Ryanair Rant Coming Up.......
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[Utopi-Air]
With a discreet cough the immaculately uniformed ground representative reminded us that it was time to finish off our complimentary Rhubarb and Dandelion Calming Juice Balm and make our way to the gate where boarding would take place in just a few minutes. Oh, and do feel free to take that complimentary copy of 'Your airline really does love you' with you, Sir! So, slipping into the comfortable seats on the very smooth electric travelator we were off and enjoying the soft music and cheerful birdsong. Soon we arrived at our departure gate, where our electronic ID tags permitted us to seamlessly access the short covered walkway to our aircraft, without further ado. On board a smiling and well-turned out cabin-staffer bid us welcome and pointed out our pre-booked seats. After stowing our hand-gear in the ample overhead locker we eased into our commodious seats, adjusted our head and foot-rests, and stretched out, looking forward to the pleasure of our complimentary Captain's Jet Cocktail and Nut-free Mini Bagel with Sparkles. This was going to be the start of a wonderful experience, I thought. What a good thing those new owners had taken over the previous lot, whatever their name was....do you know I've really forgotten all about them already!
Join Date: Jan 2010
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When I went to Barcelona, El Prat not Barcelona Torremolinos!, in June I went for 8 days and checked in for both flights before i went. What is this about 7 days? Flybe are less than 7 days.
Ryanair are making good profits so people must use them. They are cheap and cheerful, as everyone knows. I have my own insurance and I don't usually buy any "refreshments" on board. They are usually on time and I've found the staff perfectly alright. I don't expect them to fawn all over me, if I wanted that I would use a top notch carrier.
What I particularly like about Ryanair is that they fly from my local airport EMA. It only takes me 30 minutes to get there and it is easier to go through than a bigger airport. I also wish easyJet had stayed, I liked them as well!
About 25 years ago I wanted to fly to Nice, I had to go from LHR on BA. It was very good, free drink and plenty of room. The staff were great as well. But it cost about £350. I can now go from a local airport for a lot less money and inconvenience and I feel better without all that free booze.
Ryanair are making good profits so people must use them. They are cheap and cheerful, as everyone knows. I have my own insurance and I don't usually buy any "refreshments" on board. They are usually on time and I've found the staff perfectly alright. I don't expect them to fawn all over me, if I wanted that I would use a top notch carrier.
What I particularly like about Ryanair is that they fly from my local airport EMA. It only takes me 30 minutes to get there and it is easier to go through than a bigger airport. I also wish easyJet had stayed, I liked them as well!
About 25 years ago I wanted to fly to Nice, I had to go from LHR on BA. It was very good, free drink and plenty of room. The staff were great as well. But it cost about £350. I can now go from a local airport for a lot less money and inconvenience and I feel better without all that free booze.
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What is this about 7 days?
https://www.ryanair.com/en/need-to-know/online-checkin/
'You can check-in from 7 days to 2 hours before each departing flight'
Flybe are less than 7 days.
The usual moral of the story holds true here, namely if you want any sort of "frills" pay the extra and fly with a better quality carrier - even easyJet leaves ryanair standing with its quality of service.
Personally I cannot stand FR and will do anything possible to avoid flying with them. Cheap and nasty, with horrible aircraft that can't seem to land with anything less than 3G of force and run by arrogant, unpleasant people - especially the No 2 who is one of the most obnoxious people I have ever met in the industry. I only fly with them under duress when others have made the booking......
BUT
They are cheap, efficient with professional and friendly crew - and the food and drink offering is reasonable and you will get to your destination safely and usually on time.
You get exactly what you pay for with Ryanair!
Personally I cannot stand FR and will do anything possible to avoid flying with them. Cheap and nasty, with horrible aircraft that can't seem to land with anything less than 3G of force and run by arrogant, unpleasant people - especially the No 2 who is one of the most obnoxious people I have ever met in the industry. I only fly with them under duress when others have made the booking......
BUT
They are cheap, efficient with professional and friendly crew - and the food and drink offering is reasonable and you will get to your destination safely and usually on time.
You get exactly what you pay for with Ryanair!
Join Date: Jul 2004
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I really can't be bothered any longer but there's more to life than being tight-assed sitting in cramped cabins in seats that don't recline faced with gawdy colours and advertising whilst offered a selection of overpriced stale sandwiches and warm beer.
