RyanAir Tips?
 

The wife has booked us on RyanAir flights to/from Dublin next month (from Budapest). As I have never flown RyanAir before, and considering some rather nasty/snarky posts I've seen on here and elsewhere about them, can anyone offer suggestions/tips on the best way to ensure the least horrible experience? My expectations are not high, and am mostly concerned with ensuring I understand their system and don't have any surprise gotchas. Will be taking only carry-on bags for our 5-day trip. Rebooking on another airline is not in the cards. Thanks in advance for useful information.

Yeah, don't fly RyanAir. :cool:

What have you done to upset SWMBO so much that she's handed you this punishment ?

I would suggest eat, drink and go to the loo before you board, then don ear plugs and eye masks as soon as the safety briefing is over, dream of something nice and pray its all over quickly.

I've flown on Ryanair loads of times, you have to from EMA.

They are great, they do what they say on the can! None of my flights were late, in fact most were early and you get a blast of exciting music when this happens. The aircraft are all nearly new and you get more legroom than on Thomson or Monarch. They even let you take an extra bag with your duty free in, you used to have to put it in the cary on as well as the wife's handbag. They do not seem to check the size of the cary on like they used to.

You can even chose your seat number, this stops the exhilarating run to the plane which is usually parked well away from the terminal.

Like the previous poster said, go to the loo and fill up with food before you board, although the coffee and food ain't too bad on Ryanair.

Good luck!!!

PS Have you made your will?

If there was a choice use it - if you can't you just have to sit through it
Better than a bus trip or a commuter train but elegant travel it ain't

As said, it will get you to your destination on time, but with your senses shaken and perhaps stirred by the brashness of it's business model, although in fairness they have been on a charm offensive of late by all accounts :) If you have handbaggage, no kids or outsize baggage, aren't travelling in school holidays and are going to near where they fly to…..they're an effective travel tool to utilise. Legacy carrier they aren't, but many of those are so pared back on short haul it hardly makes a difference sometimes.

Then you likely won't be disappointed. Now, if things go pear-shaped, keep a diary and all receipts. Don't expect to be looked after, even in Dublin.

True, except with the legacy carrier...
You can chuck stuff in the hold with no extra charges
You get a more generous hand baggage allowance
Cabin crew are paid properly and don't get paid a penny from on-board sales, so no incentive to do the hard-sell
Seat pitch is better
You get to travel to and from primary airports rather than satellites


And of course if you've got air miles to burn then its a no-brainer to use them on short-haul tickets.

most of the problems with Ryan air are caused by Ryan air customers, as unfortunately they have enabled a demographic to travel, who should be at home with a tin of special brew and Jeremy Kyle

So check in can be long and drawn out, because they will have packed way to much and will be putting on three jumpers and two coats to get the weight down, all the time moaning that blah blah blah airline lets them take more.

If you are behind them at security, they will be the ones who empty their pockets just as they reach the metal detector. or just after.

They will also have bags too big for the overhead, and will want to shout down the plane to SHARRON about the seat they have reserved for them. Their kids will kick the back of your seat all journey.

Buy your food in the terminal.
take a media player and noise cancelling headphones. fill it with your favorite episodes of top gear.
notice the planes are real Boeings, not fakes and the pilots don't ptf.
also note the word Asia isn't included in the airlines name so you stand a good chance of arriving at your destination (or 200 miles from it, if that's their nearest airport):}

Flown them a few times. Theyre absolutely fine. Get you from A to B safely and for a reasonable price. A lot of people's problems stem from the fact that they don't read up on the airline's policies and feel hard done by when things aren't as they expected. Know what your entitled to, have the correct documents and get to the gate on time and all should be well.

If something does go wrong get straight on the app or to some internet source and rebook online. Otherwise you will risk being stuck at the end of a queue and will be given what's left over.

As mentioned, and as with all airlines really, document and keep everything as proof. Do not expect them to pay for a slap up lobster dinner and a night at the Savoy, but reasonable costs will be easier to reimburse.

Mixture - legacy carriers DO often charge for bags. In the US it is the norm, in the UK BA have 'hand baggage only' fares so it will cost you to put bags in the hold. FR allow a standard IATA sized bag plus a personal item in the cabin just like legacies. For regional to regional points FR has a fantastic network. There is less hard sell and quiet flights at the start and end of the day. On the face of it the LH NEK and new BA A32S cabin may have slightly more legroom, but it's not noticeable and I don't feel any less discomfort on FR than I do any other airline and I'm 6'.

The fares are optional and displayed alongside standard fares (which are not that much more).

