Whilst ryanair isn’t perfect by a long chalk, it, along with Laker and Easyjet they have revolutionised travel in Europe.
I have had a 36 hour delay with ryaniar due to snoclo and the ground staff couldn’t have been more helpful whereas I had a similar problem from a Swissair when the staff went and hid and left 500+ pax to sort themselves out.
I stopped flying with the lemon sucking irish dwarf after a disastrous flight from terminal 5 which involved a health and safety issue prior to delayed boarding, an aircraft with paint flaking off, a “senior” first officer who proudly announced that he had found a dent in the aircraft, threadbare carpets, an entertainment system that didn’t work and on the way back from Dubai we were parked at a coaching stand and only one coach was used to unload a full 777 in the rain.
This was the same airline that had one aircraft land having used ALL of the consumable fuel and no one dared to put it in the press.
Journalists getting free upgrades?
My first experience of Easyjet ten years ago was terrible but now I prefer to fly with them than a flag carrier.
Cityjet is excellent.
Aerlingus has lost its surly cabin crew since FR got on the scene but has gone the low cost route for double the price.
I was treated like an idiot by AF ground crew after they cancelled my flight on commercial grounds.
This year my wife and I were badly bitten by fleas on Delta – KLM handled the complaint – load of T@@sers as was their airline when I flew with them. (same group as AF).
I was sold £80 of invalid phone cards on FR and although I had help from a senior crew member I lost the money – felt that I had been scammed- but small fry compared to the convenience of flying with them.
The bit that erks me is the authorities – whether IAA, CAA, DGAC or FAA that ignore legitimate safety problems and do not do their job – especially in my experience - the IAA – along with the rest of the Europeans.
Sadly the statement that you get what you pay for ain’t true.
What is a disgrace was the captains behaviour but then I have had to intervene as a FO several times with incompetent captains on flag carriers and know of colleagues who have forced management to take action against idiots.