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Original poster

Ryanair - worth the discount?

28 replies

JimJammum · 26/03/2010 19:27

Could I please trouble you for opinions on Ryanair? Have never flown with them, but this summer they are coming up over £200 cheaper for our flights compared with next best. Don't really like no frills, but if the general consensus is that they are ok, I will take the plunge. However, I do not want to run the risk of being stuck in a foreign airport with a 3yo, and dh saying "I told you so".....

OP posts:
canucktraveler · 26/03/2010 19:28

Nope don't think they are worth it. Ryanair = Zero Service

orienteerer · 26/03/2010 19:32

I have never flown with them and have no intention of doing so. Hope you have factored in all their "extra" charges that don't appear until you work your way though the booking process.

orienteerer · 26/03/2010 19:34

I say this bitterly as one who is about to fly Jet2 for the first time. Their cheekiest extra charge is £6 for online check-in, if you try to remove it the charge goes up to £12 for airport check-in!!! How else are you supposed to check in?

geordieminx · 26/03/2010 19:40

We have flown with most airlines before, ok tey arent great, but they get you there, and home, and thats the important bit. Had delays and shit service with most airlines.

We are using them in May, as basically we dont have another option given that we are in Scotland

clam · 26/03/2010 19:49

I booked with Ryanair for skiing this year, on account of the fact they appeared to have flights for £25pp. Once we'd gone through the whole palava of extras etc.. (which we cut to the bone - minimal baggage, no sitting together/early boarding etc...) it still came out at around £450 altogether.

Then, they emailed to say our return flight had been "altered" to a totally un-do-able time. We cancelled and re-booked with Easyjet for less than £450.

taytotayto · 27/03/2010 20:59

i travel monthly with ryanair to ireland from liverpool to shannon. basically i can fly any time as im on maternity leave so i only book when the flights are cheap. the thing with ryanair is if you keep to the rules they seem to be ok. be very very careful with the size and weight of your hand luggage!!!! there is a blonde in liverpool who is a deamon and makes everyone put their bags in the measure thing. she is on a major power trip. i travel alone with a baby and if it were left to the staff id never get to the plane, i rely on the public to help me, they are very unhelpful but in ireland they are great so maybe its just the staff in liverpool. i always fly with them and if you keep to the baggage rules and are happy with the payment then id go for it. i travelled with bmi last month and didnt find the service any better, still basic. i find R A worth the money if you get a cheap flight.

geordieminx · 28/03/2010 17:04

Well thats scousers for you isnt it....

((((disclaimer: geordieminx married to scouser))))

castille · 28/03/2010 17:12

Only do it with children if you have a rock solid back-up plan in the event of cancellation or other fuck up at either end.

And even then I only ever use them if there is absolutely no alternative.

happywheezer · 28/03/2010 17:19

Which airport are you going to?

Original poster
JimJammum · 29/03/2010 18:07

Going Birmingham to Faro. Alternatives Monarch (who we ususally use) and bmibaby. Monarch always adds up to loads more too once I add on online baggage, pre-allocated seats etc, but they're fine once we're on.

OP posts:
MaggieW · 29/03/2010 18:44

No, I don't think they're worth it. If anything goes wrong, you're basically on your own.

A girlfriend was on board ready to be seated before flying to Madrid last weekend for a family party, but as Ryanair hadn't put a stamp at check in to say she was on a non-EU passport, she and her British-carrying boyfriend were ordered to leave the plane and go back to get the boarding pass stamped. However, as they got off the plane they looked back to see the doors being shut. As they ran back through the terminal the security man on the gate said they were the fifth or sixth people that night to have the same thing happen and all had missed their flight. End result - no-one from Ryanair at the check in desk (or anywhere else in departures) to help, flight had departed, no refund and no reply so far to complaint.

MmeLindt · 29/03/2010 18:47

I have flown with them often. They are very no frills so if you accept that then you are generally ok.

How much are the next dearer flights? £200 is a lot of money to save.

Kiwinyc · 29/03/2010 18:57

NO WAY with kids. Maybe if travelling alone or just with DH for a short time away requiring little luggage. But i'd still have a tough time convincing DH.

We've gone to Venice on Ryanair for a long weekend and it was fine. DH's parents went to Girona last week for 5 days and they was fine.

But don't expect much. I really wouldn't inflict Ryanair on children though.

wannaBe · 29/03/2010 18:58

they are the lowest of the low.

Google "ryanair reviews" and you will find pages and pages of reviews from people who have experienced their "service".

It is for instance not uncommon for them to:

Decide that your hand luggage is overweight and to send you back to the pre-pay machines to pay the fine and order you back to the end of the queue even though check-in for your flight is due to be closed, thus resulting in you missing your flight.