One can't take the money with one when one goes, try a search engine or few, often the legacy carriers can work out cheaper.
One can't take the money with one when one goes, try a search engine or few, often the legacy carriers can work out cheaper.
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there's more to life than being tight-assed sitting in cramped cabins in seats that don't recline
often the legacy carriers can work out cheaper.
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"tight-assed sitting in cramped cabins in seats that don't recline"
better get used to it - all airlines are lookign at cramming in more punters and lowering weight - the new shorthaul BA seats are really uncomfortable
better get used to it - all airlines are lookign at cramming in more punters and lowering weight - the new shorthaul BA seats are really uncomfortable
Never a truer word spoken re: money. And legacy carriers. Often find very good fares with LH/LX from DUB through FRA/MUC/ZRH that match and sometimes beat EI and FR and that's before you add in bags/seats etc.
Join Date: Jan 2010
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It's OK for you Southerners saying go on the fancy airlines, but us plebs from up North would have to go to Heathrow. No thanks I would rather go to EMA or BHX or MAN and slum it without reclining my seat, which I really like as the bloke in front can't recline his onto my lap. Nothing is worse in economy class when people recline their seats.
On a short haul flight is there any reason people want to eat and drink? Just sit there and think how convenient and cheap the flight is. Maybe read a book! I agree the colours aren't very nice but Ryanair have removed the adverts and thank God they don't play that daft tune when they land early.
There is more seat space on Ryanair than Thomson or Monarch.
On a short haul flight is there any reason people want to eat and drink? Just sit there and think how convenient and cheap the flight is. Maybe read a book! I agree the colours aren't very nice but Ryanair have removed the adverts and thank God they don't play that daft tune when they land early.
There is more seat space on Ryanair than Thomson or Monarch.
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VC10man,
You are very much mistaken, for a number of years my local airport was BHX, I regularly flew from BHX with the likes of KLM, Lufty, Swiss, AF & SAS and, normally, on very competitive fares.
You say you're from up north, are you suggesting that the likes of MAN, NCL, EDI & GLA don't offer such legacy feeder routes as BHX offers?
I'm a Londoner by birth, I'll avoid it's airports as if they were the plague ... and very successfully I did so.
You are very much mistaken, for a number of years my local airport was BHX, I regularly flew from BHX with the likes of KLM, Lufty, Swiss, AF & SAS and, normally, on very competitive fares.
You say you're from up north, are you suggesting that the likes of MAN, NCL, EDI & GLA don't offer such legacy feeder routes as BHX offers?
I'm a Londoner by birth, I'll avoid it's airports as if they were the plague ... and very successfully I did so.
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I still am a regular in and out of BHX. I generally fly on what was previously a Lufthansa service operated by Eurowings and which is now Germanwings but still operated by Eurowings. The CRJ-900s are comfortable and have ample seat pitch. There are three fare options, all of which are good value for what is included. My other carrier of choice is Brussels Airlines which basically offers the same product as GWI. I have also on occasions used KLM, again at very competitive fares.
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HT,
In my day it was Lufty CRJ-500's thru DUS, loved DUS airport, all in one terminal, for some reason airport hotels there were cheap, I was a regular at the Holiday Inn, and a couple of times BHX/KBP/BHX on 50 seater's with PDQ connections thru DUS, full meal and drinks service ... Oh yes, that was the life.
But my favourites out of Brum were Swiss, regularly to MXP and/or FCO, cheaper than direct flights on the LoCo's and at a time of day I wanted to travel, fantastically friendly crew, a complimentary snack, coffee, beer or two and a Swiss chocolate on each sector and an old fashioned thing (routing via Switzerland) called "DUTY FREE" which one could even pay for with accumulated LH "Miles & More" points ... Oh yes, I loved my days travelling with Swiss, even utilised them long haul one trip BHX/HKG/BHX and it just got better
In my day it was Lufty CRJ-500's thru DUS, loved DUS airport, all in one terminal, for some reason airport hotels there were cheap, I was a regular at the Holiday Inn, and a couple of times BHX/KBP/BHX on 50 seater's with PDQ connections thru DUS, full meal and drinks service ... Oh yes, that was the life.
