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Original poster

Has anyone flown with Ryanair and not had any problems?

70 replies

Linnet · 02/05/2010 20:58

We are maybe going to go to Barcelona in October and the cheapest flights we can find are with Ryanair.

Has anyone flown Ryanair to Barcelona or indeed has anyone flown Ryanair?

You hear such horror stories about cheap airlines and I've never flown with one before.

Are the horror stories to be believed or have you flown with them quite happily with no problems?

Thanks

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Whoamireally · 02/05/2010 21:09

Erm. Wish I could say something positive about Ryanair...flew with them to Venice and although there was nothing majorly wrong, there was just so many small things that it meant the start and end of our holiday were spoilt which isn't what you want when you're all excited about getting away somewhere.

but the plans to charge you to use the loo (is that real, or just a media hype?) fill me with fear and dread when planning to travel with 2 small children.

Original poster
Linnet · 02/05/2010 21:30

What sort of little things Whoamireally?

I didn't know they wanted to charge to use the loo, dd2 spends half of a flight in the loo, just so she can walk the plane.

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SuziKettles · 02/05/2010 21:34

I can't remember the last time I flew and it wasn't Ryanair tbh. Not that we fly that much.

I've never really had a problem tbh. Follow the rules to the letter re: luggage allowances and check in time (because they won't bend them for you no matter how good a reason you have for turning up late), don't expect anything better than you'd get on a bus and you'll be fine.

It truly is no-frills and they'll charge through the nose for any extras so bring your own snacks & drinks etc.

SuziKettles · 02/05/2010 21:35

The loo was bloody O'Leary shooting his mouth off as usual. As far as I know it's not likely to be introduced..

MmeLindt · 02/05/2010 21:37

Used to fly a lot with Ryanair, at least 3x a year. Not used them for a while. When we did I never had a problem, flights on time, luggage arrived.

Check when you are looking at flights that you have the full cost. They add on for luggage, payment with credit card, all sorts of other scams. I think the paying for the loo was a media hype (or O'Leary trying it on to see how much resistance there would be).

If you accept that it is NO frills, and I mean none, then you will be ok.

wannaBe · 02/05/2010 21:39

Type "ryanair reviews" into google and you'll have your answer.

They are the airline from hell and I would personally rather forego a holiday than fly with them again.

I got caught up in the chaos at stansted on the weekend last summer when too few check-in desks were open and several thousand people missed their ryanair flights. Except my chaos was on the friday, and because David Dimblebee was there on the Saturday only the saturday's chaos was reported in the press.

We didn't make it on to the flight, missed friend's wedding and ended up over £300 out of pocket because ryanair is non-refundable.

Don't do it - seriously.

Low-cost doesn't necessarily mean horrific, Easyjet for example were highly praised by customers during the volcanic ash crisis, but Ryanair are a special kind of low-cost.

bubblerock · 02/05/2010 21:40

No problems when we flew to Dublin - we were diverted on the way back but it was due to snow and they provided coaches back to our destination, staff were nice and it was cheap mum and dad also flew a few months later for 2p each and also had no problems!

feedthegoat · 02/05/2010 21:41

We've flown with them twice without any problems at all. Once into Erfurt, Germany and once to Dublin.

It is what it is, and its definately nothing fancy! But everthing went smoothly for us.

We were visiting a friend in Germany and she and her English partner frequently fly low budget, generally with few problems.

However, friends experiences do seem to suggest that when it goes wrong, it usually goes badly wrong and customer services are fairly non existant.

mears · 02/05/2010 21:42

I've never ever had a problem with Ryanair. Have just booked flights to Lanzarote in September tonight.

Whoamireally · 02/05/2010 21:42

Little things - staff who looked like they hated their jobs (probably did). the bundle that was getting on board because they didn't allocate seats. Not ending up sitting together either direction because we had the manners to wait for the priority boarders to board - and then got trampled in the stampede afterwards.

Scuzzy airports with not enough seats. No food and no drinks.

Suzi's comment about it being like a bus trip is actually quite on the mark.

If you imagine a no frills 'line', then Easyjet are probably just above the line, but Ryanair below - because the whole journey experience wasn't pleasant - it just all felt very mean and nasty rather than cheap and cheerful, and I know it was reflected in the price but we soon discovered that it was too low-cost for us. You can be low cost and still have a nice flight I think.

wannaBe · 02/05/2010 21:50

ryanair reviews

Portofino · 02/05/2010 22:01

We travelled with them LOTS in the past, in fact with Mike Leigh and his entourage at one point, and never had any problems. But I do think they are starting to take the piss a bit now. I object to all the extra charges.

