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Original poster

RYANAIR GRIPE [angry]

35 replies

tillylb · 01/11/2006 20:07

I haven't posted on here before, but I feel the need after today experiencing Ryanair's newest way of exploiting family travellers. Hope you don't mind the intrusion.

I today flew out of Stansted alone with my 3-mth-old daughter. As I expected to board first I waited aside until the boarding announcement was made. I was then told that the rules had changed and families no longer had the right to board first only those who had purchased a priority boarding card (this was not mentioned at all before when checking in)

Essentially to board before other passengers there is a cost of ?2/?3 per person, otherwise no preferiental treatment is given. According to the website this evening the priorty service is 'advantageous' to families before it was free!!!!

I know it won't do any good, but am thinking of writing a complaint. Regardless I wanted to warn other ryanair travellers and if anyone wants to organise a petition or kick up a fuss in another way, I will be there. OOH they really got me riled this morning - luckily for me other passengers showed their intelligence and let all the children and babies queue jump. But that's not the point.

Vicki

OP posts:
SherlockLGJ · 01/11/2006 20:11

No frills - is no frills I am afraid.

Michael O' Leary is a bit of Barsteward but lets face it, he revoultionised air travel 18 years ago and put it up to the likes of Aer Lingus and BA.

I have a child and will find this annoying, but I also accept, pay nothing (next to) get nothing.

wobblyknicks · 01/11/2006 20:13

At least they let you sit inside the aircraft for no extra charge

SherlockLGJ · 01/11/2006 20:15

WobblyKnicks

Where the hell have you been ??

bran · 01/11/2006 20:16

WOBBLYKNICKS!!! I haven't seen you for months, I thought you had left to have a real life.

I hate Ryanair, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they don't manage to buy Aer Lingus as I fear it may be the beginning of a total Ryanair takeover of the air, and the end of civilization as we know it. I never travel with them unless there is no other way to get to a particular destination, I'd rather pay the extra money.

wobblyknicks · 01/11/2006 20:17

Stuck in RL, but I think I'm back now How the devil are you? (have my own thread running in only joking btw)

Carmenere · 01/11/2006 20:18

They are totaly shysters but they have enabled my dd to have a close relationship with her grandparents in Ireland. She is 2.8 and has been to Ireland at least 16 times.
If you get flights for half nothing then and only then is it worth traveling with them. I will only pay over £50 for a Ryanair flight in desperation. You almost have to admire the inventiveness of finding new things to charge for!

nutcracker · 01/11/2006 20:18

Wobbly, your back how are you ??

Sorry for hijack tilly.

BudaBeast · 01/11/2006 20:20

HATE Ryanair!

Hate hate hate hate hae hate hate.

Only if no other way to get to where i am going.

wobblyknicks · 01/11/2006 20:20

Hi nutty!!! Come into only joking and chat to me, I don't want to be instantly know as the thread hijacker (again)

SherlockLGJ · 01/11/2006 20:20

I am wonderful thank you.

Have a, albeit temporary contract locally, it was for two weeks, now entering into month 6.

I can work anything between 12 -20 hours a week, my choice but minimum is 12 and can ram it into three days or do it over four. Over four sits beautifully with the school run times, so I am feeling very blessed. ATM

I am now off to get some supper.

Catch you later.

wobblyknicks · 01/11/2006 20:21

Sounds fab LGJ, glad things are going so well, catch you later

DizzyBint · 01/11/2006 20:25

i'd complian if they haven't updated the website with this new polisy, but i wouldn't complain about it in general. they can do what they like. i actually like that they are cheap and you add on what you want to pay for.

MerlinsBeard · 01/11/2006 20:29

i don;t see what the problem is tbh. u EXPECTED to be able to board and EXPECTED to be told about a change. Why did you not find out about preboarding/priority bparding before you flew?

Sorry, don;t mean to be rude but i don't understand what the problem is

Skribble · 01/11/2006 20:32

I found at the two airports I ussed the priority boarding didn't really work any way, the ones at the front were the regular business man that know where to stand and how it all works.

B&gg$r the priority boarding and barge to the front like any other continental mother.

Original poster
tillylb · 02/11/2006 08:58

Thanks for the replies and sorry if my advising of this change has seemed trivial to some - maybe as I become a more-experienced traveller with baby I will think the same way.