Two bags on BA, and I've not had any issues with two bags on AA or UA on US domestics either. Although I don't take the piss on the second bag, so maybe that's why I've not been challenged.

"slightly" ? grab one of those magic emergency exit seats on the new A32's and you've got a whole seat's worth of legroom !

Ryanair is £15 one way, BA just £3 cheaper at £12 one way for a bag. Those fares are optional indeed, but so is buying a bag on FR. Just because you select the options on a different page and it is worded slightly different does not mean you are not paying for a bag on BA.

Granted the second bag dimensions are bigger but BA still only allow one IATA bag plus one small 'personal item'.

Good luck getting those extra leg room seats too! Either you pay for them in advance (if you don't have status) or risk not getting them 24 hours before departure when it is free. FR is £11 for an exit seat guaranteed at point of ticket purchase. BA charge £8 for a standard seat, can't see the price for an exit row.

Make sure you print your boarding passes, the charge for having it done at the airport is ludicrous.

When I lived around there a few years ago bmibaby were highly convenient and extremely good. RIP :{

Flown with them 3 times. Cant say Ive had any problems. Made sure I was within the baggage weight and size limits. Price was excellent. Is it me or are they not quite so tough on carry on size now?
Would use them again no problem.

IATA: FR:The FR limit is significantly smaller than IATA's recommendation, much to the chagrin of many passengers that fail to check before travelling. The 10kg maximum weight can also come back to bite you.

Tip: Make sure your carry-on is less than 10kg and meets FR's non standard size limit.

Never had any issues traveling by Ryanair. The Cabin Crew PA's can get a little tiresome on longer flights.

FWIW, I spent a great deal of time recently attempting to find a bag that was the maximum IATA dimensions and had to come to the conclusion that these more or less don't exist. (I am sure they do but by FAR not readily available in the UK at least).

The best I could get was around 55x40x20 (or maybe 55x45x20 etc). Instead I bought one which was too big (61x46x27) or something like that and have traveled with it as hand luggage on Ryanair anyway.

Really....??
 

It's a chair, travelling in the sky......
It's moving faster than any car or train......
it's direct to Budapest in just a couple of hours....


It's a modern day miracle......


Just relax and take it for what it is......


a chair....in the sky....flying....!!

Living in Ireland it is almost inevitable that certain trips are on Ryanair (NB NOT RyanAir, they were a US outfit).

Plus points: One of the most modern fleets in the world
Relatively cheap for most trips but always check the alternatives for bargains
Regularly on time
A flying bus service without pretensions though recent business and seat
selection options are changing this
Has opened travel to a much wider constituency.

Demerits: Still has poor support for customers when things go wrong.
Baggage allowances and costs.
Rigid seats and poor legroom
They have taught other airlines to reduce hand baggage allowance, charge
for baggage and charge credit card/admin fees with no other way to book and
pay.

For those waving flags for the legacy carriers consider this:

I'm now a pensioner who regularly flies around the world on a budget, therefore I fly economy. I hold a frequent flyer card with a world renowned carrier. A four hour technical delay on one of this airline's flights late in the evening at a US gateway during which the shops and restaurants closed was handled well by the flight deck crew who kept the economy pax informed but the ground operation could only provide a bottle of tepid water and a packet of pretzels for each passenger.

Eventually airborne at 01.00 local, we were not fed for another hour. Over half those on board had coonecting flights in London. The ground staff at the departure airport were unhelpful and no announcements about connections were made until approaching Heathrow. I had missed my connection, booked on this airline's ticket on a code share airline. The crew could not get information for me. We had to wait until we contacted the code share airline at Heathrow to confirm we would travel home that day. All we got on arrival at Heathrow was a £10 food voucher which covered the cost of a snack, but not a drink.

Other than apologies from the cockpit, there was no real apology either at the time or when I complained in writing. In addition we were told by the ground staff at Heathrow we were entitled to delay compensation under EU rules. I applied, waited six weeks for an answer to be told as the delay was an unforseen tech problem caused by a bird strike, there was no legitimate claim.

Can we blame Ryanair for dumbing down the service across the board? Maybe, but I would also blame legacy carrier corporate greed which forever seeks greater passenger numbers, markets flights on the basis of expectation of something special and pares every cost to the minimum.

At least Ryanair is honest. Take it for what it is. Travel on a winged bus.

I've travelled on Ryanair a few times before their 'charm offensive', so my experience is with the 'charmless' version.

