Ryanair, that's a bit rich
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Ryanair, that's a bit rich
Ryanair, that's a bit rich
From Sydney Morning Herald, Lawrie Zion, 03/04/04
THAT'S A BIT RICH
Lawrie Zion reveals the pitfalls of flying with one of Europe's budget airlines.
It sounded too good to be true. From Leipzig to London for just under 30 euros, or about $50,
on Ryanair, the Irish budget carrier that's been bucking the trend of declining airline
fortunes.
A cursory glance on the internet at the air fares available on established carriers like
British Airways and Lufthansa confirmed the scale of the bargain. At this price, Ryanair was
about a 10th the cost of a jaunt from anywhere else in Germany to Britain on the day I wanted
to travel. The ticket was also a fraction of Ryanair's own regular price of 180 euros.
If only I'd known that flying Virgin Blue is no preparation for the Continental version of
discount air travel.
Complications set in as soon as I checked out of my hotel, wet laundry in tow, in the quaint
spa town of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. I'd just spent five, travel-free days
watching movies at the town's annual film festival.
Poring over a map of central Europe had convinced me that heading into eastern Germany on the
train, and catching a flight from Leipzig back to England, would be far more sensible than
returning to crowded Prague. Several hours and several more slow trains later, however, I was
barely over the border and would have arrived at the wrong airport altogether were it not for
the kindly intervention of a elderly Leipziger sitting next to me who, hearing I planned to
fly Ryanair, told me the airport I needed was in fact in another state, 50 kilometres away
near the town of Altenberg.
Why then, I wondered, was Ryanair promoting its new German destination as Leipzig/Altenberg?
Leipzig, after all, has an airport of its own - which is why the woman who sold me my rail
ticket insisted there could be no other terminal for my London journey.
Finally disembarking the train at the neat but anonymous-looking Altenberg, I nudged my
suitcase to the sign that said "Airport Shuttle", only to discover that the service ran just
once a day.
I had no way of knowing whether this single trip would get me to the terminal in time for
check-in. So I hailed a cab and was driven past idyllic looking hayfields and a string of
small villages before arriving at a desolate steel bungalow. This, to my amazement, was
Altenberg airport. I had spent 35 euros on my cab ride - more than the air fare to Britain -
to beat the shuttle.
As the Ryanair flight was the only arrival that day it wasn't surprising the building was all
but deserted. Several euros after establishing that the only pay phone on the premises was
out of order, and that there was no newspaper to be found within a five-kilometre radius, I
headed out to the "beer garden" - a few desultory chairs and tables around a cordoned-off
slab of the underused concrete runway.
The beer wasn't bad and eventually I was joined by members of a British heavy metal act. Our
tarmac banter - and the beer - distracted us from the business of checking in and by the time
we joined a range of bewildered travellers in the queue it took an hour to get our boarding
passes.
It was then I learned that my luggage, which was nudging 30 kilograms, was 14 kilos
overweight. For this crime I was made to pay a 72 euro fine. That is, more than twice the air
fare. "If you'd read your fine print, sir," was the cheerful comeback line when I argued that
I was safely within the limits of most airlines' economy baggage allowance. At least my
wallet was now considerably lighter.
I joined my fellow travellers in the transit lounge (same furniture as the beer garden, but
indoors) and tinkered with an expensive,
sub-Qantas Club sandwich until I suddenly realised I was sitting alone while the rest of the
passengers had swarmed en masse to the departure gate. I knew it had been a long day, but why
the crush?
Numbed by hours of inactivity, I could only manage a leisurely amble across the tarmac and up
the steps. It was there I realised that my boarding pass didn't have a seat number marked on
it.
"No, it hasn't fallen off - it's sit wherever you like," said the chirpy flight attendant. I
did, but my options were limited to one of the aisle seats in the fourth row.
Ironically, after all this hanging about, the flight was even quicker than the advertised 110
minutes. This was just as well. With all the product being spruiked from the cabin's speakers
I was starting to feel as if I'd been trapped in a mobile home-shopping channel by the time
we touched down at Stansted. Among the offerings were discounted return rail passes from
Stansted to the city; not among the offerings were one-way rail passes, which I was told I'd
have to buy on the ground.
