My tuppence
I have used Ryanair and frequently have to collect relatives and friends from STN.
When I used them (once), I found that they did what it said on the tin and nothing more, nothing less. I never found checking-in with them to be stressing. My seatmate was pleasant and overall I did enjoy the outward leg but not so the return leg. Priority boarding....don't make me laugh !
My main problem is that I hate travelling to STN on the M25/M11. It really is a drag either getting myself there to fly or picking up arrivals, that journey is just too darn long and the traffic just too darn heavy. Secondly, adding all the extra charges to the headline price makes it not that attractive on any of the occasions that I have booked for myself or relatives. The on-line boarding pass printing seems an additional chore and frankly....I just can't be ar**d.
In summary, I would rather avoid them, having weighed all the pros and cons up, even if it means travelling indirect. I'm not bothered by MOL's apparent disdain for his customers either but this seems an unusual approach to the people who pay his wages and to which my only question would be...why? I don't get it. Whatever floats his boat.