Once in a lifetime experience
Have just returned from a great holiday in Xabia, Spain, terrific weather, villa, food, nice upgrade for the car etc etc...
The only fly in the ointment (big stinking Bluebottle) was the atrocious standards and criminal thieving that was undertaken by Ryan Air. I have never had the chance to fly with Ryan Air before and would not usually do so, but hey they flew at the right times for our holiday, and anyway just how bad can they be??
Well having tried to contact them on a Sunday (prior to the Mondday flight) some 8-10 times, it seems that their customer 'care' team seems to not do so on Sundays. Shame as I may have been able to realise one of their scams before turning up to the check in.
Each passenger is allowed 15 kg of checked in Baggage. Not quite enough with a 3 yr old so we paid for an extra bag. We were surprised at the 15kg per bag rule as it seemed ridiculous to only be able to half fill each suitcase? But hey we had paid £30 for an extra bag so we would be ok surely?
Nope, we were amazed when the polite Service Air person on the desk said that we were 13kg over. But we have paid for an extra bag said we. Nope that is just an extra bag, not weight. Why the hell would you pay for another bag just to accomodate the same weight? Are you using daysacks? Are you transporting Cotton Wool? We ended up arguing, not with our check in lady, she was ok, but with the obnoxious bitch next to her. She was plainly dim, rude and was in serious need of some customer service training. She was also very rude to the people that she was serving, they had also been scammed by the same trick and they were 9kg over, even though they had paid for extra baggage.
Anyway, we went off and paid our excess baggage charge and I was then lighter to the tune of £195.00. Hmm should have gone with BA. Anyway that is how our holiday started, not good.
Then we board the airplane and realise that RyanAir are to cheap to use the boarding tunnel ro supply proper steps, instead they use the in built rickety steps that are pretty steep, no probs, it's a cheap airline.
Bit sad that they feel the need to put childish logo's on the side of their planes, 'bye bye Latehansa'. Oh dear.
But why no air conditioning onboard? We sat there for 25 mins in something like 30 degrees just because they would not turn on the cooling air.
Then you look around the cabin, blimey it's a tube train with wings, where are the hangling straps for standing passengers?
Adverts on the luggage bins, non reclining seats with no pockets in front of you? They really are taking cheap and cheerfull to the limits.
Unfortunately what with the excessive heat and stresses, my 3yr old daughter was sick (surprising as she has never been sick on other flights or even in the car). Well she said that she felt poorly and hey presto, pikey moneysaving means that we do not have any sick bags in front of us. To late, my wife now has a lap full of sick. It takes at least a minute for the flight attendant to rush up front and get us a sick bag, by this time the contents of my little girls stomach is giving it's verdict on Ryan Air's service.
On the plus side, the flight staff did a very good job, they were friendly and helpful. It did seem that they were embarrased by the crap service that their company provided and tried to make up for this by being very professional themselves.
On they way back many travellers were stung by the return online check in scam. And there was a lot of anger amongst the herd by the time we were on board fortunately we had already pinged this issue and had printed out our return passes before leaving.
However the return flight did stand out as it's the first time that I have see a passenger walking down the aisle collecting signatures from other pasengers to complain to the company about it's shoddy service. By the look of it the female canvasser had most of the people on board's signature.
I would say that a fair few of the people who endured the two flights that I did were seriously peed off with Ryan Air and would never use them again. Quite a few people who I have spoken during the holiday and since we have returned have said that they would never use 'S**t with Wings' again, some of my friends have expressed surprise that I did in the first place and said that if they had known that they would have advised me to cancel.
Ryan Air really is a once in a lifetime experience, you never use it again.
I look forward to reading of either new improved standards for the company or of it going into recievership. The thieving CEO really needs removing, although I have little doubt that he would then return as an MP in Westminster.