Stansted, it turned out, was even further from the British capital than Altenberg was from
Leipzig, though I'm told that it's quite handy to Cambridge and the Fens. It was still light
by the time I reached London on that warm summer evening, which masked the sobering reality
that it would have been quicker and cheaper - not to mention more comfortable - to have made
the entire journey by rail. And it was not over yet.
The final approach to my Paddington hotel was delayed by those inevitable Tube cancellations,
so I dragged my belongings into a London cab for yet another outlay that far exceeded my
bargain-basement air fare.
Sixteen hours and some $400 (or eight times my air fare) after leaving Karlovy Vary, I
reached my destination. Too bad there was nowhere to dry my socks and undies.
FARE GAME
The deprivations of European budget carriers don't stop with haphazard service. Ryanair aims
to cut costs even further by dispensing with reclining seats, window blinds, headrest covers
and seat pockets (safety notices will be stitched to the back of each seat). It is also
considering charging passengers for checked luggage.
Theoretically, reports Associated Press, an airline could even abolish toilets and drinking
water on shorter flights because such amenities fall outside mandatory aviation regulations
(Ryanair rival easyJet has reduced its toilet numbers from three to two on Boeing 737s so it
can fit in an extra revenue-making passenger seat.) Nervous flyers can rest assured that
regulations compel airlines to leave the seatbelts, lighting and doors intact.
But it's not all bad news. Ryanair has also announced it will replace its cloth seats with
leather ones (because leather's easier and cheaper to clean).
And in the US, the fast-growing JetBlue Airways gives passengers individual TVs and more leg
room, while Delta Air Lines' low-cost offshoot, Song, will offer satellite TV and video
games.
From Sydney Morning Herald, Lawrie Zion, 03/04/04
THAT'S A BIT RICH
Lawrie Zion reveals the pitfalls of flying with one of Europe's budget airlines.
It sounded too good to be true. From Leipzig to London for just under 30 euros, or about $50,
on Ryanair, the Irish budget carrier that's been bucking the trend of declining airline
fortunes.
A cursory glance on the internet at the air fares available on established carriers like
British Airways and Lufthansa confirmed the scale of the bargain. At this price, Ryanair was
about a 10th the cost of a jaunt from anywhere else in Germany to Britain on the day I wanted
to travel. The ticket was also a fraction of Ryanair's own regular price of 180 euros.
If only I'd known that flying Virgin Blue is no preparation for the Continental version of
discount air travel.
Complications set in as soon as I checked out of my hotel, wet laundry in tow, in the quaint
spa town of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. I'd just spent five, travel-free days
watching movies at the town's annual film festival.
Poring over a map of central Europe had convinced me that heading into eastern Germany on the
train, and catching a flight from Leipzig back to England, would be far more sensible than
returning to crowded Prague. Several hours and several more slow trains later, however, I was
barely over the border and would have arrived at the wrong airport altogether were it not for
the kindly intervention of a elderly Leipziger sitting next to me who, hearing I planned to
fly Ryanair, told me the airport I needed was in fact in another state, 50 kilometres away
near the town of Altenberg.
Why then, I wondered, was Ryanair promoting its new German destination as Leipzig/Altenberg?
Leipzig, after all, has an airport of its own - which is why the woman who sold me my rail
ticket insisted there could be no other terminal for my London journey.
Finally disembarking the train at the neat but anonymous-looking Altenberg, I nudged my
suitcase to the sign that said "Airport Shuttle", only to discover that the service ran just
once a day.
I had no way of knowing whether this single trip would get me to the terminal in time for
check-in. So I hailed a cab and was driven past idyllic looking hayfields and a string of
small villages before arriving at a desolate steel bungalow. This, to my amazement, was
Altenberg airport. I had spent 35 euros on my cab ride - more than the air fare to Britain -
to beat the shuttle.