RedBlueRed · 02/05/2010 22:06

I fly quite often with Ryanair, they are cheap and generally on time. No horror stories to report.
They are the only airline to go from my nearest airport to the destination of my choice but I'm in no way loyal.

DecorHate · 02/05/2010 22:10

I fly with them regularly, can't remember having any particular problems. You have to be super careful doing the booking and resign yourself to a bit if a scrum when boarding. I usually just take hand luggage.

mears · 02/05/2010 22:11

I do pay for the extras like priority seating to ensure sitting together I have to say.

Whoamireally · 02/05/2010 22:14

About the charging for the toilet thing, looks like it's going ahead...(if you believe the Daily Mail)
Eeek!

New York Times too

Nettiespagetti · 02/05/2010 22:15

I have a little ditty that I sing anytime confronted with ryanair

"we don't like ryanair!
They don't fly us anywhere
they're not cheap and
their not nice!!
In fact they're a bag of shit"

soz michael but that's how I feel! Would rather fly to glasgow with easyjet than to prestwick that is only 20 min from family!!

Nettiespagetti · 02/05/2010 22:17

Never read thread but not sorry at all!! Charging for toilets WTF!!!!!

Dh says he will piss in a bottle in the seat!!!

potplant · 02/05/2010 22:27

I think the charging for toilets was a bit of a wind up.

I've used them twice and both times they were fine. don't be aken in by the super cheap headline prices, once you add all the extras cheap headline prices. All the extras soon add up.
So long as you read the small print so that you know EXACTLY what you have and have not paid for then you should be fine.

TheCrackFox · 02/05/2010 22:27

I flew Edinburgh to Limoge last year and I expected the worst but they were actually very good.

jeananddolly · 02/05/2010 22:32

I am going to go against the grain here and say that I have flown with them about half a dozen times and never had any problems. Not even a small delay. I have family in various parts of France and they are the only option many.

Once we had to change when my husband's friend died suddenly and they changed flights no problem for £10 each.

BA on the other hand...don't get me started.

Original poster
Linnet · 02/05/2010 23:47

wow,thanks.

A couple of people at work have recommended them to me but these people don't have children and fly with hand luggage only and I was a but suspicious of it all going fine.

If we fly with them we can get a direct flight from Prestwick to Barcelona. We'd save between £200-£300 than if we were to fly with other airlines like BA etc who don't fly direct from Scotland, they all transfer somewhere usually Gatwick or Heathrow which I hate doing and if I can I avoid it. To be honest I hate BA, things always go wrong for us when we fly with them, delayed flights then missing connections,losing luggage etc I'm trying to avoid them if possible.

When I've looked at the flight prices I've put in for priority boarding as I really can't bear the thought of not getting a seat next to at least one of the children. Was there not a story on here about a woman who was unable to sit next to her dd and they wouldn't ask anyone to move so they could sit together?
Then of course there was the big fiasco last summer, Wannabe I think I remember your story.

Taking our own drinks and food doesn't bother me as we usually do that anyway incase the dd's don't like the plane meals.

Thanks for your comments,Dh is all for flying cheap and having more money to spend but I'm a bit more wary. Will have a think about it.

OP posts:
Aitch · 02/05/2010 23:56

i've always found them fine as well, we fly from prestwick too. .

what we did with the boarding plus kid was sent dh to RACE down as a priority boarder and bagsie seats while i waited with dd, mucking around the shops and going to the loo etc until very last minute. i think we all paid for pb but wouldmaybe just get it for dh next time. also they just took the buggy at the tarmac rather than making us check in, which was handy for dd in the airport prior to departure.

mears · 03/05/2010 00:12

Linnet - remember that Ryanair do not fly directly to Barcelona. You will have some distance to travel from either Gerona or Reus airports. That put me off going with them to Barcelona.

Original poster
Linnet · 03/05/2010 00:40

Mears I am so glad you told me that I had no idea.

Having just looked up a shuttle service, ok so it was on the ryanair website and could probably be done cheaper,but it worked out that the flight and shuttle would come to the same price as flying with BA or such like direct into Barcelona.

Hmm will definitely have to think about this.

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