I recently flew with Ryanair to visit friends in Malta. £49.99 each way was the advertised fee (from Bournemouth); out on a Thu morning and back the following Mon.
Despite the advertised fee being £49.99 each way, the total billed fare was £84.48 a cheaper fare?
The carry-on baggage allowance appears, on first instance, to be adequate; however, the restricted (dimensional) size of the bag is somewhat small. Hence, I took the option for hold baggage... an additional £40.
Also, I didn't want to join the free-boarding "bunfight", so I elected for a reserved seat (with extra legroom)... an additional £20.
Web check-in cost a further £14 (what an effin swizz)... my computer, my printer etc.
An EU Levy... £5. ETS (whatever that is)... 0.50p. Insurance... £9.79. And finally, an administration fee of £14. In total, the final fee was £187.77!
Bournemouth (outbound)... I went through to departures one hour prior to the advertised departure time and the throngs were already queuing to get onto the aeroplane; which hadn't yet arrived! I sat in the coffee shop with a newspaper until the last few people were going through the boarding gate. I then tagged onto the end of the queue to be last on the aeroplane (with a reserved seat). My boarding pass was then checked and I was directed to the front of the queue (I was told that I had priority boarding). The aircraft was late arriving, so I spent the next twenty minutes shuffling my feet at the front of a sea of people. Finally, I boarded (priority of course), only to be jostled and pushed by everyone behind me. I sat in my aisle seat and, after having several bottoms shoved into my face, everyone finally got seated and off we went. During the three-hour sector I was offered everything from the trolley (for a fee of course)... I declined. Then came the "scratchcards"... no thanks! Perfumes... no thanks! After landing at Luqa, my baggage did arrive in quite quick time (no-one else had hold baggage!).
For the return flight... I got wise! I was booked into seat 1A and I therefor remained seated in the departure area until the very last person went through the gate... I then tagged onto the end of the queue (declining the priority boarding offer). At the top of the steps... 1A... sat down, door closed... loadsa legroom; until we became airborne! Every fat lady on the aeroplane wanted to use the bathroom... the area in front of me was full of people shuffling to use the loo... they'd been stood in a queue for too long at the airport! More bottoms in my face (some were very smelly)! More scratchcard and perfume offers... no thanks. On arrival at Bournemouth, another Ryanair jet (from Tenerife) was late arriving and, as a result of limited baggage carts, hold luggage was collected from both jets prior to being delivered to the baggage hall... a 45 minute wait for luggage... and a huge bunfight when the baggage belt started to move!
Will I travel with Ryanair again? Not on your life... unless I have to!