As the Ryanair flight was the only arrival that day it wasn't surprising the building was all
but deserted. Several euros after establishing that the only pay phone on the premises was
out of order, and that there was no newspaper to be found within a five-kilometre radius, I
headed out to the "beer garden" - a few desultory chairs and tables around a cordoned-off
slab of the underused concrete runway.
The beer wasn't bad and eventually I was joined by members of a British heavy metal act. Our
tarmac banter - and the beer - distracted us from the business of checking in and by the time
we joined a range of bewildered travellers in the queue it took an hour to get our boarding
passes.
It was then I learned that my luggage, which was nudging 30 kilograms, was 14 kilos
overweight. For this crime I was made to pay a 72 euro fine. That is, more than twice the air
fare. "If you'd read your fine print, sir," was the cheerful comeback line when I argued that
I was safely within the limits of most airlines' economy baggage allowance. At least my
wallet was now considerably lighter.
I joined my fellow travellers in the transit lounge (same furniture as the beer garden, but
indoors) and tinkered with an expensive,
sub-Qantas Club sandwich until I suddenly realised I was sitting alone while the rest of the
passengers had swarmed en masse to the departure gate. I knew it had been a long day, but why
the crush?
Numbed by hours of inactivity, I could only manage a leisurely amble across the tarmac and up
the steps. It was there I realised that my boarding pass didn't have a seat number marked on
it.
"No, it hasn't fallen off - it's sit wherever you like," said the chirpy flight attendant. I
did, but my options were limited to one of the aisle seats in the fourth row.
Ironically, after all this hanging about, the flight was even quicker than the advertised 110
minutes. This was just as well. With all the product being spruiked from the cabin's speakers
I was starting to feel as if I'd been trapped in a mobile home-shopping channel by the time
we touched down at Stansted. Among the offerings were discounted return rail passes from
Stansted to the city; not among the offerings were one-way rail passes, which I was told I'd
have to buy on the ground.
Stansted, it turned out, was even further from the British capital than Altenberg was from
Leipzig, though I'm told that it's quite handy to Cambridge and the Fens. It was still light
by the time I reached London on that warm summer evening, which masked the sobering reality
that it would have been quicker and cheaper - not to mention more comfortable - to have made
the entire journey by rail. And it was not over yet.
The final approach to my Paddington hotel was delayed by those inevitable Tube cancellations,
so I dragged my belongings into a London cab for yet another outlay that far exceeded my
bargain-basement air fare.
Sixteen hours and some $400 (or eight times my air fare) after leaving Karlovy Vary, I
reached my destination. Too bad there was nowhere to dry my socks and undies.
FARE GAME
The deprivations of European budget carriers don't stop with haphazard service. Ryanair aims
to cut costs even further by dispensing with reclining seats, window blinds, headrest covers
and seat pockets (safety notices will be stitched to the back of each seat). It is also
considering charging passengers for checked luggage.
Theoretically, reports Associated Press, an airline could even abolish toilets and drinking
water on shorter flights because such amenities fall outside mandatory aviation regulations
(Ryanair rival easyJet has reduced its toilet numbers from three to two on Boeing 737s so it
can fit in an extra revenue-making passenger seat.) Nervous flyers can rest assured that
regulations compel airlines to leave the seatbelts, lighting and doors intact.
But it's not all bad news. Ryanair has also announced it will replace its cloth seats with
leather ones (because leather's easier and cheaper to clean).
And in the US, the fast-growing JetBlue Airways gives passengers individual TVs and more leg
room, while Delta Air Lines' low-cost offshoot, Song, will offer satellite TV and video
games.
So they sold him a ticket from Point A to Point B at time C allowing luggage X... and thats exactly what they did. I fail to see the story.
Cheers
WWW
Cheers
WWW
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If he had done the research the he wouldn't have gotten burnt. All of the gripes could have been avoided with a quick read of the ryanair website and a map showing him where the airports are. Pretty simple stuff really.
