I flew Ryan Air and survived - just
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I flew Ryan Air and survived - just
Sorry for the length of this post, but I hope it will be worth reading.
Last week I had the unenviable task of traveling to Palermo on business. I needed to be there early on Thursday until late afternoon on Friday. Alitalia appeared to be the only option with me traveling via Rome until they pulled the evening flight to HEathrow from their schedule due to the strike action that had this week. The only other option l had, living near to London was to travel Ryanair direct.
On arrival at Stanstead I was supprised, at 5am to find a massive queue still for the 6:10 flight. Having managed to check in with 5 minutes to go before the checkin officially closed, there was still a massive queue behind me. From the volume of people on the aircraft, I can only assume that they did even though we departed about 15 minutes behind schedule. The rest of the journey out was uneventful apart from none of the seats reclining. Am I the only one that wanted to sleep and couldn't?
The journey back however was a different story. Having got to the checkin 2:15 before departure, I was not supprised to see that it was still closed. I did however want to get a low number so that I could get a decent seat. Once the checkin opened, I was #2 in the queue until some Italian pushed in to the quese at #1 from the adjacent Milan desk.
Having managed to get boarding card #3 it was off for a weel earned coffee and cigarette before going through the security checks. First was the xray/metal detector, then, all London bound passangers were sent to another queue to have the explosive sniffer check, then finally to the passport check.
Having got through there I arrived at the departure gate to find a large queue already at the gate and all the seats taken. Oh well, with card #3, I will be on the aircraft soon and be able to choose a good seat then.
When the time came for the gate to open, it was a free for all. No priority boarding, just everyone practising for the 6 nations kick off next week. I managed to get through with about 50% of the other pax infront of me. Then can the next suprise. Once downstairs there was a bus waiting. why, the aircraft was no more than 50m from the stairs. On to the bus we went. Once the bus was full they made the other pax wait until the bus had arrived at the rear stairs of the aircraft before letting them all run up the front steps. Why did I bother checking in so early?
Having fought my way through all the muppets that insist on taking everything including the kitchen sink as multiple bags of hand luggage I found a relatively good seat. This one did not recline either
.
There were a large number of young Italians on this flight and were a little vocal at times. This I could just about manage to put up with. What got me though was the number that were standing up even as we pushed back long after the announcements had been made telling people to fasten their belts.
Only after we started taxying did one of the cabin crew make an announcement in Italian and got them all to sit down. Even following this, the one sitting near me was still unfastened and turning to his friends taking with the crew pushing past him in the aisle making no comment.
During the flight, one crew member spotted that the guy sitting near me was drinking his own (2ltr) bottle of whisky.and took it away. 15 minutes later, he got it back and continued throughout the flight swigging from it.
At another point, the crew turned on the seatbelt signs because of turbulance. guess who ignored it with no announcements being made? There were young Italians walking around the cabin still.
Even after landing, they were up out of their seats before we had stopped taxing with the crew taking no notice.
Why cant the flight crew, as a matter of procedure, stomp on the brakes at randon times during the taxi to get the message across?
Will I fly Ryanair again? Probably not through choice even if they are cheaper than the alternatives.
Off to Germany next week on QueasyJet as they appear to be the only people who fly direct to Cologne from Gatwick. Lets hope their crews are a little more safety aware.
Last week I had the unenviable task of traveling to Palermo on business. I needed to be there early on Thursday until late afternoon on Friday. Alitalia appeared to be the only option with me traveling via Rome until they pulled the evening flight to HEathrow from their schedule due to the strike action that had this week. The only other option l had, living near to London was to travel Ryanair direct.
On arrival at Stanstead I was supprised, at 5am to find a massive queue still for the 6:10 flight. Having managed to check in with 5 minutes to go before the checkin officially closed, there was still a massive queue behind me. From the volume of people on the aircraft, I can only assume that they did even though we departed about 15 minutes behind schedule. The rest of the journey out was uneventful apart from none of the seats reclining. Am I the only one that wanted to sleep and couldn't?
The journey back however was a different story. Having got to the checkin 2:15 before departure, I was not supprised to see that it was still closed. I did however want to get a low number so that I could get a decent seat. Once the checkin opened, I was #2 in the queue until some Italian pushed in to the quese at #1 from the adjacent Milan desk.
Having managed to get boarding card #3 it was off for a weel earned coffee and cigarette before going through the security checks. First was the xray/metal detector, then, all London bound passangers were sent to another queue to have the explosive sniffer check, then finally to the passport check.
