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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be worried about flying with Ryanair this Summer?

26 replies

flowerpower18 · 15/07/2019 16:25

We've never flown with them before, this Summer will be our first time but I've read so many bad stories lately in the news.

Has anyone else ever flown with them and was it been a normal experience haha! unlike the ones I keep reading about.

OP posts:
Apolloanddaphne · 15/07/2019 16:28

I have flown with them and it was fine. However i never take hand luggage with me, i always pay for a hold bag. I just factor it onto the cost of my trip. I also take my own food onboard and DH and i don't care if we are not sitting together.

Branleuse · 15/07/2019 16:33

Theyre OK. Ive used them a lot. I find there is crap legroom, and you pay for any extras, but they are fine for a no frills, cheap flight with quite a lot of destinations. I believe they have a good safety rating too.
I wouldnt want to be on one more than a couple of hours though if I could help it.

Isthebigwomanhere · 15/07/2019 16:33

I fly with them twice a year and have never had a problem.
I do pay for priority and hold baggage though

Nicknacky · 15/07/2019 16:34

I fly with them a few times a year, never had any issues. You know what to expect and you get what you pay for.

AppleKatie · 15/07/2019 16:35

I pay for a hold bag too it really helps.

Other than that they are fine. Cheap. Functional.

Don’t buy food onboard unless you are so rich you’re only flying Ryanair for the pleb experience 😂

Sirzy · 15/07/2019 16:36

It’s the only company that fly near my partners mum and we have never had any issue. I pay about £10 more for the normal size cabin bag now which is fine to hold a few days worth of stuff.

WhenOneFacePalmDoesntCutIt · 15/07/2019 16:36

I have flown too often, but they have a monopoly on some lines, which is annoying.

Just read and pay for what you need - and check sizes and weight (of the luggage Grin ) before you fly, print what you have to print - I don't trust their apps for boarding passes.

Don't be one of the CF who don't want to pay to reserve a seat but expect other people to move for them. I have seen some families being stuck like that, no one moved.

As long as you check and double check you have the right everything, there's just an airline. Their added costs gets on my nerves, but once you booked your ticket, it's pretty straightforward.

lmusic87 · 15/07/2019 16:37

I've flown a few times but since those times were with lots and lots of drunk people I pay the few extra pounds and go Easyjet.

Original poster
flowerpower18 · 15/07/2019 16:38

Ah thanks everyone.

I've never been bothered who we fly with but then there was that programme a while back about the airline and stories just keep popping up in the news.

We've paid for hold luggage and will just take a small ruck sack.

Thanks all

OP posts:
RuskBaby · 15/07/2019 16:38

Absolutely fine, take food and drink if you need it. Crew have always been lovely. Seats don’t recline so no one 2 inches from your nose. I would take a padlock if you are taking a cabin case and any important stuff in a smaller bag inside just incase you have to send it to the hold on boarding. Only happened once to us.

bellinisurge · 15/07/2019 16:38

Flew with them for the first time at the beginning of June. No problems whatsoever.
Which was unexpected. Efficient; get what you pay for; wouldn't do long haul flight; friendly and professional flight attendants.

maddy68 · 15/07/2019 16:39

I fly with them at least once a month. They are fine. If you want to take a carry on case then pay for priority then you can. Otherwise they charge lots. But they are reliable and pretty decent really. Ignore the bad press. Yes they will charge for extras where they can if you want to sit together then pay. We don't bother but that's the kind of things you are charged extra for. Everything else is fine

redexpat · 15/07/2019 16:41

I had a distance relationship for 3.5 yrs. Never had a problem with the airline itself, staff are always pleasant enough. Think of it as a bus with wings rather than the luxury flights of yesteryear. Never lost my bag, been late once when there was snow in another bit of europe so the plane was delayed there.

If you want to sit together then pay for it. Read everything.

pigglypug · 15/07/2019 16:44

OP, I've been indulging in my guilty pleasure of the (ahem) Mail Online and there are always stories of "flights from hell" with drunken stag dos etc. I was wondering if anyone had experienced this as it sounds awful!! Personally I've flown Ryanair quite a few times and haven't ever had that experience, but I suppose it depends where and when you're going. I remember seeing a queue over from ours to Ibiza early one morning and it looked pretty rowdy Grin. I was just surprised people could stomach a pre-7am beer!

olympicsrock · 15/07/2019 16:44

It’s fine. I fly with them every few weeks. I use the app for boarding passes too. You pay for what you get - everything is extra and leg room small. I usually by a drink of water and crisps / sandwich before I travel - worth saving.

juicy0 · 15/07/2019 16:47

Good experience but make sure you comply with the baggage regulations or they will definitely charge you. We paid for a hold bag, inexpensive and worth it for the extra allowance in our experience.

Original poster
flowerpower18 · 15/07/2019 16:50

Yes theres where I keep reading the stories on...Daily Mail.

We've paid for seats too :-)

I'll keep that in mind to take our own snacks and drinks.

Thanks Everyone!

OP posts:
TheCatThatDanced · 15/07/2019 16:50

I've been fine. I do find the check in staff can be really zealous when it comes to size of bags (maybe that's changed though?) and their landing etc was more bumpy than Sleazyjet...

SIL and DB have a nightmare story about travelling with hand-luggage realising they couldn't fit it all in the bags and having to wear it - god knows how that worked as SIL hates clothes shopping so wouldn't have bought clothes where they went!

Original poster
flowerpower18 · 15/07/2019 16:53

They have a bag size checker on the app but all I wanted to take was a small ruck sack and a kids size ruck sack for my child - I hope it will be OK.

OP posts:
Topseyt · 15/07/2019 16:57

They are OK. Just a no frills airline. Not luxurious, but you usually get from A to B.

They do have a near monopoly on many of the short haul European routes from here, which irritates me as I would like to see a choice sometimes.

They did manage to leave our suitcase behind at Stansted last September when DH and I flew to Spain for a couple of weeks, which was extremely irritating. That can happen on any airline though. They all have their cock-ups. They put it on the next flight out and couriered it to our hotel. Not ideal obviously and we were very annoyed at the time, but it happens and they dealt with it.

dottiedodah · 15/07/2019 17:01

We flew with them to Portugal a couple of years back .All good no probs at all TBH. Just does what it says on the tin !

Glitteryfrog · 15/07/2019 17:08

They're almost exactly the same as easyjet and flybe.
Just they have a gobby CEO who like the lime light.
Flybe's hand luggage is even smaller than Ryan airs.

Flavabobble · 15/07/2019 17:14

I flew with them last Friday, they didn't measure anyone's hand luggage and I bought a lovely cup of fresh coffee for £3. Our hold luggage was the first item on the carousel (easily pleased).

Booboostwo · 15/07/2019 17:14

Ryanair has improved in the last few years, the staff are marginally friendlier and less rude.

Flybe is a lot worse IMO. They fly a route we have to use and the last few flights their charging policies were a nightmare. Their hand luggage allowance in smaller than anyone else and it caught a lot of people out.

familycourtq · 15/07/2019 17:34

Has anyone else ever flown with them and was it been a normal experience haha! unlike the ones I keep reading about

I have taken more than 70 flights with Ryanair and never once had a problem. On two occasions when I have needed help with a problem I had caused for myself, they went outside of their draconian charging policy and helped me out free of charge. They are not perfect but they much much better than many airlines who charge stacks more and pretend to care.

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