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Tw@t. Onehunga you're exactly right. No normal person travels without investigating the ins and outs of getting to the airport; taxis, buses, trains are all laws unto themselves in different places, and if you go without doing the necessary research you deserve to be stranded miles from the airport. Likewise the luggage. Finding luggage allowances isn't difficult.
Bitching about leather seats instead of regular material is slightly weird, don't know about you but there doesn't seem to be much difference to me. And prices on Spirit and Song are about the same, possibly more, than the lowest BA prices, but nothing like the cheapest Ryanair prices. It just isn't fair to make the comparison.
This guy deserved everything he got, blaming it all on Ryanair is indeed a bit rich.
Bitching about leather seats instead of regular material is slightly weird, don't know about you but there doesn't seem to be much difference to me. And prices on Spirit and Song are about the same, possibly more, than the lowest BA prices, but nothing like the cheapest Ryanair prices. It just isn't fair to make the comparison.
This guy deserved everything he got, blaming it all on Ryanair is indeed a bit rich.
Well Guys,
I hate to be thought of as agreeing with an ozzi but as far as calling it Leipzig/Altenburg goes I think that is a definite untruth. If it was advertised more honestly as "Altenburg (Nr Leipzig with limited Public Transport)" I would say he had no reason to complain.
Now I'll be accused of attacking Ryanair I suppose!!
I hate to be thought of as agreeing with an ozzi but as far as calling it Leipzig/Altenburg goes I think that is a definite untruth. If it was advertised more honestly as "Altenburg (Nr Leipzig with limited Public Transport)" I would say he had no reason to complain.
Now I'll be accused of attacking Ryanair I suppose!!
Ryanair is a disgrace to air travel. Not all passengers have the necessary resources at their disposal when away from home to "research" their finer print! Jetblue, and even Southwest, are classes above Ryanair. I give Ryanair another year or two and if their product doesn't improve, and the economy does, they will be heading down the slippery slope to oblivion. Give me all the flak you want, I'll say it again: RYANAIR IS A DISGRACE TO AIR TRAVEL!
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True WWW, he got what he bought had he read the fine print . The problem with RYR is that they hide the facts ( hence the fine print ) to the average pax, who in the end feel cheated, but legally he has no foot to stand on.
There are plenty of other low costs around who treat their pax normally ( Easy jet , German wings, etc..) and even some that treat them quite well : ( JetBlue , etc..).
I think RYR forgets that it need sastisfied custommers to survive in the long run.
I used RYR in the past , I know what to expect for that price so I do not complain , but if I had a similar choice with another carrier I know what I will do.
The only big thank I would like to give to RYR, is that , simply by their presence they lowered the fares of the main carriers . Look at the recent ( from 28 March ) Fares intra europe on AF and LH for instance ! Thanks RYR ...
There are plenty of other low costs around who treat their pax normally ( Easy jet , German wings, etc..) and even some that treat them quite well : ( JetBlue , etc..).
I think RYR forgets that it need sastisfied custommers to survive in the long run.
I used RYR in the past , I know what to expect for that price so I do not complain , but if I had a similar choice with another carrier I know what I will do.
The only big thank I would like to give to RYR, is that , simply by their presence they lowered the fares of the main carriers . Look at the recent ( from 28 March ) Fares intra europe on AF and LH for instance ! Thanks RYR ...
Just to point out...
This was an article written by an Aussie for an Aussie newspaper. Whilst Oz has a Lo Co in the form of Virgin Blue it still operates to major city airports, as Oz basically doesn't HAVE any secondary airports capable of handling jets.
As such, the phenomena of operating from secondary airports is alien to most Aussies, and it is a newsworthy article when you consider the intended audience.
This was an article written by an Aussie for an Aussie newspaper. Whilst Oz has a Lo Co in the form of Virgin Blue it still operates to major city airports, as Oz basically doesn't HAVE any secondary airports capable of handling jets.
As such, the phenomena of operating from secondary airports is alien to most Aussies, and it is a newsworthy article when you consider the intended audience.
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Nudlaug
I don't mean to be rude but your 'copy & paste' post although very interesting, was for me anyway extraordinarily hard to read in its untidy format. I know it takes a bit of time to tidy up, backspacing & all but it would make it easier to follow.