Having got through there I arrived at the departure gate to find a large queue already at the gate and all the seats taken. Oh well, with card #3, I will be on the aircraft soon and be able to choose a good seat then.
When the time came for the gate to open, it was a free for all. No priority boarding, just everyone practising for the 6 nations kick off next week. I managed to get through with about 50% of the other pax infront of me. Then can the next suprise. Once downstairs there was a bus waiting. why, the aircraft was no more than 50m from the stairs. On to the bus we went. Once the bus was full they made the other pax wait until the bus had arrived at the rear stairs of the aircraft before letting them all run up the front steps. Why did I bother checking in so early?
Having fought my way through all the muppets that insist on taking everything including the kitchen sink as multiple bags of hand luggage I found a relatively good seat. This one did not recline either
.There were a large number of young Italians on this flight and were a little vocal at times. This I could just about manage to put up with. What got me though was the number that were standing up even as we pushed back long after the announcements had been made telling people to fasten their belts.
Only after we started taxying did one of the cabin crew make an announcement in Italian and got them all to sit down. Even following this, the one sitting near me was still unfastened and turning to his friends taking with the crew pushing past him in the aisle making no comment.
During the flight, one crew member spotted that the guy sitting near me was drinking his own (2ltr) bottle of whisky.and took it away. 15 minutes later, he got it back and continued throughout the flight swigging from it.
At another point, the crew turned on the seatbelt signs because of turbulance. guess who ignored it with no announcements being made? There were young Italians walking around the cabin still.
Even after landing, they were up out of their seats before we had stopped taxing with the crew taking no notice.
Why cant the flight crew, as a matter of procedure, stomp on the brakes at randon times during the taxi to get the message across?
Will I fly Ryanair again? Probably not through choice even if they are cheaper than the alternatives.
Off to Germany next week on QueasyJet as they appear to be the only people who fly direct to Cologne from Gatwick. Lets hope their crews are a little more safety aware.
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well,it's simple:
Pay 9.99 for a ticket = sh**te service
pay 200.00 for a ticket = good service (hopefully)
If you bought a hifi from some bloke in a pub would you expect it to equal a bang and olufson ?
Nah,did n't think so !
Pay 9.99 for a ticket = sh**te service
pay 200.00 for a ticket = good service (hopefully)
If you bought a hifi from some bloke in a pub would you expect it to equal a bang and olufson ?
Nah,did n't think so !
The bits that got me were the safety things like standing in the cabin, giving back the whisky, etc.
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Having fought my way through all the muppets that insist on taking everything including the kitchen sink as multiple bags of hand luggage I found a relatively good seat.
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Off to Germany next week on QueasyJet as they appear to be the only people who fly direct to Cologne from Gatwick. Lets hope their crews are a little more safety aware.
)If you thought your trip with Ryanair was so bad, did you mention anything at the time? - Nope didn't think so!
Did you send them any feedback via their web site? - Nope didn't think you did that either!
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bbrown1664: welcome to the Italian passenger experience! I hope the silly fad of stealing the seatbelts - the 'Must Have' fashion accessory for certain young Italians - has now died down a bit.
Long before RyanAir came on the scene, a certain British airline was boarding passengers at Naples. One of the stewardesses went to help a little old granny who was tottering up the steps with a large(ish) piece of handbaggage. To her astonishment, when she grasped it, her arm was nearly wrenched out of its socket by the weight. Closer inspection revealed that it contained a motorbike engine! (This got hold-loaded, of course.)
You were lucky ...
Long before RyanAir came on the scene, a certain British airline was boarding passengers at Naples. One of the stewardesses went to help a little old granny who was tottering up the steps with a large(ish) piece of handbaggage. To her astonishment, when she grasped it, her arm was nearly wrenched out of its socket by the weight. Closer inspection revealed that it contained a motorbike engine! (This got hold-loaded, of course.)
You were lucky ...
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I'm sorry to say this, but a little while ago a party of Italian schoolchildren passed through our excellent terminal facilities. Not only did they take considerable quantities of goods from the duty-free shop, 'forgetting' to pay for them, they also wrenched the turnstile from the exit and took that, too!