Print out your boarding passes before you leave for the airport - the fees for printing them at the airport are phenomenal, and since yours is a five day trip you can print boarding passes for the outward and return trips before you travel.

Make sure that your hand luggage fits into the luggage gauges completely. The gate staff are very strict about checking the size of them, and you will be charged extra for putting it in the hold if it doesn't fit entirely in to the gauge. Bear in mind that standard hand luggage sizes on a 737 are smaller than a bigger plane like a 747.

One bag means one bag. If you wife has a large handbag it will count as a single carry on bag and if it doesn't fit into a cabin bag, one will have to be checked, at a fee.

I have never used an aerobridge with Ryanair. Ryanair planes have airstairs built in at the front door, the back door will have stairs wheeled up to it. My preference was to use the back door, because fewer people used it and you could get into a seat in the back half of the plane quicker. You might find that the airstairs aren't as robust as the rear door's stairs. I have seen people with limited mobility board using scissor lift of the type used to load catering supplies.

The food on board isn't great and it isn't cheap enough to make it worth buying. If you can get something before you fly - do so. At UK airports M&S Simply Food was a life saver.

Transport from the airport can be tricky, check that the airport that you're flying to has transport connections to where you want to be.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport - There's no mercy for late arrivals, and you forfeit your fare if you miss the plane and there will probably not be another Ryanair flight that day, and possibly not for a few more days.

Apart from that, it's a flying bus. Nothing glamorous. It gets you there. And it's one of the most punctual airlines I've ever flown.

Thanks, all for your comments, especially about carry on bag size. Already knew about the boarding pass thing and ability to print for both ways before leaving.

Dublin appears to be a good destination, as the airport is only 15 minutes by good, frequent (10-15 minutes apart) public bus service from where we are staying.

Don't intend to eat on this flight, at all.

Am fit and of proper weight, and so hope seats are at least bearable. Have no expectation of flag carrier service or amenities. Just get me there on time and in one piece. Am a very experienced traveler, just never on RyanAir.

Pray for us. :)

We've used them loads and as stated above read and understand Ts/Cs. They have improved over the last year. Seats are now allocated, so there is no mad fight. If certain seats are important to you, pay for them early otherwise take the ones allocated to you. You can ck in and show boarding passes on the RYR app. Fit in with the published luggage criteria, don't expect much in the way of in flight service and you will have a punctual flight on a modern well maintained ac operated by well trained crews.

Hope you take more notice of what they tell you to do than you do when someone tells you the correct name for the airline. See my previous post.

Assuming you mean Ryan Air, rather than RyanAir/Ryanair, they are still very much in existence.

http://www.atsak.com/images/logo.png

Ryan Air ? Home Page

Thanks Dave, that is the outfit I was referring to.

One piece of advice that seems to be missing is that you should board the plane as early as possible. That is the only way to ensure that you do not have problems finding space for your hand luggage.

The wife has booked us on RyanAir flights to/from Dublin next month (from Budapest). As I have never flown RyanAir before, and considering some rather nasty/snarky posts I've seen on here and elsewhere about them, can anyone offer suggestions/tips on the best way to ensure the least horrible experience?


Your wife had an excellent idea. I have flown on some 500 Ryanair flights in the last ten years, and I love it. Never had any "horrible experience" with them.

If by that you mean non-reclining, that's not a "demerit"

It is if you are not vertically challenged. But the rigidity is not confined to the lack of recline. The fabric of the chair quickly hardens in use and after a few months the seats have a hard, non giving feel to them.

Well, I know how wonderful it feels to escape Brussels, but to get to the point where you need to resort to using the words "love" and "Ryanair" in the same phrase ? :eek:

:)

I've only flown Ryanair once. They let the priority passengers through the gate first and then the rest, who proceeded to run past the priority pax and grab the seats they wanted.
There was a scrum for the front and rear doors. I was one of the last to board. Most pax had chosen seats near the exit so they could get off quickly. They were sitting quite bunched up with bags on their laps.

I got on. Headed for two thirds of the way down and got an entire three seats to myself.

Peace and quiet and no one around me.

I knew that getting off the plane early was a fools quest because the airport we were flying to bussed the passengers to the terminal and they always wait until the last passengers are on the bus.

I just don't think you could do 500 flights in total without at least one or two issues never mind 500 with the same airline!


I've about two hundred flights under my belt with various airlines and I had at least two cancelled, one of which deprived me of €100 for a concert ticket for a show in Paris that evening. Another cancellation saw me going to FCO rather than LIN and losing my train ticket from Milan to Florence, which was non refundable and having to buy another one from Rome.


