How to avoid Mr O'Leary's £320 sting for the privilege of checking in
Skipness - spend enough time searching through fares on enough dates, and every now and again you'll find a fare marked as 'NO TAXES'. Rather than being 1p + tax, it'll have a fare of £5 or £10 with no additional tax.
Rare as hen's teeth around bank holiday weekends, but if someone in yield management made a screw-up, nothing to stop SoberLark taking MOL up on his offer !
Rare as hen's teeth around bank holiday weekends, but if someone in yield management made a screw-up, nothing to stop SoberLark taking MOL up on his offer !
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Pricing DUB to LGW EUR75.00. LGW to DUB EUR25.00. Passenger details 5 passengers. Payment details EUR75 total fare. EUR50.00 taxes, fees & charges. Total paid EUR100.00.
Over Patrick's weekend we all flew to Birmingham for an all in EUR100. Sat beside an individual who paid EUR230 for his single ticket so we had a laugh when I thanked him for subsidising our fare.
Encourgage people to fly during a recession by reducing fares making it even cheaper to go away than to stay at home. Brilliant!
Over Patrick's weekend we all flew to Birmingham for an all in EUR100. Sat beside an individual who paid EUR230 for his single ticket so we had a laugh when I thanked him for subsidising our fare.
Encourgage people to fly during a recession by reducing fares making it even cheaper to go away than to stay at home. Brilliant!
Looked at May Bank holiday LGW - Dub and less than 120 for 5.
Skyscanner.net I always use first but FR site a bit more user friendly if you tick the"My dates are flexible" box.
Skyscanner.net I always use first but FR site a bit more user friendly if you tick the"My dates are flexible" box.
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That's good to know. I fly STN-PIK a lot but mainly weekends so I have never seen the no taxes box. Seems like suicide to pay someones taxes to fill a seat when you can just up the yield beng a high demand bank hol!
Mind you a lot of the people who were running the operation in Dublin have left recently so I hope they read pprune!
Mind you a lot of the people who were running the operation in Dublin have left recently so I hope they read pprune!
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Originally Posted by Sober Lark
Tightslot and Jamier, getting a deal like that would make one feel rather smug wouldn't it? I'm sure FR carry millions and millions of smug passengers.
Join Date: Oct 2007
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I can afford not to fly Ryanair but why should I? For example, take flying to Madrid: Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and even London City are nothing like as accessible to me as Stansted and since flying Ryanair has cost me as little as £10 return on this route I'd be daft to fly easyJet, BA, Iberia or Air Comet.
The only thing which makes me feel somewhat easy is that there is a cost to flying Ryanair, and this cost is paid by its employees and agents' staff.
The only thing which makes me feel somewhat easy is that there is a cost to flying Ryanair, and this cost is paid by its employees and agents' staff.
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Originally Posted by Sober Lark
Michael SWS, the cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
You are the one who quotes the price of everything, whereas I appreciate the value of a less stressful, more civilised journey.
Join Date: Aug 2007
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As neither of us has any knowledge of the other there is little point in argument. I'm a frequent long haul flier and have had my fill of paying for civilised travel only to have it eroded by poor service levels and uncivilised travel behavior from rude fellow passengers. My expectations are high but when one only pays a €100 for five persons by Ryanair from DUB to LGW then I'm an adaptable chap and my expectations can be easily adjusted.
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Well, if you're used to "uncivilised travel behaviour" then you'll be well-prepared for the scrum which is boarding a Ryanair aircraft!
Don't get me wrong, Ryanair do what they say on the tin. They get you from A to B cheaply. Not with much comfort or style mind you, but more often than not on-time. At best, travelling with Ryanair is bearable, but could never be described as pleasant. The cattle-herding at boarding, the abrupt (often incomprehensible) crew, the garish aircraft interior, the mess you invariably find since they don't have time to clean the plane on turnarounds, the ridiculous music they play, the cheap plastic seats, the constant sell sell sell with loud announcements, the self-congratulatory fanfare if the aircraft lands on-time (or even 15 minutes late because apparently that's defined as on-time?!) ... and that's if it all goes to plan. Woe betide anything should go wrong, because if it does, you're left up the creek without the proverbial paddle. And that ranges from someone's cabin bag being too big/heavy (when you're stung for a wad of cash), to your flight being delayed or cancelled. And I guarantee you that the day something happens to you or yours on an FR booking, your opinion of Ryanair will change.
