Wow, there are a lot of seriously upset people on here when it comes to Ryanair.
Funny how things change, isnt it?
I myself have flown with them several times. I have to day that going back a couple of years, the noises from the punters were about late flights, cancelled flights and dirty planes, but they were damned cheap flights.
Nowadays they fly brand new Boeing 737-800's and have the best record in Europe for ontime flights, something around the 90% mark I am led to believe although I am prepared to stand corrected.
I have flown with them and not experienced a problem, although I have to say I am not a fan of the budget airline way of getting you onto a plane, ie open the gate and watch the scrum ensue!
More recently, things have changed, and prices have gone up what with all the add-ons. Easyjet are the same, although Ryanair are quite cute about the way they build things in when you book and expect you to delete them!
Nowadays its extra money for everything.
However, I flew Ryanair from Luton to
Girona this weekend, and I have to say that not seeing massive queues of idiots who dont know how to pack bags, overfill their baggage or simply fanny about at check in was a welcome sight. Checking in online meant no queuing for more than about 5 minutes as its all baggage drops, and if you have hand luggage only you go straight through security with no check in at all. BA have operated a similar system for a while which I have also experienced, and one which is obviously better because you choose a seat when you check in online and you tend to get better service. Although not better aircraft, as Mr O'Leary has bought well, its a good plane the 800 series.
My flights out and back were bang on time. The flight crew were helpful, polite and very cosmopolitan. The food on board was horribly over priced, but then I dont ever buy food or drink on a flight to be fair. Check in was a breeze both ends, and the only mildly stressful incidents were when the first person bolted to be first in the queue about an hour before the flight was due to leave, which created a free for all and a lot of tutting, and then the turbulence on the way home, but I dont blame Mr O'Leary for the weather.
Having said all that, I would not choose Ryanair to use for a ski holiday now that they are charging what they do for ski carriage. BA have now slipped down the pecking order with their ridiculous costs for this, so for me I will continue to use the charter airlines until they too increase charges in relation to these carriers. That might be the time to consider the drive to the alps. But until then I have to say, despite the rising prices, Ryanair now offer a better product and service than I have experienced before, and I guess like anything in life, you get what you pay for. I still dont understand the people who complain about paying excess baggage or check in fees when they failed to read the T&Cs when they bought the ticket online though. One person I know travelled with 12 people in a group, and they bought online obviously, and had to pay £480 when they turned up at Stansted as he had failed to check in online. His defence - no one reminded him. Ryanair do actually send you reminder emails now, but his 2nd defence was that he doesnt check his hotmail every single day. Incredible.
