surcharge on for the summer as well[:P]

 At Stansted where there are no buses to the plane, you would certainly be last on Ernie, but as Val says, what does it really matter unless you like looking at clouds (or avoiding screaming kids).  If people just treated the planes as buses and just got on and sat down where there is a seat, there would not be any need for priority boarding.

[Cat]

To be fair, for families or groups of  people wanting to get adjacent seating, priority boarding is their only option now, as people travelling on their own always nab the window or aisle seats, leaving only the middle seats free.  Doesn't bother me as I usually fly alone, and just chose the first seat I find, always between two lone-flyers.  I like to sit near the front, as the front door is always the first door active for disembarking.

[Val_2]

I prefer the back, that bit comes down last

[Stefan]

[quote user="Val_2"]I prefer the back, that bit comes down last[/quote]

Er, I hope it doesn't...

[Ron Avery]

Cat said "Doesn't bother me as I usually fly alone"

Perhaps a change of deodourant would help,  or smoke a Strand, you are never alone with a Strand[:P]  But you soon were as they tasted and smelt awful!![:D]

[mint]

I wouldn't pay on principle.  They've taken my money, adding taxes and all sorts of extras onto the basic ticket and now they want me to pay over and above all that just to get on the plane a few minutes ahead of others?

Why not then have priority get-off whereby you get to leave the plane before other people?  A blatant extortionate practice like this should be boycotted and not encouraged.

 

[JMB]

I think priority boarding is a really good idea it saves me having to push people out of my way. However it's too cheap, in my opinion you should have to pay at least 50€.

[Hagar]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

Spoke to bruv, he said that there is the additional bonus with on-line Priority Boarding of not having to queue up to check-in, you go straight to the security gates, that has got to be worth a £5, saves putting a fuel surcharge on for the summer as well[:P]

[/quote]

Not sure if it is still the case but that was not true for awhile at some airports i.e even though you had checked in on--line with priority you still had to queue at the check-in desk to get a boarding pass.

rgds

hagar

[Hagar]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Why not then have priority get-off whereby you get to leave the plane before other people?  A blatant extortionate practice like this should be boycotted and not encouraged.

[/quote]

Strangely enough that used to be one of my bugbears before they did away with priority boarding for familes etc. Yes I appreciate we should give them time to settle the family in - make sure they've got everything needed in flight and everything is stowed properly before us impatient b..........s try to push past to get our seat.  What I do object to is the reverse - them blocking the isles rather than let us disembark swiftly.

Always remember one time out of carcassone where when boarding we all stood on the tarmac in the pouring rain whilst a lady with two sticks struggled up the steps to be sat at the front of the plane - on arrival Stansted - door was opened - up she got sticks under her arms and gaily skipped down the steps.

rgds

Hagar

[Hagar]

Whislt on this boarding/disembarking lark - does anybody know of a really convincing reason why Ryanair and other "lo-cost" airlines  do not operate allocated seating.?

I know the official reason is that "free" seating improves turn-around time but having flown many many times with both systems I simply don't beleive it does.

rgds

Hagar

 

[powerdesal]

I have only used RyanAir a few times but have noticed a reluctance of people to sit in row 1A/B/C, right by the door. Each time I have been a non-priority but have found a seat in that row. More leg room and first off at Stansted. Strange!

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Hagar"]

Always remember one time out of carcassone where when boarding we all stood on the tarmac in the pouring rain whilst a lady with two sticks struggled up the steps to be sat at the front of the plane - on arrival Stansted - door was opened - up she got sticks under her arms and gaily skipped down the steps.

rgds

Hagar

[/quote]

This happened on an LD Lines sailing a couple of years ago. We asked to be near a lift for Mrs Benjamin's sake and we and three other cars were let on first and parked by a lift.

One couple (showing an A for assistance hanger) jumped from their car and skipped up the nearby stairs. I missed them that time but they certainly got my tongue whilst waiting to disembark.  [:@]

[Pierre ZFP]

[quote user="powerdesal"]I have only used RyanAir a few times but have noticed a reluctance of people to sit in row 1A/B/C, right by the door. Each time I have been a non-priority but have found a seat in that row. More leg room and first off at Stansted. Strange!
[/quote]

Yes I've done that a number of times.  I think its because rows 2, 3, 4 (A/B/C) are blocked off then people think it applies to row 1 as well.

Also, to sit in an emergency exit row you have to be able-bodied, 18 (I think) or over and be able to speak English

[powerdesal]

Can anyone tell me why rows 2, 3 and 4 are not used. I realised row 2 was always blocked but didn't know it was 3 and 4 as well.

