So......Ryan Air

[planetpotty]

How do I avoid getting totally ripped off by extra charges?

I've read through the docs etc but was wondering if any of you have any tips or experiences of Ryan Air and how not to incur extra charges?

Never managed to avoid everything-
Rules keep changing. Certainly get the correct size bag and don't check anything in if at al humanly possible.
Used to be there was no charge if you used an electron card - but not sure about that now

I dont think you can avoid most of the charges. Just be careful with your luggage - keep it to the corrct weight and size.

I only flew with Ryanair once, it was no worse or better than I expected. However I didn't book it myself, itwas part of a large group so I don' tknow about the extras.

Buy some luggage scales, worth their weight in gold. Oh and unless you want to take out a Ryan Air Electron card ( you don't as there is an annual fee) you can't avoid paying credit card charges. Priority boarding may be worth whileif you have young children.

Pick the flights you want and price them up totally including luggage and credit card fees to get the full price - but remember other airlines are similar for comparision purposes.

also bare in mind the airports in relation to your home and your final destination - it may be cheaper in the long run to, for exmple, fly BA straight into Barcelona than get a cheapy to Girona - but have another 1hour bus ride plus expenses.

we've just booked tax-free ryanair flights, but have to pay extra for 7mo to sit ON MY LAP. However, our airport is 10 minutes from the house with free parking, which beats a long drive and a lot of faff just to fly with a 'nomal' airlne who, honestly, were more expensive!

At a lot of Ryanair staff at airports are now they are cracking down on handbaggage too - I've seen them weighing it/measuring it as people were queuing up to board and then stiffing them with £30 charges to put the bag in the hold. They're also claiming one bag only INCLUDES any shopping you do past security although the airport we were at in Spain had big signs in Spanish and English saying that by law you could take your shopping on the plane in a separate bag.

Travel scales are worth their weight in gold (no pun intended) - plenty of people at the airport shuffling contents around bags as they won't let you pool luggage.

Be aware their site tends to default in a whole load of crap like insurance so double check all options. Also you can print boarding passes 2 weeks in advance so do your return checkin in the UK before you go if you won't have access to a printer abroad - checkin at the airport starts at about Euro60 I think.

To be honest I'd never fly with them at all if it wasn't they go from an airport very near our house to an airport very near where we went on holiday - by the time you've paid card fees, checked baggage etc they are not generally cheaper than a 'regular' airline. I defended Ryanair for years as originally they were doing genuinely cheaper flights but now unless you want to travel in the clothes you are wearing mid-week in November to obscure places they are very rarely cheaper. Moreover they seem to actively be trying to make the flights as unpleasant as possible - their latest trick is to constantly sell you things - on our flight yesterday we had: newspaper/magazine, food, lottery tickets, smokeless cigs, train tickets, on-board tat all as separate announcements in a 2 hour flight!

We do still pay for priority boarding as I don't want DS to end up sitting away from us (although airline regs recommend family groups are not split as it slows down evacuation in an emergency, I don't trust Ryanair to do this) but in a couple of years time I wouldn't bother as he'll be old enough to sit on his own for a couple of hours. They also charge extra now for front 4 rows of plane and emergency exit seats and will leave them empty if no-one pays up - they then ask nearby passengers to assume responsibility for them (again probably breaching regs) but not let them sit there!

Don't forget to check in online for both flights or you get charged extra if you have to do this at the airport

• Check in online
• Print both sets of boarding cards, print a spare copy and keep elsewhere or give to soemone else. If you lose your return boarding cards you have to pay crazy amoutns to re-print at airport
• Carry on luggage only, if possible. Wear as many clothes/heavy clothes to travel in.
• Handbag - do you need one? Can you use a smaller one. These have to go in carry on bag. I fly to Ireland often and just take my purse and keys in a really tiny bag!
• If you are on a longer flight take snacks/drinks if you have the space.

Leave plenty of time at the airport if you are traveling with others. People tend to queue as soon as the gate is called - if you want to sit together you'd need to do this to.

Thank everyone

Well I'm pleased to report we got....... No charges.