Has anyone flown with Ryanair and not had any problems?

[Linnet]

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

go to rome.

Lol Aitch, It's Barcelona or nothing, we've been offered an apartment for free so all we need is flight and spending money.

scorchio!

Probably 8 years ago, so too long to help, but at that time; no problems at all.

It's 102km from Girona to Barcelona.

And in my first and final trip on Ryanair we flew to 'Frankfurt' and they pulled a similar stunt, which means expensive bus journeys and long waits.

Never again.

There are in fact charters to Barcelona from Glasgow, speak to Barrhead Travel: www.barrheadtravel.co.uk/Flights/Barcelona

Though it's quite possible that you could get a cheaper holiday without the free apartment somewhere else, e.g., Turkey. Depending on the quality of the accommodation it probably wouldn't be that expensive anyway.

We've flown with them 3 times,as a family of five.Haven't had any problems.

Worth paying for priority boarding though,as we decided to copy everyone else and we all had 1 bag that fitted in overhead compartment,others that came on after us struggled to find room to put their cases.

It's not that far from Gerona to Barcelona...it's like flying to "London" Luton or "London" Gatwick. My mum sometimes flies there to go to Narbonne - which is in a different country!

If you don't expect too much and just think of it like getting a bus then your fine!

We use Ryanair regularly as they go from a Scottish Aiport to Beavais just outside Paris-It means we can get flights to go to Disneyland for under £100 for 4 of us -which more than makes up for the basic sercvice.
Have never had any problems with them though as long as you stick strictly to there meagre baggage allowance its fine!

Oh blimey, am worrying now. We have booked flights to Malta in August using Ryanair... we have two boys one 13 and one 10 so I guess we will have to get them to race for the seats.. surely no one will want to sit with someone elses child .

We are used to flying Virgin who are fab.

we have used ryanair and although not my favourite of the budget airlines, we did not have any issues. managed to book certain seats, plane on time etc. Just no frills, which is what you would expect really.

We flew with them last year, was dreading it but actually ok.

We purchased one of those luggage weighing devices from an old persons mag, good investment as people were being made to repack if their individual baggage was 0.1 kg over the limit even if the combined total was ok.

It does feel that they are looking for opportunities to fleece extra cash out of you so just follow everything to the letter, make sure you print out your boarding passes in advance and you will be ok.

i've flown with them loads of times. we used to pop over to my dad's in france several times a year when they used to do 50p flights. happily took dd over too when she was just under a year then through her second year. thankfully he moved back to the UK just around when flights started getting more expensive.

I live in Barcelona, and we have had a few visitors who've flown here with Ryanair with no problems, but they haven't flown with kids or hold luggage.

The bus service from Girona to BCN is very good and isn't that expensive - it's only about an hour.

Just make sure you read ALL the small print, and turn up with plenty of time!

You'll get there in one piece and probably with your luggage. It'll be fine.

I've used them extensively and although I loathe Michael O'Leary with a passion I didn't realise I had, I've always arrived safely and close to the advertised time. I think if you get your head around the fact you'll be treated like cattle well in advance, it feels less bad.

I fly very often with Ryanair (every six-ten weeks or so including 3/4 times a year with 3 children who I nannied for) and have not had any problems. Have had a three "bigger" delays in over 80 flights. (2 x 3hrs and 1x 5hr.)

If you go with Ryanair you just have to prepare yourself that there won't be help from cabin staff or the little extras. They are good to go from A to B (just always make sure you know what transfers you need to get at the end)

Have also never had a problem with luggage, however when travelling alone I always just take hand luggage.

Best tip I can offer is if you go with them get to the departure gate early with some toys etc to entertain the kids with. That way you will be first on the plane after priority without having to pay the extra £8 per person. HTH.

Hassled - Just seen your post! It's getting worse isn't it?! The celebration music when you arrive on time or early was enough last year but now they have music blaring the whole time!! AAARRGG! Have to sit and repeat to myself "They are cheap, I couldn't travel as much as I do without them"!!

nope. awful awful awful

now I only fly with them if going somewhere with a group and the majority pick a ryanair flight.

the final straw was when I saw an obviously scared little old lady get on the flight alone. she sat down in the seat beside the exit and the air hostess thundered down the isle and SHOUTED at her for having her handbag on her lap. It was just awful!

but before that it never ran smoothly. I know ryanair staff that wont travel ryanair when off duty

Dont travel with them if anyone you are traveling with is disabled.

Had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get DS's paediatric wheelchair down 2 flights of steep stairs. They informed us of this at check-in.

There was a lift - but they said no-one was permitted to use it unless they had booked Ryanair Wheelchair assistance online in advance. Which it was too late to do.

Lots of parents lifting buggies down the stairs. It made a mockery of their assurance that the child could remain in their buggy right to the plane.

The lift was right beside us and they wouldnt let us into it as not booked in advance on their website. I seriously thought they were joking at first. But no, that was the rules.

"There was a lift - but they said no-one was permitted to use it unless they had booked Ryanair Wheelchair assistance online in advance. Which it was too late to do"

thats pointless anyway. I travelled with someone who did this. she was pushed from the plane to the bottom of a flight of stairs where she was told she'd had her assistance as requested. Her husband had to carry her up the stairs. they would not make the lift available to them for some silly "that's a different department" reason

i think this perhaps (perhaps?) depends on the airport. there was certainly a lift at prestwick last time i was there and anyone was allowed to use it. we did, just with the buggy as there was no-one else using it.

they are ok, usually punctual unlike most other airlines.

Make sure you have travel insurance in case things go wrong & then you are sorted.

Flown with them loads of times to get to Italy and Dublin and never really had an issue.

second the don't travel with them if disabled.

You are required to inform them beforehand if you have a disability (regardless of whether you require assistance), we did and were told that I had to board the aircraft last, that I was not entitled to priority boarding, and that I could sit with dh but not ds who would have to sit by himself. When dh asked what would happen if we hadn't informed them they said that they would have refused to allow me to fly (which happened anyway due to the chaos).

They wanted to charge passengers for wheelchairs (taken to court and they lost ha ha ha), there was a well publicised case where they offloaded a group of visually impaired passengers from a flight because there were too many of them (the passengers had been allowed to board the flight and were kicked off before it left, bet they re-sold the seats and didn't offer refunds).

They are scum.

ah they did pay compensation - eventually

eva - they're not punctual, they are actually a bit EARLY because of a weird rule that late planes have to circle round but early ones get to jump in - their tactics of arriving early makes the late airlines later IYKWIM. I cant remember the details but maybe they get to jump in on front of the on time ones too making every one else late

its using a loop hole to make their competitors late!

I have flown to Reus with Ryanair twice and never had any problems. They are basic but then that is why they are cheap! Never had more than a 20 min delay with Ryanair and flown with them dozens of times. hth