The nightmare that is Ryanair
It’s interesting reading US weblogs when they wax enthusiastic about Ryanair, typically on the foot of this BusinessWeek article.
Here’s the thing — flying Ryanair is a deeply unpleasant experience. I’ve heard rumour that their staff are paid commission based on how many discretionary charges they can pile onto the basic fare — leaving you feeling nickled and dimed at every turn — and that certainly matches with my experience. I mean, I’ve had better service in train stations in Uttar Pradesh.
In our case, our “no more” moment was after a trip to Spain earlier this year, where we were humiliated for attempting to shift around luggage instead of immediately paying the charges liable once you exceed 15 kilos (33 pounds). (Naturally, there’s no weighing scales until you get right in front of the check-in desk…) Once it became clear we didn’t want to pay the fee, the check-in person screamed at us, and sent us to the back of the check-in queue – like bold schoolchildren!
This level of service is pretty standard, going by local word of mouth. Several of my friends have, like me, vowed never to fly them again, even picking more expensive flights to more distant airports to avoid it.
It’s certainly not comparable to JetBlue, or any other low-fare airline I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with — this is a level below. The BusinessWeek article ends with:
American long-haul discounters aren’t likely to go to the extremes Ryanair has gone to sell basic services, but they’re paying more attention to Ryanair these days. “They’re on the cutting edge,” says Tad Hutcheson, vice-president for marketing at AirTran, which recently assigned two marketing staffers to spend a week flying on Ryanair. “Charging for Cokes or snacks, blankets or pillows–I’m not sure Americans are ready for that.”
Well, I certainly hope not, for their sakes!
annette said,
November 22, 2006 @ 7:32 pm
I’m one of those people who has vowed not to fly ryanair unless there’s absolutely no other route available. I’m going to Paris over new year and it will be Aer Lingus all the way..good manners and courtesy shouldn’t be contingent on the price of a ticket or the wages of staff - it’s free gratis - wonder if O’Leary will work out a way of charging for “customer service” one of these days?
Micheal said,
November 22, 2006 @ 8:19 pm
Yeah also flew Ryanair and wouldn’t go again unless I had to. A group of us were left in Krakow,Poland due to a cancelled flight. It wasn’t a case of making an announcement on the cancellation and then advising us what to do. Thye basically told the people at the top of the queue where we were waiting to board the shuttle bus to the plane that the flight was cancelled and that the shuttle bus would take us back to arrivals to collect our bags and not to the plane. Then after that it was chinese whispers and absolutely no help in relation to how we could get out of Poland. I know they are no frills but a bit of advice and a proper announcement doesn’t cost anything.
ben said,
November 22, 2006 @ 8:39 pm
It is a vile, unpleasant airline to fly, no question, but I fly long-haul enough that I really don’t care about service on a short flight. Anything less than two hours or so I’m willing to do standing up for the right price, and I’m all in favour of them operating on commission, because they’re not getting a nickel or a dime out of me.
Justin — when you uncheck “Notify me of followup comments”, and click preview, it gets checked again. I discovered this on a very Perl-heavy thread.
Justin said,
November 22, 2006 @ 9:10 pm
yeah, sorry about that Ben — looks hard to fix. so don’t do that, then. ;)
here’s the thing — the nickle-and-diming is nonconsensual. If you get stung for baggage fees due to carefully-obfuscated weight requirements, or abandoned in Krakow, it’s not anything to do with something you did — it’s a lot closer to a scam.
Micheal said,
November 22, 2006 @ 11:09 pm
Yeah, some reckon its a scam between airlines i.e. Ryanair refund the cost of the cheap flight and then a “good samaritian” airline comes in and charges you through the nose.
