Moan/Rant about 'low-cost airlines'

[MotherOfRatios]

I'm planning a trip to Seville in Spain (July) and Milan (August) and I'm planing to do both by train because the cost of Ryan air appears cheap on the surface but then you have to add on luggage etc.

Has it always been like this? (I'm mid 20s)

That is why they are called low cost - everything is extra.

Yes. If I'm going for a trip of no more than 3 days, I just take a carry on holdall. Managed fine by decanting my make up into tiny pots.
For longer trips, I use priority boarding and take a small suitcase and a holdall. Managed for 10 days with this. I used to be the world's worst overpacker, but I have cut it right down, as end up not wearing half the rubbish I take.
They are cheap airlines for a reason , but sadly a lot are falling suit.

You've always had to add on things like hold luggage but it used to be incredibly cheap like £1 flights to Venice. But taxes were then increased for environmental reasons. Plus you are going in peak season.

Yes. That’s how they work. You pay for the basic necessity (a seat) and pay extra for everything else.

You used to get meals and baggage included... but it was a lot more expensive!!!

Exactly that. I flew from northern Spain to London in 1993 when I was on my year out from Uni and it was ridiculously expensive, about £150 on a student ticket. Then had to get a coach up to Scotland.

I cab currently get a ticket on Ryanair all the way from Santander to Edinburgh a week today for 42 euros.

Good luck finding an overnight train ticket to Milan/Seville (+ Eurostar or ferry) that's cheaper than Ryanair with a checked bag. You still have to pay for your meals separately on the train (and you'll need to eat as it won't be the same as on a 2 hour flight where you can just wait until you land) and if there's no overnight service you have to pay for a hotel as well and carry your bags to/from the station and spend significantly more than 2 hours doing it.

I've done the train across Europe and driven all over it as well but both because I wanted to, not to save money!

My work colleague did it last summer and it's definitely cheaper, I'm happy to spend that time travelling

I get it but the extras are now about the same price of a ticket it's crazy

I got some amazing bargains on flights years ago, £1 to Venice and I had a week in Cyprus in 1991, flights and accommodation for £20. Though can still get pretty cheap flights with them if avoid peak times.

Even the non-budget airlines have luggage and non luggage fares now. And you have to pay for your seat unless you buy a more expensive ticket.

A carry on bag for the overhead locker costs about £20 per flight. What other costs are you looking at?

I'd be very surprised if it worked out cheaper when you factor Eurostar in (unless you've got a cheap ferry option?). Please note - the direct line between Paris and Milan is currently closed due to a landslip. I believe there are trains being advertised as direct at the moment, which involve a bus around the affected area of track. This might be sorted by August.

Seville is going to be a looong train journey. I did Paris-Barcelona in 2022 and the journey was disrupted by both strikes and track fires. We were somewhat fortunate that when we got chucked out in Montpelier on the way back they laid on another train to take us the rest of the way to Paris, rather than just leaving us to figure it out in the 38 degree heat.

To take luggage it comes in at just over £40 great if you can travel with just hand luggage but that's not suitable for all

It's definitely cheaper my Eurostar tickets were £58 in total

Okay pretty good - I haven't seen any Eurostar bargain fares for a long time.

Has always broadly been like this but hand baggage used to be broadly free, now you can’t take more than a handbag without forking out
compared with the traditional airlines which still these days charge for seats and food and baggage but tend to be more generous with the hand baggage allowance at least. And are more pleasant than flying like a herd of cattle.

ryanair can still be very cheap but usually isn’t. And isn’t pleasant either. I only take it when it’s the only practical option. Easyjet is far better generally but I got totally screwed over with a cancelled flight once.

I will probably fly to Seville but ill be doing the train to Milan the views of the train journey are beautiful.

BA is better it's like 12 euros to add checked in luggage

I took a flight in Dec where I checked in a 20kg bag and from memory the whole cost was £95 with the checked in bags costing £60 of that. I'd still call that cheap air travel.

It depends what your needs are. If you can be completely flexible about when you travel and have the time available time get from the UK to Spain/ Italy by train, plus the of Eurostar plus the cost of inward trains are reasonable, then it's a great option.
For many people, those stars just don't align and a Ryanair flight plus baggage is still cheaper. For all my recent trips to Europe I've checked Eurostar first and it's been far more expensive than flying.
I'm so used to travelling with a 10kg hand luggage bag plus little backpack that any trip where I get hold luggage too seems luxurious!

I've got zero issues with paying for a bag. I don't want a bag, I like that I have the option of discounted travel these days.

What is the price difference for your rail journey vs Ryanair with a checked bag?

£100 difference

The bags are more expensive than people are saying, they are not £20! The size of the holdall allowed on the flight was reduced on lots of these carriers, it's not much bigger than a capacious handbag so if you can fit in several days of clothes into that, great, I can't! Then the next size up is huge and checked in. So that kind of takes care of that. If it was for one night it would be fine without baggage/just one take on bag, but more than that I think you struggle.

I just think of that as the price though, you are still getting flights for £100 or £120, they have to make their money somewhere. If you prefer the train, do that but I don't think it's outrageous to charge £100 these days for a flight tbh.

We traveled with Iberia (booked as BA) to the canaries about 8yrs ago. We didn't realise that because it was a 4hr flight we got food and drink included. All our previous flights there had been with Ryanair.
My kids were perplexed by the tray of "real food" and little plastic tub of juice. I asked for extra wine . Annoyingly we'd bought sarnies from Boots in the terminal to eat on there way so that was a tenner wasted!
They stopped doing this a year or so later, sadly.

The key benefit of train travel is avoiding the airport. Such a palava for a short flight.