Don't get me wrong, Ryanair do what they say on the tin. They get you from A to B cheaply. Not with much comfort or style mind you, but more often than not on-time. At best, travelling with Ryanair is bearable, but could never be described as pleasant. The cattle-herding at boarding, the abrupt (often incomprehensible) crew, the garish aircraft interior, the mess you invariably find since they don't have time to clean the plane on turnarounds, the ridiculous music they play, the cheap plastic seats, the constant sell sell sell with loud announcements, the self-congratulatory fanfare if the aircraft lands on-time (or even 15 minutes late because apparently that's defined as on-time?!) ... and that's if it all goes to plan. Woe betide anything should go wrong, because if it does, you're left up the creek without the proverbial paddle. And that ranges from someone's cabin bag being too big/heavy (when you're stung for a wad of cash), to your flight being delayed or cancelled. And I guarantee you that the day something happens to you or yours on an FR booking, your opinion of Ryanair will change.
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And I guarantee you that the day something happens to you or yours on an FR booking, your opinion of Ryanair will change.
Not at all.
It's part of the deal, and I know it when I book.
I had two flights cancelled this winter (it was my first such experience with RYR) : one because of fog at Charleroi (it was before their cat III) and one at Dublin airport blocked by 3 cm of snow.
I had to find and pay a hotel room - total 180 euros, which, on my 230 other incident-free Ryanair flights, averages less than 1 euro per flight.
Not at all.
It's part of the deal, and I know it when I book.
I had two flights cancelled this winter (it was my first such experience with RYR) : one because of fog at Charleroi (it was before their cat III) and one at Dublin airport blocked by 3 cm of snow.
I had to find and pay a hotel room - total 180 euros, which, on my 230 other incident-free Ryanair flights, averages less than 1 euro per flight.
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I think my opinion would change if something significant were to go wrong and I was left to fend for myself in an unfamiliar place.
Around one hundred sectors so far and it hasn't happened yet. However, whenever possible I do avoid travelling unless it's absolutely necessary if the weather is forecast to be bad (such a snow or severe cross winds), if industrial action is planned etc., simply in order to protect myself from such an eventuality.
Around one hundred sectors so far and it hasn't happened yet. However, whenever possible I do avoid travelling unless it's absolutely necessary if the weather is forecast to be bad (such a snow or severe cross winds), if industrial action is planned etc., simply in order to protect myself from such an eventuality.
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I wrote:
I'm afraid I've done Mr O'Leary a big disservice here by positing that the next logical future charge for non-printing of boarding pass following online check-in would be £12. Tonight I received this automated email in advance of my next flight to see my daughter:
So not £12, but £40. I'm sorry, Mr O'Leary. What a slur to your business acument to think that you would adhere simply to a random rip-off progression when you could simply plump for what you gauged the market would bear. Yes, of course - who would rebook a complete flight for the sake of £40?
Of course, the fact that most decent people would label you a sneaky thieving crook is neither here nor there ... in your culture, this don't cut no odds.
Well they certainly haven't done up till now. I fly regularly EMA-SFX and while the Berlin staff will always print my boarding pass if I tell them the website wasn't working, the UK staff have "no option" but to charge you - first £8, then shortly afterwards, £10 - to do it. They just can't get round it, followed by something about "Servisair".
The second time was following a last minute flight change which left no time to get to a printer except through an internet cafe the morning of the flight. However despite what they claim the Print Boarding Pass option isn't available once the 4 hours deadline for amending flight details has passed. It very easily could be - only a matter of copying and pasting a link onto a web page - but they choose not to provide it and thus rake in ... er ... must be £12 by now? - every time someone needs to do this.
The second time was following a last minute flight change which left no time to get to a printer except through an internet cafe the morning of the flight. However despite what they claim the Print Boarding Pass option isn't available once the 4 hours deadline for amending flight details has passed. It very easily could be - only a matter of copying and pasting a link onto a web page - but they choose not to provide it and thus rake in ... er ... must be £12 by now? - every time someone needs to do this.
