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Original poster

Ryanair fear - is the advance boarding worth it?

17 replies

BoBoo · 21/03/2013 13:19

Flying with Ryanair for the first time since being free and single. Going to Malta with DH, 5yr old and 3 yr old, so it will be a three hour flight. Trying to do this holiday cheaply, hence ending up with Ryanair, so don't really want to shell out for any extras but starting to wobble on the advance boarding. Do you think we'll be okay without it, or should I resign myself to paying out the extra?

OP posts:
libertyflip · 21/03/2013 13:22

I paid out the extra and it wasn't worth it as all you got was to get on the bus to the plane first. When it came to getting on the plane, we were in the bunfight with everyone else. Total waste of money for us.

jaffajiffy · 21/03/2013 13:27

Buy it for one ticket and save seats for the rest of you. As noted below, though, it doesn't work if you have to take the bus

CointreauVersial · 21/03/2013 13:30

I'd like to see Ryanair try to make you fly sitting seperately from a 5yo and 3yo.

You should be OK, just make sure you check in in good time, and get your elbows out. Send DH in alone, and follow with the DCs.

janek · 22/03/2013 13:31

When we fly with ryanair dp and i take a child each, so we only want 2x2 seats, rather than 1x4 iyswim. We do queue up as soon as they announce the flight, but with two dcs we're obviously not as quick as some, and clearly not as quick as the psychic people who are queuing at the correct gate before it's even announced...

But often we seem to be way back and have never had a problem sitting together (but separately).

We take the ipad/ipod touch for the dds to watch videos on and don't hear a peep out of them all journey! We flew to italy recently and dd1 and i sat one in front of the other at the end of two aisles, so we were off the plane far, far quicker than dp and dd2 who actually sat together. And dd1 was fine as she had her friend the ipad!

NotTreadingGrapes · 22/03/2013 13:35

Absolutely worth it if you are travelling with children.

Though I love it when Mrs Cheapskate boards first and plonks her Mills and Boon on the spare seat for Mr Cheapskate who hasn't paid priority boarding.....then Mr Cheapskate sits in the aisle so they can plonk their sarnies and flask in that middle seat....and then, at the last minute, because Ryanair like a full flight dontcha know...the 25 stone bloke eating the smelly burger gets on and sits between them. Karma.

CiderwithBuda · 22/03/2013 13:58

I booked Ryanair yesterday for DS and I and booked the priority boarding - every member of the party now has to have priority boarding so you can't just get it for one.

NotTreadingGrapes · 22/03/2013 14:03

Really? Ha! That's because of Mr and Mrs Cheapskate! Grin

Hello btw Buda, it's me Bucharest with my new frock on!

Floralnomad · 22/03/2013 14:06

If it was fly Ryan Air or don't go I'd rather not go .

CiderwithBuda · 22/03/2013 15:22

Hi Bucharest! How are you?

I must admit to putting DS in window seat and me in aisle leaving middle seat free! Obv if someone needs the seat I will move to the middle but it's worked well when we have done it! And I don't feel guilty because I pay for priority boarding and check a bag so only ever have my handbag!

Flora - I used to feel the same but have discovered that on the Bristol to Dublin route that we usually do, Ryanair fly bigger planes. The Aer Lingus flight is operated by Aer Arran and the planes are tiny and it can get q bit bumpy! Feel safe on Ryanir which is not something I ever thought I would say!

theoriginalandbestrookie · 22/03/2013 19:40

Yes I'd book it, although word of warning make sure you are at the gate well in advance of when you think you need to be.

We booked it when we came back from Tenerife, got to the boarding gate 40 mins before departure and we were the last in the queue as it had already boarded.

No seats together ( DS is 6) and not a soul on the plane looked as if they were going to get up for us. Thankfully the flight attendants were Tenerifian ( or Spanish I guess) and therefore a bit friendlier than the UK variety so managed to get us 3 seats together ( 2 would have been fine)

There's something about having to pay for seats that makes peoples common humanity go out the window. Therefore I'd pay the money and make sure you are there in time to be at the front of the priority queue.

IndiansInTheLobby · 22/03/2013 19:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

onoroff · 24/03/2013 21:11

I thought if you had children under 5 you got priority boarding...

janek · 24/03/2013 21:25

Only if you pay for it. For you and them...

CestTout · 25/03/2013 10:08

Easyjet still board you first with kids (after people who've paid for priority) Ryanair don't. I would just keep a very close eye on the departure gates and leg it there to get to the front of the queue. If one of you can go ahead and leave the other to bring the children that should work well. I travel with three kids on my own regularly and refuse to buy the priority boarding now.

Original poster
BoBoo · 25/03/2013 16:55

Hmmmmm. Thanks for all your replies. I would have shelled out for reserved seating at the time of booking, but only skim read it and mistakenly thought children couldn't sit in those rows. Now I've already booked it's £20 a seat, so think I'll give that a miss. I think I'll take our chances and try to get there as early as I can.

OP posts:
janek · 25/03/2013 21:39

You'll be fine, don't worry, most people don't pay for priority boarding and a lot of people have children. I've never seen anyone have a problem (other than me when we're being herded like cattle, but that's flying in general i think).

Hulababy · 25/03/2013 21:41

We've never paid with Ryan Air or Easy Jet and have always managed to get 3 seats together.
We get there early and get in line early.

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