Ryanair

I need to get this off my chest. I absolutely positively HATE Ryanair.

I really admire their business model and if I was a shareholder I'd be happy as a pig in **** but as a frequent traveller who can't avoid them I detest the very premise of their existance.

I haven't had a bad experience recently with them (within the context of every flight being an ordeal) so its not a rant but what I REALLY hate is how Michael O'Leary gets to define standards for the whole airline travelling experience nowadays, even when you don't fly Ryanair.

For instance,
1) the new Pier D at Dublin that is being built doesn't have airbridges so O'Leary can save a few bob. We live in a very wet country yet a new terminal is being built where we have to walk down 4 flights of stairs, then queue in the rain to climb another set of stairs. 10 years ago we used to walk from an airconditioned lounge straight into an airconditioned plane. Thats progress...

2) seats at the departure gate. You used to be able to sit until your row was called when you got on the plane and sat down. Now you arrive at the gate 50mins before the flight and stand in a long queue so you can be first on to fight for a seat. Seats have been removed at departure gates to make space for the winding queues of 200 people.

We have to listen to O'Leary complaining that the Terminal 2 proposals are a waste of money. Presumably because they include "luxuries" such as seats and airbridges. Places like Liverpool, Beauvais and the like are what O'Leary views as state-of-the-art-terminals. Basically large cattle pens with no facilities.

3) space onboard is ridiculuous. People are getting bigger, yet O'Leary reduced the seat pitch on the new planes :eek:

In an ideal world those of us who wish to pay more to avoid Ryanair, like me, could. However, their agressive pricing tends to drive the competition off routes and as said above, they are now defining how airports are designed. And the worst thing is, if you travel in peak business hours, and don't book in advance, you are paying as much as you ever paid for a business class fare with Cityjet or Aer Lingus back in the good old days.

I suppose this is democracy/capitalism :mad:

Bring on carbon penalties and other taxes that will hopefully scupper their business model :D

Please tell me there are other people that agree?

That's capitalism for you, you don't like it get the Irish to do something about it :D

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

For instance,
1) the new Pier D at Dublin that is being built doesn't have airbridges so O'Leary can save a few bob. We live in a very wet country yet a new terminal is being built where we have to walk down 4 flights of stairs, then queue in the rain to climb another set of stairs. 10 years ago we used to walk from an airconditioned lounge straight into an airconditioned plane. Thats progress...

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Airbridges costs money for every 15 minutes you rent it so many airlines choose not to pay for it. Ryanair are not alone in this. Many full fair airlines don't use the air bridges.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

2) seats at the departure gate. You used to be able to sit until your row was called when you got on the plane and sat down. Now you arrive at the gate 50mins before the flight and stand in a long queue so you can be first on to fight for a seat. Seats have been removed at departure gates to make space for the winding queues of 200 people.

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I have to strongly disagree with that. I have never been to an airport where no seat at departure. The fact is people are idiots. I have seen people queue for 45 minutes in Cork just so they can have choice of seat on flight that lasts less than 1 hour. Cork has nice new terminal with nice new seats.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

We have to listen to O'Leary complaining that the Terminal 2 proposals are a waste of money. Presumably because they include "luxuries" such as seats and airbridges. Places like Liverpool, Beauvais and the like are what O'Leary views as state-of-the-art-terminals. Basically large cattle pens with no facilities.

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He does make some good points. Do the airlines that will use this section want luxuries? If they don't want luxuries why will they have to pay extra for them? i.e. higher passenger fares. Besides the DAA are proven incompetents & what is really required is new independent terminal or airport to remove their monopoly.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

3) space onboard is ridiculuous. People are getting bigger, yet O'Leary reduced the seat pitch on the new planes :eek:

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I would have agreed until recently when flew Cityjet (full fare, owned by Air France) & they use smaller jets & no legroom, narrow seats & almost no space in overhead luggage. Even the business class seats smaller than Ryanair 737s

Ryanair have their faults but in my limited experience they are probably the the most punctual airlines I have flown on. Flew Air France long haul recently & minimum of 1 hour delay both directions for no real reason. On the outward flight they started boarding 300+ person flight less than 30 minutes before takeoff. :rolleyes:

Even if you always fly full fare airlines you are undoubtedly paying a fraction of the price you would pay if Ryanair never existed.

Priority boarding is another joke. When it started a lot of people thought it was compulsory to book it. Personally I don't care where I sit. It's all the add ons he has that get me. Some people feel their missing something if they don't take up all the options. Now I believe he's charging you more if you check in at the airport rather than on line. Presumably because few people paid the extra for the online check in when it was introduced.

When I'm sitting down elaxing having a chat with friends I hate being interupted by people trying to sell me things be it in the pub, in my home or flying Ryanair. Lotto tickets, bus tickets, it drives me mad.

Funnily enough, despite all his badmouthing, he seldom fights a battle he can't win. He'll push the boat out to the limit, causing a load of aggravation along the way and then walk away.

Ryanair is for skinflints and students, leave them at it. It's only a matter of time before one of their flights drops out of the sky anyway. Natural selection in the technology age.

