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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

for thinking Ryanair is not that cheap?....

62 replies

reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 10:27

Just got back from holiday with DCs. I flew with Ryanair and thought I would sum up my expenses.

The flights cost £400; they deliberately keep you in a queue so you have to pay for their shitty food in the plane which cost £50. I paid for priority boarding which I did not use because it took so long to get DCs to gate therefore £30; cost of checking in baggage for 3 people £70. Also, they fly from a really awkward airport which I would not normally use - the cost of travel was also quite sizeable.

I heard people moaning and I always thought how bad can it be? But it was really bad. The flight was stressful (trying to get DCs to aeroplane in time) and I ended up feeling sorry for the air staff (after speaking to them discovered that they had to buy their own uniforms).

I have never felt so fleeced in all my life.

OP posts:
weegiemum · 01/04/2013 10:30

We're going to Italy from Glasgow in July. Looked at Ryanair but found out its about £300 cheaper for our family (2 adults, 3 children) to fly with Jet2. Also I'm disabled and from what I read, Ryanair will charge me for my wheelchair. Only airline who do!

BlackAffronted · 01/04/2013 10:37

I managed to fly on RyanAir for exactly 1p. So yeah, it was cheap for me Grin

EuroShaggleton · 01/04/2013 10:37

You're right that it is often not cheap. We use them only to get to my PIL's holiday home - they are the only airline that flies direct from the UK to the tiny local airport. I don't understand your point about being kept in a queue so you couldn't get food. We always grab food in the airport before heading to the queue. Most people seem to do this. Just make sure it fits into your one bag! I've never bought food on the plane. We don't bother with priority boarding because it is a short flight and we don't have kids to worry about so if we end up split up we are not bothered. For a short trip we share one suitcase and factor that into the cost of the flights.

dadofnone · 01/04/2013 10:44

It depends on how you use them and how you view them. I think of them as a flying 'bus' service.
When I use them I take hand luggage only nd don't pay for the extras. I'm not bothered where I sit and don't bother queuing. Just walk up to the counter when the scrum has died down.
I never buy food from them. I've never had the need.
To me it's not much different than catching the National Express from Manchester to London - in fact better because it. Gets me from Liverpool to Spain a lot quicker and cheaper!

Branleuse · 01/04/2013 10:47

and they try and sell you bingo cards the entire journey. I Will never use them again.

Original poster
reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 10:50

I am talking about the baggage drop (AKA check in). I felt it was a kind of tactical manoeuvre by them so that I had less time in the airport. On the way out I saw the queue and how long it was and got into it. When I had finished dropping my bags off (1 1/2 hrs later) I only just had time to get through security and on to the plane. I didn't buy food before security because on any other flight I would have time in the airport.

OP posts:
HollyBerryBush · 01/04/2013 10:50

I used them once, .99p flights out, and I was annoyed they cost £4.69 to get home again Grin

dadofnone · 01/04/2013 10:50

Guess what? You don't have to buy a bingo card! I just say NO!

Original poster
reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 10:53

I am Shock they make disabled people pay for their wheelchair. Completely outrageous

OP posts:
dadofnone · 01/04/2013 10:54

It would never occur to me to buy food at an airport to be honest. In over 30 years of travelling on a fairly frequent basis ( at least 3 or 4 times a year, sometimes more). I've never had an airport meal. Never thought about it. Do most people eat at airports? ( serious question)

Original poster
reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 10:56

I don't eat at airport. I usually buy a sandwich and a drink before I get on the plane.

OP posts:
WestieMamma · 01/04/2013 10:59

They don't make disabled people pay for their wheelchair. They did. They got sued and lost. They don't now.

BlackAffronted · 01/04/2013 11:00

When there was some sort of scare about foot & mouth here, I was made to throw away my ham sandwiches before boarding the plane :(

TidyDancer · 01/04/2013 11:00

I think your problem is that you didn't allow enough time at the airport! You can't blame Ryanair for the length if the queue if so many people show up at the same time, shit happens you know?

As for the food situation, again an issue of time. They don't push you to buy onboard, they simply offer like other airlines. You not having time to get any in the airport is not a marketing trick, I'm sure. And tbh, I don't know how far Ryanair fly to and subsequently how long the flights would be that you would need £50 worth of food anyway!

With regards to the really awkward airport comment, can't account for that since I don't know where you live, but they fly from several major UK airports....if they didn't fly from an airport that was convenient for you, yet you choose to fly fly with them anyway, that's your issue, not theirs.

You are right about the flight cost though, they are not always cheaper. And sometimes it does feel like being penned in like cattle since there is not a lot of legroom (not a real problem tbh since the flights are generally less than four hours).

GingerGeorge · 01/04/2013 11:01

Ryanair is proud of it's reputation as the worst in the world, ever. Who's the Chief Exec again? Some guy who hates the travelling public - his name escapes me for the moment. I feel sorry for the staff too and I do wonder why they do it.

Freddiemisagreatshag · 01/04/2013 11:01
Original poster
reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 11:02

How can they possibly not know that they lost? Or, are they just on the take?

OP posts:
Original poster
reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 11:04

His name is O'Leary. He has been in trouble so many times - with airport safety as well as how he treats passengers. I seem to remember it was last summer he got into trouble for not giving pilots enough emergency fuel. I also seem to remember a story about how a pilot who got into trouble once had to pay for petrol out of his own pocket.

OP posts:
trixymalixy · 01/04/2013 11:05

I hate Ryanair and try to avoid them if possible, but sadly it is often the case that they are significantly cheaper than flying with other airlines. We always take our own sandwiches.

Original poster
reallyyummymummy · 01/04/2013 11:06

I have been looking this up whilst I have been posting. The more I think and hear about this airline the more I hate them.

OP posts:
dadofnone · 01/04/2013 11:09

Like I said before change your mind set. Most of the things that you are complaining about are similar to a coach trip. If you want a nicer ride go with Lufthansa or someone and allow yourself more time.

I love Ryan air but the rules are hand luggage only, sit wherever, don't buy a ticket and eat before I go to the airport. Ryan Air are grey for relatively low cost Europe flights. I usually book months in advance. Early this year I had a return flight to Lithuania for £38. It went to Vilnus, and that included all taxes. No hassle or issues. I went to Spain 3 times last year and the most I paid was £67 return and that was because I left it until last minute.

Backinthebox · 01/04/2013 11:23

Speaking from a professional pov, I would be happy to fly with many airlines, but would not fly with this Irish bunch. There are only so many ways of shaving a little bit off here, a little bit there, before things start to become a bit less safe than they might be. There is considerable evidence that they put enough pressure on their staff that safety standards occasionally slip enough to nearly cause an accident. They have declared a mayday 3 times recently due to not having enough fuel on board, and come very close to 2 hull losses due to pilot error where the main issues were unnecessary pressure put on the pilots (nerds can google ciampino incident 2005 and memmingen incident 2012 along with the airline name.)

They make all of these ridiculous charges and fees because it is apparently what the passenger wants.

nocake · 01/04/2013 11:29

We have a commercial pilot in the family and Ryanair is the only European airline he says he would never fly with as a passenger (or as a pilot). They cut too many corners with safety.

WhereYouLeftIt · 01/04/2013 11:39

Ah, you beat me to it Freddiemisagreatshag Grin

GingerGeorge · 01/04/2013 11:40

I've just googled the Ciampino thing and I'm Shock at what I'm reading just on the first link, which seems to be to an aviation forum. It's not pretty reading. On these grounds alone I will never fly Ryanair.