[Stefan]

Hagar

I believe the original theory behind "free seating" was that the airline didn't have to pay the extra expense of having to buy and run any seat allocation software...no doubt some-one from the LoCos will have the proper answer.

And I agree that free seating is just as slow as pre-allocated.. personally I can't be bothered to climb over people to get 2A or F.. I just head down the back. 

 

[Sprogster]

Jet Blue, the most succesful low cost carrier in the USA allows you to choose a seat when booking at no extra cost. In the UK, Flybe also allow you to choose seating at the time of booking but you pay a supplement.

I fly BA and Easyjet on a regular basis and from my experience where you have a full aircraft BA with its allocated seating is quicker, as it is less chaotic. Recently, I boarded a packed Easyjet flight at Gatwick and the problems they had trying to accomodate families with very young children to ensure that at least one parent sat next to their children caused a delay in the departure.

The Easyjet priority boarding system called Speedy Boarding Plus is no such thing, as at the moment there is no limit on how many passengers on a particular flight can qualify for speeding boarding! On my most recent Easyjet flight I sat in the front row and it was clear from the passengers boarding after me at least half had purchased Easy boarding plus and were complaining to the flight attendant checking their boarding pass  it was a con!

 

 

 

 

[AnOther]

I don't subscribe to the idea that free seating = a speedier turnround, it's just too chaotic.

Some non budget airlines operate a group boarding system, i.e. those seated in the rear third or half of the plane are boarded first which  is logical and seems to work pretty well.

I think the only potential benefit of it is that it can marginally speed up the check in process.

I fly between 25 & 30 times pa, (thankfully infrequently on RA) and, allocated seats or not, what never ceases to amaze me is some peoples complete lack of spatial awareness and recognition of the fact that they are holding everyone else up whilst they stand in the aisle 'organising' themselves, I'm sure you've all witnessed it and know what I mean, some may even be unconsciously guilty [;-)]

 

[Iceni]

Though I claim to be a fan of Michael O'Ryanair's vision on how to make loadsamoney from the unwary and the gullible I have not flown for nearly 5 years - because I am such a fan ? The last occasion was with Ryanair from Rodez. In those days an early boarding bus ticket was handed to those who had checked in first. This proved of limited value for 2 reasons

1. Rodez departure cupboard was so small that, unless you were standing next to the escape hatch, it was not possible to elbow your way to the front of the pack

2. Even if you could get close, the time allotted for the "priority boarders" was insufficent before the great unwashed were called forward

From the many posts on this subject it seems that the system has changed but the chaos has not.

My only reason for revisiting England would be death or serious illness of close friends/family over there and I am almost certain that I would drive even if Di was not travelling with me (someone has to care for the passportless dog). The cost would possibly be greater with the Mist Wagen (C15D is cheap to run but a bit slow and very noisy on such a trip) but I could leave NOW and be back in N Essex by about 21.00 tonight.

Have any others decided that airport checks and delays in the name of security mean that in future they will let the car take the strain or am I ploughing a lone furrow ?

John

 

 

[Cendrillon]

Ernie said

"............ what never ceases to amaze me is some peoples complete lack of spatial awareness and recognition of the fact that they are holding everyone else up whilst they stand in the aisle 'organising' themselves, I'm sure you've all witnessed it and know what I mean, some may even be unconsciously guilty"

 

 [blink] If these passengers didn't have so much carry-on baggage then boarding might be quicker.[blink]

[Ron Avery]

At least with Ryanair there are large lockers and you can board at the front and back of the plane, others like Jet2 and KLM city hopper who have planes that have only one door at rhe front, although as Ernie says KLM do adopt a sensible boarding system of loading from the front, block by block, that still does not help you get off in a hurry if you are at the back and that causes friction at times.

I suppose the test of the Ryanair seating model would be in India where they would just get on and be thankful to find any seat as they do on the trains, not be picky about where it is on the plane as the Brits and other EU nationals seem to be.  Just watch next time how many people in a window seat actually don't chat or sleep for most of the trip!!

John: Home to London via Rodez taking in journey to airport  wait to board, flight and getting off etc max 3 hours.  Same by car, 15 hours plus, with a couple of breaks , so 13 hours of driving concentration, stress and little relaxation. I know it can be done quicker but that is average time within the speed limit and includes the waits on to ferry/shuttle and off ferry/shuttle ferry, its never quick is it?  And those times assume that Pris/Rouen are not congested, it was bad enough having to drive when Ryan air stopped flying but to do it out of choice as they say  "you having a laugh?"[:D]