Ryanair’s online check-in service is available from 15 days up to 4 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time(s). If both your outbound and return flights are within the 15 day period, at the time you check-in online then both boarding passes can be printed simultaneously. If you do not check-in online you will be required to pay the relevant fee to re-issue your boarding card at the airport.(Euro 40/ GBP 40)
Of course, the fact that most decent people would label you a sneaky thieving crook is neither here nor there ... in your culture, this don't cut no odds.
"Ryanair junkie" and "Excess du jour". Brilliant!!
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The only way you can now avoid paying Ryanair for the "privilege" of checking in is to carry hand luggage only. All passengers who have hold luggage must pay a check-in fee, which is additional to the fee for the bag(s), ranging from £5 to an astonishing £40 per person each way - presumably at the whim of the teenage Ryanair representative at the departure airport. Expect to see a number of stories in this summer's tabloids where a family of four that are unfamiliar with Ryanair's ever-changing regulations are stung for £320 check-in charges.
For those internet-savvy lo-co junkies (a dwindling number) who live near Stansted, are prepared to fly wherever Ryanair wishes to take them, on the days that Ryanair stipulates, with no luggage and no expectations, the airline continues to offer some exceptional deals. Anyone else who chooses Ryanair over legacy carriers these days probably needs his head examined.
For those internet-savvy lo-co junkies (a dwindling number) who live near Stansted, are prepared to fly wherever Ryanair wishes to take them, on the days that Ryanair stipulates, with no luggage and no expectations, the airline continues to offer some exceptional deals. Anyone else who chooses Ryanair over legacy carriers these days probably needs his head examined.
Join Date: May 2007
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230 other incident-free Ryanair flights
Around one hundred sectors so far and it hasn't happened yet
But, I happen to know, their maintenance is as good and well-organised as the best you will find in the world; in short they do not hesitate to spend good money on ensuring that there are no maintenance delays, diversions, disruptions of any sort. They understand better than any airline I have ever known that spending 10K Euros to avoid disruption costing £500K Euros is a good idea.
That's not to say that they will alllow a cent to be wasted, of course!
Join Date: Oct 2007
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"Dreadful passenger experience"? Perhaps I've simply been lucky, but my experience as a passenger on Ryanair has not been anything like this. If it was I'd have stopped travelling with them by now.
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My €100 total for 5 DUB-LGW return
I can confirm we travelled return DUB-LGW for all 5 of us for a total of €100 and not a cent extra.
Flight out was on time. We did notice one of the cabin crew was not in position for the safety demonstration but joined later about a quarter way into the speel.
Flight back was an hour late but it happened again. We were in row 23 and the belt and life jacket was lying on the floor in front of us. The safety demo began and again no sign of the crew member until she arrived to take up position at the part where they demonstrate how to open the buckle.
My flight was a bargain, I got it for next to nothing but all this rush, rush, rush detracts from it and the safety demo bugs me. Couldn't they have waited until all crew members were in position before they started the demo? Then again I suppose few passengers seem to listen anyway.
My impression. I'll fly again if there is no other choice and next time I'll pay for priority boarding.
Flight out was on time. We did notice one of the cabin crew was not in position for the safety demonstration but joined later about a quarter way into the speel.
Flight back was an hour late but it happened again. We were in row 23 and the belt and life jacket was lying on the floor in front of us. The safety demo began and again no sign of the crew member until she arrived to take up position at the part where they demonstrate how to open the buckle.
My flight was a bargain, I got it for next to nothing but all this rush, rush, rush detracts from it and the safety demo bugs me. Couldn't they have waited until all crew members were in position before they started the demo? Then again I suppose few passengers seem to listen anyway.
My impression. I'll fly again if there is no other choice and next time I'll pay for priority boarding.
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That will have been because the crew member nearest the rear has to operate the emergency lighting switches at the start of the demo. Though if you can think of a way of getting that crew member in two places at once feel free to say...
Though if you can think of a way of getting that crew member in two places at once feel free to say...