Firstly, when I flew out on Thursday I actually asked about boarding arrangements for infants as it was LO's 1st flight. I was told nothing of the imminent change affecting my return journey.

Secondly, although their new baggage reduction was widely publicised and emails were sent out, nothing about this was mentioned, nor was it mentioned at the check-in desk when I could have purchased the priority pass.

Finally, when I checked on the website around 5ish CET yesterday afternoon the rule had not been updated and it clearly stated that families can pre-board. A few hours later this had changed.

I do appreciate that as I live abroad Ryanair has given me the possibility to return to the UK more frequently, but this complacency to accept whatever new absurd cost or restriction they pull out is just a tad irritating. BTW the priority passes are limited to 60 passengers, so if more than 60 use the on-line check in service or buy the passes before you check in, you're back in the queue anyway and could risk your 3 yr old being separated from you.

OK off soap box now and back to thinking about more important things. Sorry again for the intrusion.

OP posts:
Carmenere · 02/11/2006 09:13

Tilllb I don't think anyone was really disagreeing with you. It is just that there actually isn't anything that can be done. They can do what they like because until there comes a time when there is an alternative they will still be booked out.
They don't care. It's not fair. You have no recourse because as you buy a ticket they get you to sign off all your human rights for the sake of a cheap seat
Don't go, stay, it really is nice here.

SenoraPostrophe · 02/11/2006 09:23

huh? what are you lot on about? families have boarded first on every flight I've ever flown on. OK so they may not be first first, but you at least get to make sure all the family can sit together.

I think Ryanair charging for the priviledge is outrageous. I've been annoyed for a while about the new rule that says every person's baggage allowance must be in the same suitcase (i.e. if I have one big case for me and the kids, I have to pay excess baggage if it's over 15kg). that is pure greed - so you have to pay the fiver for the other case.

Now I don't like Ryanair anyway and think that the cheap flights thing is bound to end soon etc, but they are discriminating against families with these rules surely?

RedTartanLass · 02/11/2006 09:30

tillylb - got to admtit really pisses me off that even when they do let families on first, people push past you My dp, my our wee ds(2 months at the time) and ds2 (2) were flying to Scotland and everyone pushed past us and a lady on crutches to get on the bus first. So we ended up standing in hte frezzing cold waiting fot the next one, I was raging...however I must agree that you get what you pay for.

KTeepee · 02/11/2006 09:33

I thought when they introduced this new thing about paying for priority boarding that they said people with small children could still board first? I'm sure that's what was in the news reports. Maybe they found no-one was willing to pay so started charging everyone....

expatinscotland · 02/11/2006 09:37

easy jet and ryannair are crap on service, but hey, it's cheap so what do you expect?

KTeepee · 02/11/2006 09:43

Just checked the website and it says families will no longer get (free) priority boarding from November 1st

I am so looking forward to my trip to Ireland at the end of the month NOT!

moondog · 02/11/2006 09:45

Tilly,I fly loads with little kids on all sorts of weird airlines.
I prefer to wait until last actually.#Who needs to be cooped up for longer than necessary???

LucyJu · 02/11/2006 09:56

That stuff about not pooling bagage allowance...
Flew back from Spain with Ryanair at the weekend. One bag a couple of kilos over allowance; the other well below. Check-in lady wanted to charge excess, so I started slowly and fussily decanting luggage from one bag to the other. A bit of tutting and muttering from the check-in lady, but within a minute or so, she had seen sense. NO excess charge.
Well, it worked for me...

bettythebuilder · 02/11/2006 10:58

We always wait until last, and that's fine if your seats are allocated, but with the cheapy airlines introducing 'free seating' policies the mad scrum at the departure gate is necessary to get seats together.

Has anyone flown alone with child and not been able to sit together? Just wondered what would happen, because technically your child would be an 'um'(unaccompanied minor) and there are rules and regs about that. (age limits, max total number of ums on board, etc)

Blu · 02/11/2006 11:05

Tilly - it wasn't an intrusion! Welcome to MN.

And I thnk it is useful to let people know that RyanAir have changed thier policy now. I would have been irritated to have found that i wasn't priority boarding with a baby.

I think agencies selling airline tickets are causing a lot of problems atm. there was pandemonium at h'row last week -hardly anyone who had bought tix online had been told anything of the new security measures (one hand luggage item, no toiletries etc), and it was causing a lot of upset and needless delay. Communication is easier now than it ever has been in hisory - why don't people use it sensibly?

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