Have too few people at check-in thus meaning that you are unlikely to check in on time meaning you miss your flight (this happened to me last year and ended up over £300 out of pocket, no refund no apology, nothing, on a weekend when this happened to over 400 people at stansted airport)

To be bumped off a flight for any number of reasons and then charged an extra several hundred £ for the next flight.

You will not necessarily be able to sit with your children, and arguing with the staff will result in you being thrown off the flight - shall I go on?

If my choices were ryanair or no holiday I would opt for no holiday, without question.

lollell · 29/03/2010 18:58

In spite of nightmare stories used them over New Year and no probs at all - this when caught in snow storms flying back to UK and other airline flights cancelled. Be prepared, read terms and conditions carefully

childrentraveleasy · 01/04/2010 17:47

I would say don't do it unless you really have to. They have so many hidden cost, have little or no customer service and are often not on time. If you are going on holiday, it would be so much better to start and finish with a nice experience. xx

BouncingTurtle · 01/04/2010 17:52

Are you absolutely sure you have the right costings for the Ryanair flights, because IME they are not that cheap diue to all the sneaky extras they add in

I have flown with them one, and it was okay, but I flew with 4 femal friends and we were (ahem) somewhat forthright

I would hate to travel by Ryanair with the little one. It was stressful enough last year with Easyjet (who I have flown with a few times and would happily do so again).

MK79810 · 16/07/2011 00:26

Ryanair recently flew us to the wrong country and dumped us there - in Spain instead of Portugal in the middle of the night. Their departure was delayed and I suspect they didn't want to pay penalties for the late landing, so it was cheaper for them to dump people in a different country. They offered us to complete our journey by coach - 7 hours' hell across 2 countries through the night in +30 degrees heat, no aircon, no toilet, no drinks. Arrived at the destination a day late, holiday ruined.
I shall never fly with Ryanair, it's the worst airline ever.
No refund or compensation for the disrupted flight, even though it's through their fault.
Had problems with them before, pretty much every time I flew with them. Would advise you to stay away from Ryanair.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 16/07/2011 08:59

This airline recently dumped more than one plane load of people in Malaga with no onward assistance provided to Faro.

By the time you have arrived at the final cost of the flights on their website (they have a myriad of extra costs) it won't work out much cheaper. I would look for another airline to fly with particularly if you are travelling with young children.

fivegomadindorset · 16/07/2011 09:03

I have flown with them twice with children and it was awful, never again.

rhetorician · 16/07/2011 09:08

I have flown with them with a child and it's OK if it's a short flight, BUT you have to stand in the queue for ages to ensure that you can sit with your child, you will have to carry everything yourself, there is very little legroom (not helpful with squirmy toddler) and no seat pocket to put their books/drinks etc in. We flew home on Aer Lingus and it was just so much better - it's just worth the little bit of extra money imo. And that's on flights that were on time, no hitches.

WhatWouldLeoDo · 16/07/2011 09:28

I am no fan of Ryanair generally, but I have (through lack of alternative choice) flown with them a few times over the last year or so with a young child and they've been perfectly fine. We're just back from holiday and I was pretty Shock but pleased that they put families like us who hadn't booked priority boarding in the priority queue once all those were through.

If you have never flown with them before then make sure that you are familiar with their t&c's, understand that they apply their luggage restrictions very rigidly and take your own food on the plane as what they offer is ridiculously overpriced.

If you're definitely going to save £200 (taking into account checking in luggage and booking charges etc) then I would book. But weigh your luggage before you go and aim for a couple of kilos under (Ryanair's scales don't appear to be on the same metric system as the rest of the world Hmm. And if you don't have one, beg, borrow or steal a portable dvd player.

Tbh, the biggest problems I've had with flights have been with those operators who still offer 'frills' like BA etc.

ChippyMinton · 16/07/2011 09:42

Although the final price may be marginally cheaper, you will expend energy worrying about what could go wrong, which makes them poor value for money.

dreamingofsun · 16/07/2011 09:48

from our local airport they are quite a few hundred pouns cheaper normally than the alternatives. i've used them twice and on 2 of the journeys arrived early, the other 2 on time. you need to start queuing as soon as you see the gate advertised so you can sit together and you must read all the instructions - this seems to be where lots of people come unstuck.

PippiLongBottom · 16/07/2011 09:53

My parents live in France and Ryanair are the only carrier that flies the route. Between us we use them maybe 6 times a year and my mum and dad have loads of friends who fly out to see them- all using Ryanair.

They are fine. We are paying 350 pounds (no pound sign sorry) for five of us to fly next week. Bargain. We have never had any trouble and the service is fine.