Aaron said,
November 22, 2006 @ 11:33 pm
I am a frequent flyer. I know my luggage limits, I pack my sandwich, I live close to a hub and can fly anywhere in Europe for a maximum of $30 (including taxes). Sure, it’s not luxury, but very practical.
annette said,
November 22, 2006 @ 11:39 pm
All of that assumes the flight takes off of course! That’s where most of the problems are with Ryanair unfortunately - being abandoned in the middle of nowhere with no information and no recourse to alternatives.
d said,
November 23, 2006 @ 1:15 am
Actually, the most worrying part is that the employment regime for the people up front (pilots) is such that they pay only as little as possible. They get bonuses for being fast and have a habit of reducing safety margins down to a point that there is no margin. Horror stories abound. I certainly won’t be flying on them!
ben said,
November 23, 2006 @ 1:18 am
I’m with Aaron on this one. I know when I buy a Ryanair ticket that I’m getting something rather different from what we used to expect when we bought an airline ticket, and I’m willing to put up with that in exchange for cheap, convenient flights to lots of places I want to go. Ryanair can also be thanked for driving down prices at the better airlines, too — it cost me less than E100 including taxes to fly Aer Lingus from Dublin to Jersey, making a trip that until quite recently would have been an ridiculous indulgence into a cheap weekend away. And I saw aye-ayes.
adam said,
November 23, 2006 @ 8:46 pm
I’m a customer service and just plain politeness guy, I won’t fly with ignorants.
Malgorzata Sudol said,
November 28, 2006 @ 11:59 am
Hello Everybody, I really welcomed cheap flights, and use Ryanair to fly to Poland, where I come from. I am happy with them. It is a shame that the member of Ryanair staff happend to be rude to you but this does not mean we should launch a campaign against them. It would be simplier and useful just to make a complaint against this particular member of staff. I am sure this would be a constructive idea. Malgorzata Sudol Chelmsford
Prem said,
November 28, 2006 @ 12:28 pm
Well, I don’t think RyanAir is that bad. Alright, I agree that the clerk at the check-in desk has no right to shout you - the problem is with that particular person! I’ve found very good and helpful staff at RyanAir!
Again, you are paying just €20 to go to Krakow, or €10 to Madrid, compared to over €150 deal you may get with Aer Lingus. Even if you are ready to pay the baggage excess fee at Ryan Air, pay for a blanket and €5 fees for paying with your credit card…. I’m sure it’s still cheaper than flying Aer Lingus!
And, hey, I always fly with no baggage, and I have a Visa Electron (hey, no fees with RyanAir!), and I can drink my coffee at home before taking the flight. Why should I pay more?
Katrina said,
December 11, 2006 @ 10:50 pm
My husband just called me from Italy where he had to fly Ryanair for the first time for business - not his choice.
NEVER again. They were on him the whole flight. The stewardesses were rude to the point that one of his co-workers asked him what he did to them and if he had ticked them off on some previous flight! He had never flown them before.
He was told he had to wear his hat or put it under the seat - he couldn’t have it on the seat next to him. There was an empty seat between him and his co-worker so he put up the armrest and was told it was illegal. Then to top it all off - near the end he was told he HAD to put on his jacket for the landing. WHAT?! So he did - backwards like a straightjacket just so it was on…well the stewardess actually came up and told him he HAD to put it on the right way?! OMG! I don’t care that there are 5 of us in our family - he will NEVER fly this way again. I don’t care if he has to fly a different airline and pay for it out of pocket - this is plain rude and ridiculous!
Aaron said,
December 11, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
Just to be fair, stowing your stuff in the overhead containers or under the seat in front of you for take offs and landings is standard procedure in any airline (at least here in Europe).
If you have your jacket on backwards and there is an emergency then you become a danger to your fellow passengers, just like if your crap is banging around the cabin.
Don’t diss the flight attendants, most of the stuff they have you do is straight out of the manual anyway.
Katrina said,
December 11, 2006 @ 11:28 pm
You must work for Ryanair.
The stewardess were rude and nasty. And you cannot tell me that:
A. Having a hat on the EMPTY seat next to you (a Scottish wool cap) is illegal as they claimed. B. Putting your jacket on backwards or having to put it on at all is illegal, again as they claimed. C. Having the arm rest next to him, with an empty seat next to him is illegal, AGAIN as they claimed. D. What is the difference from my husband having his jacket over his lap, as opposed to having one of their ‘paid for’ blankets in his lap?
I think they get away with their rudeness at this point because if my husband were to speak back it would be ‘air rage’ and he would get in trouble, so they know they can give people hard times with no repercussions.
adam said,
December 12, 2006 @ 12:25 pm
Please compare like with like, and refrain from parroting the Ryanair price lie:there is no such thing as a €20, never mind €10. Not with Ryanair, not to any destination, not with any airline.
adam said,
December 12, 2006 @ 12:27 pm
Of course that should be “€20 flight”.
