"Seat belts don't matter,” said Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair.
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I don't want to turn this thread into a debate over FR but in answer to your questions:
This is a huge airline. 3000 pilots. 50 bases. There is so much variation that there is no easy answer. Plus, the winter schedule has started so planes are being parked, fewer pilots are need and standbys are increasing. Same for all airlines over winter.
Lots of very nice people fly for FR. I can't speak for others but I look forward to each day at work. I do not look forward to the updating of the roster each week. I do not feel secure in my job. One cannot feel proud of FR but one can feel pride in one's own professionalism.
I don't want to turn this thread into a debate over FR but in answer to your questions:
This is a huge airline. 3000 pilots. 50 bases. There is so much variation that there is no easy answer. Plus, the winter schedule has started so planes are being parked, fewer pilots are need and standbys are increasing. Same for all airlines over winter.
Lots of very nice people fly for FR. I can't speak for others but I look forward to each day at work. I do not look forward to the updating of the roster each week. I do not feel secure in my job. One cannot feel proud of FR but one can feel pride in one's own professionalism.
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Originally Posted by aergid
I would rather pay 75 euro to fly around Europe with FR than pay the hugely exagerated prices of the Draconian National Carriers who's crew's honestly believe they are doing you the favour of flying you to your destination...
Maybe the question to ask yourself is 'how much should a flight across Europe cost?' If you compare it to a rail fare or a bus journey, it should cost a lot closer what the 'Draconian' carriers (who employ by the rules) ask for than what Ryanair charge. Obviously it is a free market and few make decisions based on this, but the point is that fares are only so cheap for an artificial reason. Costs should not be as low as Ryanair's and if they ever get pulled up on their employment practices fares will rocket.
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No hard landings anymore? I think there may be a little irony going on there Michael... As a reasonably frequent flyer over the last two or three years the only hard landings I've had were with FR (one in particular was an absolute belter). As the Ryanair flights are the ones I pay for (as against my business related travel) they tend to include my family who now think that this type of landing is the norm...
Having said that, brilliant business model and as a pax I've no issue whatsoever in flying FR.
Having said that, brilliant business model and as a pax I've no issue whatsoever in flying FR.
Actually on a lot of flights Ryanair are not the cheapest when you take all charges into account.
Have friends who travel to Gran Canaria on a regular basis who say Thomson and Monarch are cheaper. The biggest PR stunt Ryanair have pulled is making the herd think they are always the cheapest! Even if they are a few quid cheaper I would rather pay the extra to enjoy a modicum of customer service.
Have friends who travel to Gran Canaria on a regular basis who say Thomson and Monarch are cheaper. The biggest PR stunt Ryanair have pulled is making the herd think they are always the cheapest! Even if they are a few quid cheaper I would rather pay the extra to enjoy a modicum of customer service.
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I like Ryanair (not MOL). I've flown with them quite a few times (although not in the last couple of years) and apart from one business flight, I've travelled for free (a penny) on all of them.
Just untick the insurance, hand baggage only and print your own boarding cards and you're off. I suspect the days of free flights have now vanished with the 'green' taxes.
What I did like about the flights, was that you were boarded about 5 minutes before take off (arrivals out the rear exit and new passengers through the front exit/entrance) and you were off the plane within about 2 minutes of touch down. None of this being herded to the departure gate an hour before take off and herded onto the plane 40 minutes before take off.
Just untick the insurance, hand baggage only and print your own boarding cards and you're off. I suspect the days of free flights have now vanished with the 'green' taxes.
What I did like about the flights, was that you were boarded about 5 minutes before take off (arrivals out the rear exit and new passengers through the front exit/entrance) and you were off the plane within about 2 minutes of touch down. None of this being herded to the departure gate an hour before take off and herded onto the plane 40 minutes before take off.
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The offload rear, boarding at front practice stopped a while back when DFT found out and, quite rightly, pulled MOL up on it and ordered it to cease on UK Ops due to unacceptably high risk of arrivals and departing pax mixing.
Last edited by Burnie5204; 9th Nov 2012 at 13:35.
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come on! ... flying without seat belts resp. standing is not even worth discussing .... it´s all about marketing. for o´leary much more important than being the cheapest is that people THINK he´s the cheapest.
... for that even the most stupid discussions help ...
(... as much as ugly cabin interiors do)
... for that even the most stupid discussions help ...
(... as much as ugly cabin interiors do)
to get away with it.
Since when has Ryanair been a 'British Budget Airliner'.
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Road Hog, it's people like you who allow the little Ars*hole to get away with it.
You get what you pay for in the end.
You get what you pay for in the end.
Total fares usually lower than the competition (but yes, not always).
New aircraft.
Excellent record for punctuality.
Great crew training and an exceptional safety record.
An entertaining CEO
I've been around here long enough to know the dark side too (and have friends who work for the airline) but, as a pax I really don't see the problem.
