Ryanair: the high cost of low-cost travel!!
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Ryanair: the high cost of low-cost travel!!
I had to laugh the other day when Michael O'Leary, in his usual charitable manner, congratulated easyJet on it's acquisition of Go.
Among his comments:"We wish them well with these acquisitions, and I will be taking lessons in humility ("hardly!!!") now that we are - for the time being - Europe's second largest low fares airline. However since Ryanair's fares and costs are some 60% lower than those of the enlarged easyJet group, we will still be the fastest growing and most profitable low fares airline, and we will continue to grow organically over over time to become Europe's largest scheduled airline."
You would wonder, wouldn't you, how an airline that flies the same equipment, on similar routes, similar or better payscales for it's pilots and pays the same for it's Jet A1 can be so much cheaper than it's competitors. I know my parents did recently, when they arranged to fly from Dublin to Glasgow Airport where they were to pick up a hire car, only to find on arrival at Prestwick that they had a 45 minute taxi ride to the real Glasgow airport which cost them a bundle. Other examples:
Flying to Oslo, you end up in Torp, 65 miles away;
Flying to Stockholm, you end up in Skatvsta 55 miles away;
Paris, you land in Beauvais, some 35 miles away;
Brussels, you land in Charloi, some 37 miles away, and "close to Lille, in Northern France!!"
The best of all is when you fly Ryanair to Copenhagen, and land in Malmo, which is actually in Sweden!
So, Michael, when I land at London/Gatwick and catch the Gatwick Express into London for a tenner and arrive in 30 minutes, I will be thinking of the suckers that fly with your airline. easyJet flies to Paris (Orly and CDG, the real Paris Airports) and with proper connections that is what saves the customer money. They fly into the real Glasgow airport, 10 minutes from the city, the real Geneva, Zurich and so on. The short term savings on a Ryanair flight can cost a fortune..........................................
Among his comments:"We wish them well with these acquisitions, and I will be taking lessons in humility ("hardly!!!") now that we are - for the time being - Europe's second largest low fares airline. However since Ryanair's fares and costs are some 60% lower than those of the enlarged easyJet group, we will still be the fastest growing and most profitable low fares airline, and we will continue to grow organically over over time to become Europe's largest scheduled airline."
You would wonder, wouldn't you, how an airline that flies the same equipment, on similar routes, similar or better payscales for it's pilots and pays the same for it's Jet A1 can be so much cheaper than it's competitors. I know my parents did recently, when they arranged to fly from Dublin to Glasgow Airport where they were to pick up a hire car, only to find on arrival at Prestwick that they had a 45 minute taxi ride to the real Glasgow airport which cost them a bundle. Other examples:
Flying to Oslo, you end up in Torp, 65 miles away;
Flying to Stockholm, you end up in Skatvsta 55 miles away;
Paris, you land in Beauvais, some 35 miles away;
Brussels, you land in Charloi, some 37 miles away, and "close to Lille, in Northern France!!"
The best of all is when you fly Ryanair to Copenhagen, and land in Malmo, which is actually in Sweden!
So, Michael, when I land at London/Gatwick and catch the Gatwick Express into London for a tenner and arrive in 30 minutes, I will be thinking of the suckers that fly with your airline. easyJet flies to Paris (Orly and CDG, the real Paris Airports) and with proper connections that is what saves the customer money. They fly into the real Glasgow airport, 10 minutes from the city, the real Geneva, Zurich and so on. The short term savings on a Ryanair flight can cost a fortune..........................................
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'ere we go again...
*Yawn*.....
Look, this has been discussed to death before...what's this even doing in the Rumours and News thread??
1) Ryanair do not advertise themselves as flying to 'Copenhagen'
2) A bus gets you into Copenhagen in 50 minutes
3) Ryanair make clear they DO NOT fly to main airports
4) Those that prefer to use main airports, use major airlines (fair enough...)
5) The vast majority of Ryanair seats ARE much cheaper than the alternatives
6) Highest no. of pax and profits of all low-cost airlines (even BMI), suggest they are doing something right.
7) I am equally in favour of using BMI or BA or Virgin, but certainly not when Ryanair charge 200 pounds (or more) less; the big three are great for longhaul-for shorthaul, unless you are a businessman urgently flying to a meeting, not much point in paying 500 quid to Madrid when you can fly Easy...
Cheers
Look, this has been discussed to death before...what's this even doing in the Rumours and News thread??
1) Ryanair do not advertise themselves as flying to 'Copenhagen'
2) A bus gets you into Copenhagen in 50 minutes
3) Ryanair make clear they DO NOT fly to main airports
4) Those that prefer to use main airports, use major airlines (fair enough...)
5) The vast majority of Ryanair seats ARE much cheaper than the alternatives
6) Highest no. of pax and profits of all low-cost airlines (even BMI), suggest they are doing something right.
7) I am equally in favour of using BMI or BA or Virgin, but certainly not when Ryanair charge 200 pounds (or more) less; the big three are great for longhaul-for shorthaul, unless you are a businessman urgently flying to a meeting, not much point in paying 500 quid to Madrid when you can fly Easy...