Aaron said,
December 12, 2006 @ 1:13 pm
Frankfurt -> Norway
EU 3.40 = get into frankfurt EU 12 = bus to Frankfurt airport EU 0.02 = Ticket (bought 3 months in advance) EU 39 = Tax (which ryanair held on to for 3 months before giving to the airport - if it ever go to the airport) EU 20 = bus to and from where I wanted to go in Norway EU 12 = bus back to frankfurt EU 3.40 = bus back to my home
Total cost EU 89.82 Total travel time approx 12 hours
Prem said,
December 12, 2006 @ 5:01 pm
Again, I don’t really understand why you complain about RyanAir. You are paying really low prices, and you get an excellent service for what you pay. I hardly got a flight delayed, and I use RyanAir almost twice every month. Also you pay airport tax 3 months in advance if you book then with ANY company.
The poor stewardess is only doing her job and complying with the legislation and safety. They are not paid nor get commission for being rude. Really. If you cooperate and you are nice, they are nice. Probably it was you the passenger who was rude or just didn’t feel to cooperate!
And yes, you can fly Madrid for €10 and Krakow for €25, including tax. I’ve done that
Eoin said,
December 12, 2006 @ 5:42 pm
They don’t save you money in the long term as they’ll screw you over eventually. When a connection is delayed, cancelled, etc, you’re hung out to dry. It will then cost you a bundle. About 400 euros in my case. Oh yeah and a missed day off work, whatever that ended up costing. I have never flown with them since if there was any possible alternative. And it’s not cheap-flight bashing, as some here seem to think. All the other no frills airlines are grand. FlyBMI, easyJet, etc, I’ve used them and would happily do so again. They are fine. It is only Ryanair who are like this. Ryanair - the customer’s enemy. A guy I play football with used to be a pilot with them until recently. He has some stories to tell. The one thing I have to say is that the staff are getting just as sh*ttily treated as the customers. Looking forward with real pleasure to the day they go belly-up. And they will. When other low frills airlines start really competing, their customers will desert them in droves.
Catherine said,
December 12, 2006 @ 6:33 pm
The stewardess was not “just doing her job” she sounds incredibly rude. I can’t believe you tried to justify her comments by saying a jacket on backwards could be a danger to other people, that is just ridiculous. Like your arms don’t move in when you have your jacket on backwards.
They are rude because they know they can be rude. There is no phone number for customer service on the ryanair website (for a reason) simply a postal address. I complained about our flight to Spain in writing and surprise surprise, received no reply. When we asked for the womans name in Spain who was rude to us they refused to give it. They know that this attitude is tolerated and now it seems encouraged by the company.
I am voting with my wallet and refuse to fly with them. There is always a better and generally equal in price means of getting to your destination
Dave said,
January 12, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
I flew Ryanair once a month from Stanstead to Tampere and back for two years. In all this time we were late only once due to security at Stanstead. I booked on line read the baggage instructions and charges, weighed my bags before I left home and I have never had to pay any extra. For an average of less than 50Euro return I don’t expect a lot of bowing and scraping from employees, having said this I never had a member of Ryanair be rude to me. On the other hand I have seen a lot of customers be blatantly offensive to employees who are only doing their job. Sure every company has good and bad but wise up it’s a system that works if you are prepared to work it. I’d rather have the money in my pocket than a phoney smile and plastic food.
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
January 16, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
I hope Ryanair goes belly up and that their moron O’Leary is locked away in ana asylum for good. Ryanair is a menace and generally I feel that the emergence of so many “low cost” carriers which are not incidentally all “low fare”, has had a huge negative impact on the environment - so yes, hefty taxes should be implemented. Isn’t it time that their expansion was thwarted. There is really no need to fly from Girona to Nykoping for example for 1 euro, nor is there any need to fly from Hong Kong to London for 20 euro. People have really lost it. Aviation should once again become civilised and so it should remain so.
