I know all that, have taken advantage of it, and am grateful for it, but the market has shifted and best value is not anymore the monopoly of the LoCo's. Equally the LoCo's have shifted their business model more towards the traditional carrier's style; hence we are talking about reserved seating, premium this & that, flexi tickets etc. etc. The difference is now smaller than it was so it is really a time for buyer beware and do some research.
The blurring of the strict dichotomy between no “frills” and “legacy” had to happen sooner or later and, indeed, the advent of so-called “hybrid” carriers was the start.
I travel many times on a route served by both types of carrier. More often than not the traditional carrier's final price, with all my sports paraphernalia included, at a more convenient time is cheaper than the competing LoCo. On some occasions with just hand luggage the LoCo scrapes in, but it's usually not by much. There are some great fares out there if you have flexibility and you will find them in the most unexpected places.
Yes, this can often be the case even without sports paraphernalia. BA are competing with hand-baggage only fares on some routes. Other “legacies” will doubtless follow.
On some occasions with just hand luggage the LoCo scrapes in, but it's usually not by much. There are some great fares out there if you have flexibility and you will find them in the most unexpected places. Equally, I have looked at LoCo 'last minutes' (<5 days) on return flights into main EU airports and they are the same price as some 10 hour flights to USA and other destinations by the national carrier.
These days it’s very much a case of book early for the best fares, last-minute and standby cheap fares are virtually gone now.
There's nowt so queer as the world of airline ticketing.
Railway fares anyone?
It's not business class. It's a fare structure which might be better suited to people travelling on business, not the same thing at all.
I can't comment on how others might view this, but I have shunned RyanAir up to now for many reasons, and this does nothing to increase the likelihood that I will travel on them in the future.
They might be cheaper than competitors, I am not convinced of that, but even if their 'business' fares are cheaper than their rivals, there is no way I would use them. Ever. I will be interested to see how this works out though.
FR is following what U2 are already doing, perfectly understandable and predictable under the circumstances. It’s about grabbing market share.