Cheers
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I have to say that I have flown FR into PIK knowing tht they were outside Glasgow. There is however a frequent train service - every 30 mins I think - both to and from the airport that brings you into the centre which worked out quite well for me. Discount was also available on the train if you produced your Ryanair confirmation.
It suited me although I accept that it won't be such for everybody.
It suited me although I accept that it won't be such for everybody.
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Err, AJ.....
This is the Airlines, Airports & Routes Forum, not Rumours and News.
And it isn't boring. But a 50-minute bus journey is.
And BMI aren't a low-cost airline, never have been.
And Ryanair DO pretend to fly to cities (and countries?) quite a long way from the airport they actually land at. But you pays your money, you takes your choice, I suppose.
This is the Airlines, Airports & Routes Forum, not Rumours and News.
And it isn't boring. But a 50-minute bus journey is.
And BMI aren't a low-cost airline, never have been.
And Ryanair DO pretend to fly to cities (and countries?) quite a long way from the airport they actually land at. But you pays your money, you takes your choice, I suppose.
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Er...Casalance..
1) This was moved from Rumours & News (now Reporting Points)
2) This IS boring, because as I wrote in my previous post, it has been discussed to death on pprune already.
3) A 50 minute bus journey boring? ; I would suggest paying 200 pounds with SAS over 26 pounds with Ryanair to Copenhagen is boring (and expensive!!) Take a book next time.
4) Did I say BMI were a low-cost airline? I said that Ryanair made a larger profit than them, that's all.
5) Ryanair do not 'pretend' to fly to cities they actually don't; the airport they fly to is indicated at the time of booking. For convenience's sake, they point out the nearest major city to that airport.
As I said before, Ryanair don't suit everyone, and that is perfectly understandable; but they do suit an awful lot of people who are not in any particular rush, or who could not otherwise afford to fly.
Criticism of Ryanair where it's due is fine; by I did not feel Klink's was.
1) This was moved from Rumours & News (now Reporting Points)
2) This IS boring, because as I wrote in my previous post, it has been discussed to death on pprune already.
3) A 50 minute bus journey boring? ; I would suggest paying 200 pounds with SAS over 26 pounds with Ryanair to Copenhagen is boring (and expensive!!) Take a book next time.
4) Did I say BMI were a low-cost airline? I said that Ryanair made a larger profit than them, that's all.
5) Ryanair do not 'pretend' to fly to cities they actually don't; the airport they fly to is indicated at the time of booking. For convenience's sake, they point out the nearest major city to that airport.
As I said before, Ryanair don't suit everyone, and that is perfectly understandable; but they do suit an awful lot of people who are not in any particular rush, or who could not otherwise afford to fly.
Criticism of Ryanair where it's due is fine; by I did not feel Klink's was.
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Well......I dunno much me! 
But I do know that I look at the internet, find the cheapest carrier & fly with them!
Ryanair get my vote!
Each to their own etc! But my choices DUB-EDI are Ryanair or Aer Lingus, I admit Ryanair aren't always cheapest.....but I groan when i have to fly Aer Lingus! They never leave on time & take longer to do everything! Ryanair are rarely anything other than early!
& that wins my vote!
But I do know that I look at the internet, find the cheapest carrier & fly with them!
Ryanair get my vote!
Each to their own etc! But my choices DUB-EDI are Ryanair or Aer Lingus, I admit Ryanair aren't always cheapest.....but I groan when i have to fly Aer Lingus! They never leave on time & take longer to do everything! Ryanair are rarely anything other than early!
& that wins my vote!
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AJ,
You say my criticism of Ryanair is unfair. I think not. They said that their costs were some 60% cheaper than easyJets; this is cr@p!! I was only trying to point out that you cannot compere apples and oranges, eJ flies to Capital city airports and Ryanair does not. The savings should be passed on to the consumer, but I was trying to point out that the extra delays in "getting there" and the additional time it takes may not be worth it.
With reference to these points, the British Consumer Association in it's Spring issue of Holiday Which? magazine also rapped the airline, alleging that Ryanair uses airports that "are often miles away from the destinations they claim to serve".This is also what I pointed out. The consumer Association said it was taking it's complaints to the advertising Standards Authority.
Regards,
The Colonel
You say my criticism of Ryanair is unfair. I think not. They said that their costs were some 60% cheaper than easyJets; this is cr@p!! I was only trying to point out that you cannot compere apples and oranges, eJ flies to Capital city airports and Ryanair does not. The savings should be passed on to the consumer, but I was trying to point out that the extra delays in "getting there" and the additional time it takes may not be worth it.
With reference to these points, the British Consumer Association in it's Spring issue of Holiday Which? magazine also rapped the airline, alleging that Ryanair uses airports that "are often miles away from the destinations they claim to serve".This is also what I pointed out. The consumer Association said it was taking it's complaints to the advertising Standards Authority.
Regards,
The Colonel