These aren't major deals but they are a pain. Hard to believe anyone could have more than twice as many flights and no issues at all.

I flew Ryanair and initially with some trepidation, did I book that ticket. I read the horror stories about the website. However, I was actually kind of impressed.

Think of booking as an easy step process:
Then really you are good to go. Just remember that you need to check in and print your boarding pass up to 30 days before you fly, print it AND DON'T lose it.

Cabin bags go free - there is a strict weight limit of 10kg and a standard European size to comply with (brought in because Ryanair got cheeky). Dammit, I LOVE being in the EU! :ok:

Check-in/Baggage drop:

I was flying from Lisbon so you get herded on a bus from T1 to T2. Not a problem in the winter (although it was still warm). If there is no air-con in the bus just make sure you're fit and ready for it. Takes about 5 minutes.

All you need to do is follow the rules, remember that booking is broken down into the steps above and boarding is straightforward if you turn up on time - This is critically important.


You will be offered food and newspapers for sale on this flight - no frills remember.. but treat this like a coach ride. You are travelling for two and a half hours, not long haul. So grab some munchies from the shop before you leave your house or leave your hotel (no drinks/liquids I'm afraid). You can purchase a soft drink once you are in the 'sterile' area of the airport past security but these can also be a bit pricey. A bottle of water whether on the flight or on the ground is £2.50-ish.

One word of warning on this. If the a/c is on the ground for any length of time, they cannot open the shop or give away free drinks. This is to comply with local customs and excise laws.


My flight had an extra two sweet cherries on the top. I was up front on seat 1C, facing two fit looking stewardesses - my favourite was the German(?) one who seemed nice and frankly she looked quite tasty. The other cherry was the fact that they allowed me to hang around after the flight to chat to the captain about career options after my hours building (I'm a private pilot that might consider taking it to the next level). He was very happy to spend five minutes to explain what I needed to do to get to where he sits.

Overall, I was satisfied with my flight and knowing how the system works, I get it, and would fly with them again.

Er, no it isn't. If the flight is in the EU the applicable VAT would have been paid in the EU country of purchase. There are no 'duty free' aircraft stores for intra EU flights.

I don't know of any country that have laws that prohibit using duty free stores after boarding. For example on a LHR-YVR flight, while we sat for four hours awaiting de-icing, BA served a meal, and a full drinks service in all cabins.

This is to comply with FR policy.

If they are telling you it's the governments fault, they are either uninformed or they are lying to you. It's ironic, if you are delayed before boarding you are entitled to 'care' meaning food and refreshments, etc. but this doesn't seem to apply once you've been seated.

^^Alright, calm down.... Anyway, the point is that my experience with Ryanair is not really that scary, just make sure you follow the rules and turn up on time. :ok:

Even Ryanair themselves don't have the nerve to claim that their unilaterally-imposed maximum allowable cabin baggage dimensions are any kind of "European standard".

The Small Print | T&Cs

European standard? Set by who? I'm not aware of anything out of Brussels that sets a standard size for European flights or airlines. If fact it was DG-Comp that forced IATA to make their standard a 'recommendation'.

There is no way that AEA or ELFA would get involved in standard setting. They know the law.

Just measured my backpack, which is my regular carry-on bag, and it's well within the 55 x 40 x 20 cm Ryanair size limit. Will be away only four nights, and this bag actually holds a lot -- I once carried six bottles of wine in it, in addition to many other items. Won't be going that heavy on this trip. however. 10kg should be no problem. Regs say you may also carry another bag, up to 35 x 20 x 20, which may allow a briefcase for a laptop, etc. Interestingly, no weight limit specified for this smaller bag.

But the regs also say they allow only 90 bags of that size in the cabin. The rest are handled as checked baggage, but without fee.

Now, let's see what the wife's got in mind....

If you are going to travel with Ryanair a lot then buy one of their own cabin bags and stay within the weight limit.

Bear in mind that if you buy a scratch card on the flight and you win 10,000 euro

1/ The flight does not have the cash on-board, you will have to claim it once on the ground by post

2/ Ripping up and trying to eat the winning card will not get you your money!

Make sure the airport you think you are flying from/to is actually the airport you are flying from/to:
Walking in uniform through the terminal at Glasgow when a gentleman rushed up to me, shoved his paperwork in my face, and asked where to check in for a Ryanair flight. Was slightly perplexed as couldn't remember seeing a Ryanair aircraft at Glasgow - closer inspection of his paperwork revealed the words: Glasgow (Prestwick).
I assume he missed his flight!