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Meccano. Forgive me, but you are offensive and wide of the mark if you think that pilots who fly for Ryanair are unprofessional. They come from similar backgrounds to other pilots, do the same flight training, pass the same ATPL exams, do as much recurrent training as everyone else to standards admired within the training industry, and despite MO'L's attempts to denigrate their profession continue to perform in a demanding commercial environment. Many pilots at major legacy carriers started with Ryanair.
There's a Fanboy on this thread - and more on others.
I can understand your embarrassment though.
Good luck in getting out pdq.
Last edited by Meccano; 9th Nov 2012 at 16:29.
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No hard landings anymore? I think there may be a little irony going on there Michael... As a reasonably frequent flyer over the last two or three years the only hard landings I've had were with FR (one in particular was an absolute belter).
Nice windy day at DUB. Gusting over 40 from the south. Everything was delayed. Even our FR flight pushed back 1 hour late.
We taxied out to RW28, the aircraft rocking and rolling in the strong wind.
Lined up, and away we went.
Got airborne with no drama, and you could hear sighs of relief from all around.
The turbulence was still bad, but we'd be through that in a minute.
But no - the morons up front decided to make up some lost time, and we started accelerating on RWY heading at 3,000ft (pointing the wrong direction from where we were supposed to be going).
As the speed built the cabin fell silent. Even the punters knew what was coming. The aircraft felt like it was an enormous tuning fork - it literally hummed as the vibration built and the turbulence and speed increased. I looked around to see drained and frightened faces all around me, AND PEOPLE CLUTCHING THEIR SEATBELTS.
The inevitable then happened - it took a series of immense jolts and rolls. People screamed! Then they finally started it climbing again....in a matter of minutes we were in smooth air.
Had to be one of the stupidest examples of bad airmanship I've ever witnessed.
I'd hate to think what would've happened if there were no belts.
Maybe a few lawsuits would make Micko think harder.
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Accuracy of Reportage
This story appears to have begun with Fox News and was then taken up by the Telegraph....Hardly anything new in the standing idea and as outlined certainly inaccurate calling FR a British airline.
The initial idea of standing room was previously floated in China and described as bar stool type seating with a vertical bar and seatbelt. As such it would perfectly facilitate headbanging and any operation implementing it could be aptly called a headbanger airline. Naturally the idea appealed to MOL where it quickly joined the coin slot operated toilets and oxygen masks.
Without hearing/seeing the full interview it is difficult to ascertain who is actually flying kites and who is taking the p..s. However, if as is stated, it is making news in the US, Australia and Europe and achieving rants on PPRUNE I've a fairly good idea as to who is taking the p..s as per usual....
The initial idea of standing room was previously floated in China and described as bar stool type seating with a vertical bar and seatbelt. As such it would perfectly facilitate headbanging and any operation implementing it could be aptly called a headbanger airline. Naturally the idea appealed to MOL where it quickly joined the coin slot operated toilets and oxygen masks.
Without hearing/seeing the full interview it is difficult to ascertain who is actually flying kites and who is taking the p..s. However, if as is stated, it is making news in the US, Australia and Europe and achieving rants on PPRUNE I've a fairly good idea as to who is taking the p..s as per usual....
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Simple one this one:
1) the clearest example of statements for free publicity I've seen even him make
2) If you can fly Ryanair for 1p, and make him pay for you to travel with him, I hope some people do. I'm more than happy for people to take money from him. I stop, though, at anything approaching the break-even point though...
Still think they'll go bust. It may take a while though, and I hope when the walls fall down that all the people he 'employs' (you know what I mean anyway) aren't brought down by it, I firmly believe you hate the game, not the players.
1) the clearest example of statements for free publicity I've seen even him make
2) If you can fly Ryanair for 1p, and make him pay for you to travel with him, I hope some people do. I'm more than happy for people to take money from him. I stop, though, at anything approaching the break-even point though...
Still think they'll go bust. It may take a while though, and I hope when the walls fall down that all the people he 'employs' (you know what I mean anyway) aren't brought down by it, I firmly believe you hate the game, not the players.
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He doesn't mean it. It is a publicity stunt. His own airline has been involved in turbulence injuries, so I'm sure he does really know the necessity of seatbelts. The truth about O'Leary is that he isn't as stupid as he makes himself look.
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New aircraft.
Great crew training and an exceptional safety record.
An entertaining CEO
2/ not always - young CPT with no special airmanship - but strong Ryanair corporate culture = SOP and SOP and... SOP. Reports of accidents/incidents can be found thru several aviation authority websites. But yes : no crash.
3/ the CEO doesn't love aviation - just cash.
Last edited by Domi; 10th Nov 2012 at 14:51.
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Costs should not be as low as Ryanair's and if they ever get pulled up on their employment practices fares will rocket.
The offload rear, boarding at front practice stopped a while back when DFT found out and, quite rightly, pulled MOL up on it and ordered it to cease on UK Ops due to unacceptably high risk of arrivals and departing pax mixing.