As for O'Leary, his fans'll stop laughing with him when the joke is at their expense. He'll get round to everybody in time. Man's a weasel.

adam

Still the most successful Irish business. I can't think of a more successful one anyway. At least O'Leary lives in Ireland & pays his taxes unlike Smurfit, Sir Tony & the other richest Irish.

If there was no Ryanair would cost 1000 euro to fly to London on the Aer Lingus - British Airways cartel.

BTW I think Ryanair too powerful in Ireland which makes it almost impossible to compete with them.

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Originally Posted by pete

Still the most successful Irish business. I can't think of a more successful one anyway. At least O'Leary lives in Ireland & pays his taxes unlike Smurfit, Sir Tony & the other richest Irish.

If there was no Ryanair would cost 1000 euro to fly to London on the Aer Lingus - British Airways cartel.

BTW I think Ryanair too powerful in Ireland which makes it almost impossible to compete with them.

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I remember in the 80's when flying to London cost about a weeks wages, now it costs less than a round of drinks.

On a journey that takes only an hour or two, I dont care where I sit. If I am travelling light, I love being able to check in on line. If I have to bring luggage then I make it my business to ensure I understand the charges.

I take about 20 flights a year with Ryanair and 90% (or more?) of the time, flights are on time and the fares are good value. I avoid the add-ons, I dont use Ryan for travel insurance, for car hire or for hotels and I tend to avoid the on-board hard sell.

Not sure if they make money from the likes of me, but if they continue to be profitable and continue what they are doing now, then long may it roll-on.

There's a pleasant feeling knowing you're not the only one ORA.:)

I simply refuse to fly Ryanair. I will and have flown out of my way to avoid using them and their 'services'. I will put up with eternal delays with other airlines happily rather than fly with them given my previous experiences at their hands.

If I wanted to be on a flying advertisement, I'll attach some wings to a JC Decaux billboard and see where it gets me. Probably closer to my ultimate destination.

It's a probably futile stance, but I'm happy :cool:

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Originally Posted by dahamsta

Ryanair is for skinflints and students, leave them at it. It's only a matter of time before one of their flights drops out of the sky anyway. Natural selection in the technology age.

As for O'Leary, his fans'll stop laughing with him when the joke is at their expense. He'll get round to everybody in time. Man's a weasel.

adam

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Wow you beat me to the cryptic prediction. But I'll go a little further. I dunno if it'll be next year or the year after but am certain it'll be within the next five years ....Ryanair will lose two planes in quick succession and when it happens Ryanair, as we currently know and ..erm ..love it, will be finished.

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Originally Posted by dfx-

I simply refuse to fly Ryanair. I will and have flown out of my way to avoid using them and their 'services'.

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Have to take my hate off to ye, fair play!

I cant stand these people that whinge about ryanair but still always end up flying with them!

If ye dont like them, dont fly with them ffs :rolleyes:

i personally love ryanair being an option - cheap flights, no bullsh!t with them either, thrown on and off the planes :D

I tend to fly ryanair alot more than any other airline tbh!

Yeah, never had a problem with them really. Plus, for a couple of recent trips, their phony airports have actually come in handy (Forli for San Marino and Bratislava for Vienna). I'd be the same as Superhoops - often no luggage, don't buy food or add ons, and I get to my destination just the same.

Wouldn't fly into somewhere like Frankfurt Hahn if someone else was flying direct to Frankfurt though.

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Originally Posted by Superhoops

I remember in the 80's when flying to London cost about a weeks wages, now it costs less than a round of drinks.

On a journey that takes only an hour or two, I dont care where I sit. If I am travelling light, I love being able to check in on line. If I have to bring luggage then I make it my business to ensure I understand the charges.

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yeah exactly

jesus those days you would have to safe for a few months to go to the UK..............little scallywags today dont know what hardship is all about!

thank god for ryanair......... for making flights cheap, and opening up europe, and for M O leary and his rants against Bertie and mary or rourke

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yeah, never had a problem with them really. Plus, for a couple of recent trips, their phony airports have actually come in handy (Forli for San Marino and Bratislava for Vienna). I'd be the same as Superhoops - often no luggage, don't buy food or add ons, and I get to my destination just the same.

Wouldn't fly into somewhere like Frankfurt Hahn if someone else was flying direct to Frankfurt though.

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Can't understand them selling things on short haul flights. Even on shorter hops from Bristol. I know the cabin crew get commission but it's ridiculous.

I'd rather Barcelona than Reus and Gerona or Charles De Gaule to Beauvais.

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Wow you beat me to the cryptic prediction. But I'll go a little further. I dunno if it'll be next year or the year after but am certain it'll be within the next five years ....Ryanair will lose two planes in quick succession and when it happens Ryanair, as we currently know and ..erm ..love it, will be finished.

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Ah Jesus. I'm petrified of flying at the best of times. Wish i'd never read that, I'll never be able to use Ryanair again now! (having said that, i do all in my power to avoid using them anyway).

I obviously have a problem with Ryanair, or more particularly their attitude to workers, but attempting to put my consumer hat on...