I'm flown with FR many times, I've found them okay, I'm due to takre two connecting flights with them on Friday, if I've any probs you'll be the first to know. As I've said before 99% of the time they've been punctual for me barr twice when they had technical hitches which incurred about an hours delay each time, one time we had to change planes. That mainly p*ssed me off cause the pilot of the first had agreed to let me onto the flight deck while the pilot of the second one refused, 'said he needed to make up time', don't know if I believe that or not. I don't mind these delays, I'd rather arrive late than dead, though hopefully it will never interfer with my connections which I leave a good three hours between.
Their flight crews, cabin crews & ground crews I have always found charming & competent. Personally I've yet to fault FR but if they do screw me over, I promise you'll be the first to know.
Regards
Coco
I don't mean to be rude but your 'copy & paste' post although very interesting, was for me anyway extraordinarily hard to read in its untidy format. I know it takes a bit of time to tidy up, backspacing & all but it would make it easier to follow.
I'm flown with FR many times, I've found them okay, I'm due to takre two connecting flights with them on Friday, if I've any probs you'll be the first to know. As I've said before 99% of the time they've been punctual for me barr twice when they had technical hitches which incurred about an hours delay each time, one time we had to change planes. That mainly p*ssed me off cause the pilot of the first had agreed to let me onto the flight deck while the pilot of the second one refused, 'said he needed to make up time', don't know if I believe that or not. I don't mind these delays, I'd rather arrive late than dead, though hopefully it will never interfer with my connections which I leave a good three hours between.
Their flight crews, cabin crews & ground crews I have always found charming & competent. Personally I've yet to fault FR but if they do screw me over, I promise you'll be the first to know.
Regards
Coco
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Ryanair's Creative Marketing Department strikes again!!!
Implying that Altenberg is near Leipzig is like saying Birmingham is near London (shhh, might give MoL ideas!!!)
Dishonesty is Michael O'Leary's middle name - he dirties the name of aviation. Whilst I am not Easyjet's biggest fan, at least Stelios was honest and had a certain sense of fair play about him! (Indeed, the story goes that one of the flights on which he travelled was nearly 3 hours late. When a passenger challenged him "Whatchagonnadoaboutit?", he replied "I can't do anything about it, the plane is already late, but I'll buy you all a drink on board!" )
However, I'd better keep quiet about Creative Marketing - I feel another British Airways "enhancement" coming on!!!
Implying that Altenberg is near Leipzig is like saying Birmingham is near London (shhh, might give MoL ideas!!!)
Dishonesty is Michael O'Leary's middle name - he dirties the name of aviation. Whilst I am not Easyjet's biggest fan, at least Stelios was honest and had a certain sense of fair play about him! (Indeed, the story goes that one of the flights on which he travelled was nearly 3 hours late. When a passenger challenged him "Whatchagonnadoaboutit?", he replied "I can't do anything about it, the plane is already late, but I'll buy you all a drink on board!" )
However, I'd better keep quiet about Creative Marketing - I feel another British Airways "enhancement" coming on!!!
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Saskatoon said... Wonder if ryanairs pax numbers would deteriate if pax truly understood the age, servicability and history of the aircraft they would be flying on.!!.
Ryanair have one of the youngest fleets in the air. While they may have some 737-200's in the fleet the majority are of the 800 variety and are at most 2 years old. Whats wrong with the servicability of the fleet and their history. Is there something wrong that nobody else knows about ?.
Rather than deteriorating the passenger numbers keep on climbing.
Ryanair have one of the youngest fleets in the air. While they may have some 737-200's in the fleet the majority are of the 800 variety and are at most 2 years old. Whats wrong with the servicability of the fleet and their history. Is there something wrong that nobody else knows about ?.
Rather than deteriorating the passenger numbers keep on climbing.
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Regrettably, Saskatoon, must inform you that you are talking from your ar$se.