But my favourites out of Brum were Swiss, regularly to MXP and/or FCO, cheaper than direct flights on the LoCo's and at a time of day I wanted to travel, fantastically friendly crew, a complimentary snack, coffee, beer or two and a Swiss chocolate on each sector and an old fashioned thing (routing via Switzerland) called "DUTY FREE" which one could even pay for with accumulated LH "Miles & More" points ... Oh yes, I loved my days travelling with Swiss, even utilised them long haul one trip BHX/HKG/BHX and it just got better
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Well from EMA we have a choice of Ryanair and Flybe to most places I want to go to. I flew to Barcelona recently and it was Ryanair or nothing. If I want to go to the South of France it's got to be Ryanair, Lisbon the same. So that's why I usually end up on Ryanair.
Jersey used to be BMIbaby but it's now in an awful Q8 Flybe crate. I used to go to Faro on easyJet but they pulled out of EMA. I wish they would come back and I wish Monarch hadn't left, but they have and it's Ryanair or a longish journey to another airport.
I'm glad a poster also mentioned how Ryanair have brought prices down from other airlines, it is better for us poor folk who have to pay from our own pocket.
If BA came to EMA and went to plenty of destinations in Europe I would be on them in a flash, but it's more likely Concorde will fly again than BA coming to EMA!!!
Jersey used to be BMIbaby but it's now in an awful Q8 Flybe crate. I used to go to Faro on easyJet but they pulled out of EMA. I wish they would come back and I wish Monarch hadn't left, but they have and it's Ryanair or a longish journey to another airport.
I'm glad a poster also mentioned how Ryanair have brought prices down from other airlines, it is better for us poor folk who have to pay from our own pocket.
If BA came to EMA and went to plenty of destinations in Europe I would be on them in a flash, but it's more likely Concorde will fly again than BA coming to EMA!!!
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It's true of course that to some extent it's obviously easier to fly from one's local airport, and if that airport doesn't give you any choice then you take what there is or drive to some airport further away. There's no black, white, right or wrong about it. We all make choices based on our preferences and budget. I'm retired and pay my fares out of my own pocket too. Other than my local airport, which is served by a few RYR, WZZ and TRA flights (all to destinations that don't interest me) I am an hour's drive from DUS, BRU, EIN, CRL and NRN. I choose to avoid EIN, CRL and NRN which are served mainly by RYR and fly from either BRU or DUS. I'm certainly not against LCCs and I do from time to time use those whose product suits me. Yes, I appreciate that RYR sell (a restricted number of) tickets at ridiculously low prices but in general I have found over the years that I can get pretty good deals on other airlines which provide what I, the customer, desire. I don't look down at people who use RYR. The airline just doesn't tick many boxes for me and the bottom line is that, when all is taken into account, they are often not as cheap as people make them out to be, even less so when things go t*ts up.
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For a few years I lived in east Northamptonshire and I was pretty much the same distance from LTN as I was from BHX.
To LTN the roads weren't so good, parking the car a hassle and long walks to/from gates in the terminal.
BHX, by comparison, was a sheer pleasure, 55 minutes via the A14 and M6, free parking at Hampton-in-Arden rail station, 3 minutes on a train in to the airport, modestly sized airport concourse, thru to departures and travel on a modestly sized aircraft.
There was a period when I had regular business in VST, an airport only served by Ryanair, after one experience and the stale sandwich and warm beer, combined with the LTN experience, I subsequently travelled BHX to ARN with the likes of KLM or Lufty.
To LTN the roads weren't so good, parking the car a hassle and long walks to/from gates in the terminal.
BHX, by comparison, was a sheer pleasure, 55 minutes via the A14 and M6, free parking at Hampton-in-Arden rail station, 3 minutes on a train in to the airport, modestly sized airport concourse, thru to departures and travel on a modestly sized aircraft.
There was a period when I had regular business in VST, an airport only served by Ryanair, after one experience and the stale sandwich and warm beer, combined with the LTN experience, I subsequently travelled BHX to ARN with the likes of KLM or Lufty.
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Yes and its down to hard work, being smart and ability.
They are mercilessly efficient in everything from office administration ( bring your own pencils ) to crew hiring to operations ( those two Learjets that attend AOGs to avoid chartering-in replacements ).
But their real genius is marketing; their PR is incredible, I know people who plan their holidays based on what routes are available on the Ryanair website. They don't even look elsewhere because Ryanair are 'the cheapest'.
I don't like them and I'll never, ever fly them but I accept they are good at what they do.