Presumably it isn't worthwhile reporting any of the comfort issues to Ryanair as it doesn't look like any of their terms and conditions have been broken. You might have better luck reporting the safety issues to the Irish Aviation Authority (www.iaa.ie), as Ryanair is an Irish Airline, not a UK outfit. You could also try the UKCAA, as the flight operated into a UK airport. I'd be interested to hear of your success level, at either place.
Cheers,
TheOddOne
Presumably it isn't worthwhile reporting any of the comfort issues to Ryanair as it doesn't look like any of their terms and conditions have been broken. You might have better luck reporting the safety issues to the Irish Aviation Authority (www.iaa.ie), as Ryanair is an Irish Airline, not a UK outfit. You could also try the UKCAA, as the flight operated into a UK airport. I'd be interested to hear of your success level, at either place.
Cheers,
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I think that you will find an improvement with Easy. But, to be fair, you got what you paid for with Ryanair! The seat are cheap seats, they don't recline. There are no window blinds. There are no safety cards. Currently, you get the air you breath in their planes for no charge and the use of seatbelts is free. The cabin crew are now increasingly from former Eastern Block countries, paid peanuts (600 euros per month to live near STN) and treated like poo. MOL doesn't give a stuff what you think as long as you pay. Try complaining and see what happens. I'll tell you in advance. Nothing!
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If you thought your trip with Ryanair was so bad, did you mention anything at the time? - Nope didn't think so!
Did you send them any feedback via their web site? - Nope didn't think you did that either!
The cabin crew are now increasingly from former Eastern Block countries
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A scrum to get on board at an Italian airport?, well I never.
Try the first BA flight out to Linate on a Monday morning. At least 5 pax always run for the exit door before the plane has stopped. Why the desire to get on the bus first to the terminal I have no idea.....
Try the first BA flight out to Linate on a Monday morning. At least 5 pax always run for the exit door before the plane has stopped. Why the desire to get on the bus first to the terminal I have no idea.....
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Originally Posted by Piltdown Man
But, to be fair, you got what you paid for with Ryanair! The seat are cheap seats, they don't recline. There are no window blinds. There are no safety cards.
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silverlise
You flew on an older member of the fleet, newer Ryanair aircraft indeed have neither window blinds nor a recline function.
Mind you, I don't recall seeing a recline function on the easyJet bus that I took to Slovenija at New Year - does one really need it on a short haul flight? I can sleep as well with an upright sleep as with a couple of inches of recline. Before outraged of easyJet replies, I am not saying that there was no recline, just that I didn't see a button for it :-)
You flew on an older member of the fleet, newer Ryanair aircraft indeed have neither window blinds nor a recline function.
Mind you, I don't recall seeing a recline function on the easyJet bus that I took to Slovenija at New Year - does one really need it on a short haul flight? I can sleep as well with an upright sleep as with a couple of inches of recline. Before outraged of easyJet replies, I am not saying that there was no recline, just that I didn't see a button for it :-)
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Originally Posted by Final 3 Greens
silverlise
You flew on an older member of the fleet, newer Ryanair aircraft indeed have neither window blinds nor a recline function.
You flew on an older member of the fleet, newer Ryanair aircraft indeed have neither window blinds nor a recline function.
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Why cant the flight crew, as a matter of procedure, stomp on the brakes at randon times during the taxi to get the message across?
Seems that your only real complaint was that you had to share the flight with all those Italians. Next time go with Netjets
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Originally Posted by ryansf
Which planes do not have window blinds? I have been on numerous Ryanair aircraft, including the newest EI-DLD, and all had window blinds. The recline didn't bother me but I don't understand why people think they don't have blinds!
Anyway, as I have no plans to fly on Ryanair, I can't have a look next time.
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You flew on an older member of the fleet, newer Ryanair aircraft indeed have neither window blinds nor a recline function.
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All symptomatic of the truely awful crap experience that flying has become.
Cheap is not the same as good value. Ryanair are cheap and they do what they do.
I, personally won't fly them anymore - they really don't give a damn but as others have said what else do you expect for that sort of money?
Although I have to fly all the time to do what I do, my New Year resolution is to do everything I can to reduce my flying this year - it really is that bad.
Is this the only industry where the customer is always WRONG?
Cheap is not the same as good value. Ryanair are cheap and they do what they do.
I, personally won't fly them anymore - they really don't give a damn but as others have said what else do you expect for that sort of money?
Although I have to fly all the time to do what I do, my New Year resolution is to do everything I can to reduce my flying this year - it really is that bad.
Is this the only industry where the customer is always WRONG?