737-200: 21
737-300 (From Buzz): 6
737-800: 41
Why don't you do some quick, easy research before rubbishing some elses post with untrue statistics?
-Edited to change the number of -200s from 41 to 21. Stupid typos.
737-200: 21
737-300 (From Buzz): 6
737-800: 41
Why don't you do some quick, easy research before rubbishing some elses post with untrue statistics?
-Edited to change the number of -200s from 41 to 21. Stupid typos.
Last edited by davethelimey; 3rd Apr 2004 at 20:08.
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For your "Ryan Bashing reference" Saskatoon, Ryan are taking 800's with Leather seats and of the 30 800's coming this year, many are replacing the fully airworthy 200's.
quote: from Bealine
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implying that Altenberg is near Leipzig is like saying Birmingham is near London (shhh, might give MoL ideas!!!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually it's like saying Stansted is a London Airport.............. Oh bloody hell they do that don't they......... surely Ryanair must of put them up to it!!
Some of these postings constantly complain about the use of secondary airports and the basic service that are the hallmarks of low cost , cost cutting, compare that service level to others and then rubbish it.
If you don't like Ryan then pay up and fly with someone else.
If the obvious passenger comfort advantages of premium service carriers like Air France and SAS are such great value for money then why do the facts prove that where Ryan compete they win in terms of pax numbers and market share. If the other product was better value for money to the majority of air travellers they wouldn't. For the traveller (possibly business) who is hiring a car it may be an advantage to go to the secondary airport, easier access and Ryan each and every month has the very best punctuality record of anyone. Never seems to be mentioned by the Ryan bashers.
The use of secondary airports also opens up vast regional areas that never had major airlinks before, creating many commercial opportunities, more choice for passengers, thus the reason regional airports fall over themselves to get the business.
Everyone knows you can't get something for nothing, so why do you expect you can. BA cabin service levels at Ryan prices is impossible. Sustainable UK to Spain/Germany availabilty for 99 pence could not be offered by BA.
Pay your money and take your choice.
quote: from Bealine
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implying that Altenberg is near Leipzig is like saying Birmingham is near London (shhh, might give MoL ideas!!!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually it's like saying Stansted is a London Airport.............. Oh bloody hell they do that don't they......... surely Ryanair must of put them up to it!!
Some of these postings constantly complain about the use of secondary airports and the basic service that are the hallmarks of low cost , cost cutting, compare that service level to others and then rubbish it.
If you don't like Ryan then pay up and fly with someone else.
If the obvious passenger comfort advantages of premium service carriers like Air France and SAS are such great value for money then why do the facts prove that where Ryan compete they win in terms of pax numbers and market share. If the other product was better value for money to the majority of air travellers they wouldn't. For the traveller (possibly business) who is hiring a car it may be an advantage to go to the secondary airport, easier access and Ryan each and every month has the very best punctuality record of anyone. Never seems to be mentioned by the Ryan bashers.
The use of secondary airports also opens up vast regional areas that never had major airlinks before, creating many commercial opportunities, more choice for passengers, thus the reason regional airports fall over themselves to get the business.
Everyone knows you can't get something for nothing, so why do you expect you can. BA cabin service levels at Ryan prices is impossible. Sustainable UK to Spain/Germany availabilty for 99 pence could not be offered by BA.
Pay your money and take your choice.
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Goos post kinetic but I wouldn't bother wasting your time trying to explain to these fools the advantages of a cheap RYR ticket above the expensive full cost carrier.
Let them carry on paying over the odds for a 'free' sandwich and coffee.That leaves more tickets avail to the rest of us.
Let them carry on paying over the odds for a 'free' sandwich and coffee.That leaves more tickets avail to the rest of us.
If you don't like Ryan then pay up and fly with someone else.
Pay your money and take your choice.
I wouldn't bother wasting your time trying to explain to these fools the advantages of a cheap RYR ticket above the expensive full cost carrier.
Rather than deteriorating the passenger numbers keep on climbing.
Ryan has no problem finding takers for 2 pound airfairs, it is just findind it harded and harder to make a profit out of them!