I don't see why it's that hard to allocate seats as Aer Lingus do - either book them on line, or you get allocated (with no choice) at check in. Save's the ridiculousness at check in.

The charging for loaded bags is pure opportunism in a security environment that restricts what you can bring on board with you. Speaking of security, it fills me with confidence that one check on the baggage and passport is removed by all this online booking. Total shift of responsibility from themselves. I've no problem with them creaming it in on the on flight food and drink and whatever else that are genuine extras - booking in and bringing bags aren't extra's. It worked out cheaper for my sister in law to post her and the nephew's clothes back and forth than pay the charges!

My experience of Ryanair punctuality is appauling, especially if there's a weather issue (they couldn't give a fook about the first flights due out). For convenience as much as price it used to suit me to get the latter flights. Hand on heart, I've never got a Ryanair flight that hasn't been late departing/ arriving even allowing for shorter than scheduled flight times.

20 minutes isn't long enough to turn around, hence the planes often look like a bus with the rubbish, just to complete the whole "like getting a bus" experience. It's a saftey/ security issue waiting to happen.

Admittedly it's about 10 months since I've flown, so I've no idea how low Mannion's brought Aer Lingus in terms of quality, but for the 4 years before that Aer Lingus has been cheaper or thereabouts for price compared to Ryanair. Too many people believe the hype, and Ryanair often isn't much cheaper.

The way flying is going is driving me back to the ferry for my trips to the UK. If I'm not going on my own it's not much more expensive when you take into account parking, baggage charges, check in charges etc. You can bring whatever you can fit in the car. Plus for me to Manch it's quicker anyway (going out, if not coming back) by the time you allow for M50, security at the airport, check in times....

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Originally Posted by pete

Still the most successful Irish business. I can't think of a more successful one anyway

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I'm fairly certain the big banks are more profitable.

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Originally Posted by stiofain

Ah Jesus. I'm petrified of flying at the best of times. Wish i'd never read that, I'll never be able to use Ryanair again now! (having said that, i do all in my power to avoid using them anyway).

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As a general rule there's no need to be scared of flying at all much less petrified. It's undoubtedly the safest way to travel due to the amount of back up systems, time to react in an emergency, general maintainance and standards being quite high.

Where I think Ryanair and a couple of more like them are going to run into a serious problem is that it is quite proabable that those who travel on those planes are unwitting guinea pigs in an experiment. The (unsought and undesirable of course) outcome of which may be tragic. Basically while the planes onboard computers, navigation systems, engines etc...are all quite up to date -the airframe itself and in particular the cabin is at most recent a 1960's piece of design.

It was scarcely envisaged when they were designed that these craft would be pressurised and de-compressed at the frequency they now operate at. It is probable that the life-span of these planes, which is generally only calculated in air-miles, is going to have be revised downwards considerably to take the new and still emerging situation with fast turn-around short haul flights into account.

If we're all lucky that'll just mean an increase in fares to pay for more expensive lesser lifespan aircraft. Sadly I don't think we're all going to be lucky.

Very interesting post Lionel.

Ive never had a problem im over and back to the UK quite a lot and i have to admit i wouldnt be able to do it with out them i simpley couldnt afford to fly Aerlingus all though there prices have fallen a lot , but they dont fly from and to the airports that i need .

I like the way they dont allocate seats, getting onto the plane is much quicker as you dont have some idiot that is three rows down deciding he has to stand in the aile to put his bags in the over head Part.

They have some of the newest planes and ive never come across one that is any less tidy than any other airline, I dont understand why people dont clean up afterthemselves anyway

I've only ever been on one flight that was late taking off that was 40mins and most land early.

They charge to check in ? then dont check in at the airport, do it online
They charge for bags ? so just bring hand luggage, if you really have to bring liquids just buy empty 100ml bottles and fill them thats what i did .You can easily fit 2 weeks worth of clothes into your hand luggage , I dont see why i should have to pay because some one else wants to bring a massive suitcase with them .

But even with all the extra charges they are still cheaper than most .

Still i think BMI baby was the best short haul airline ive ever flown with

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Originally Posted by anto1208

I like the way they dont allocate seats, getting onto the plane is much quicker as you dont have some idiot that is three rows down deciding he has to stand in the aile to put his bags in the over head Part.

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It may be quicker but you're still sitting down for 10-15 minutes before it moves so why the rush

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They have some of the newest planes and ive never come across one that is any less tidy than any other airline

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The last Ryanair flight I was on was filthy with wrappers all over the place. Generally its not bad but honestly shocked at how dirty it was.

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I've only ever been on one flight that was late taking off that was 40mins and most land early.

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I'd say its about 50/50 for me. Last flight was delayed an hour...

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You can easily fit 2 weeks worth of clothes into your hand luggage

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Thats patently untrue.

If 2 people book a flight and pay for 2 bags, they are charge extras galore. €6 credit card fee (they don't accept any other payment) per passenger, €12 per bag, and then another €6 per passenger to check in (as you can't check in online if you have a bag...)

Flying to Britain with them for a weekend is fine. Anything else doesn't end up eing that much cheaper...