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
January 16, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
I would also like to add that O’Leary truly represents to the full extent what is truly dangerous and sour about capitalism today. I would suggest that flying starts becoming a luxury once more and something that should not be available to all. The huge global increase in airline fleets for the most part due to the emergence of low-cost carriers has accentuated the negative effects of climate change beyond control. Taxes should be increased across the board not only on legacy carriers but also throughout the “low-cost” industry. People should be made to pay - the environment cannot support any more aircraft. Air traffic control cannot support any more aircraft. Even though I would never wish people to suffer there is a part of me that says that “if only Ryanair planes start dropping out of the sky so that they would be forced out of business for good”.
Prem said,
January 16, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
Victor Theofilopoulos, All these statements by you are totally ridiculous - “flying starts becoming a luxury once more and something that should not be available to all” –> Why? We are not living in a communist or oligarchic society anymore. Everybody has the right to avail of services if the society has to offer it - “increase in airline fleets … effects of climate change” –> All of us traveling by car to our workplace is far more devastating. Turning on your computer and watching a plasma TV takes up an amazing amount of energy and hence damages the environment. Do you take a bus or a car to go to work? C’mon, we are not talking about owning a private jet, we are talking about hundreds of people packed in a plane - “Ryanair goes belly up” –> This means hundreds of people losing their job. You and everybody, please show a bit of concern to RyanAir employees. They have families, you know - “hefty taxes should be implemented” –> Taxes should be on fuel and other stuff such as alcohol, tobacco and luxury commodities. Travel is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Taxes don’t go to environment, they go to increased pointless security, marketing, promoting and building bigger and better airports. - “There is really no need to fly from Girona to Nykoping” –> Why not?
Tony said,
January 17, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
I am sure this has been mentioned a million times before but it is SO annoying. Sure the low cost carriers need to make a profit but why can’t they just be honest with their charging. I’ve booked twice in the last week with Ryanair; the payment details for each flight are (a) completely different and (b) incomprehensible. Taxes, fees and charges are 50% higher on one flight. One shows a credit card fee the other doesn’t even though they were paid for the same way. One shows a ‘wchr levy’ (which is a way I understand is a method of making money by ‘pretending’ that is the cost of insurance for the aircraft which is, so the Guardian claims, is quite untrue. One online ticketing experience managed to trick me into paying a ‘priority B’ charge (because that passenger was not checking a bag they charge for not having a bag and pretend you get a preferred seat which is clearly nonsense).
After one pays 8.58 Euro for a ticket and invoiced for 81.38 Euro one is left with the impression there must be an office full of Ryanair staff dreaming up the next way to scam passengers so the ticket price can be bumped up by close to 1000%. Sure there are taxes; I have just returned from Hong Kong and the tax on the ticket was less than £10.
Come on Ryanair; you might be doing good business now but there only needs to be an honest carrier emerge and you’ll be hurting as customers leave you in droves.
Peter said,
January 28, 2007 @ 7:35 pm
The last 3 tears I flew about 15 times to Rome from 3 different airports. All Ryanair. Almost allways we landed ahead schedule. For almost nothing. But yesterday we saw the flight from Dusseldorf being cancelled after 6 hours of waiting. No info nothing. The first flight we could buy new tickets for was 4 days later. I can get the refund for the cost of the cancelled flight: EU 10 ! Pff
Mary said,
January 29, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
I am travelling with Ryanair on 1 March, and will be using crutches following surgery. I now find that I cannot have a wheelchair (to try to avoid having my crutches kicked out from under me in the mad rush to the departure gate) because it was not booked with the flight. I am one of those who will only fly Ryanair if I absolutely have to, but I would have to go to Luton to fly Easyjet to my destination otherwise - not a good choice for an early flight from my home.
Their latest reaction to the imposition of increased air passenger duty - of refusing permission to fly to those who have not already paid it - is typical of their arrogance. Why can’t they collect at the check-in desk like other airlines? Maybe they don’t trust their employees to collect cash?
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
February 1, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Reply to Prem: I am not suggesting we revert back to a communist or oligarghic society but what I do want to stress is that the problem these days is that everybody wants access to everything at lowest possible cost.
I actually travel to work by tram, metro or bus - I still do not own a car and have chosen not to own a computer at home since I am on the PC all day at work and consider that my time at home can indeed be better spent rather than being “wired” there also. I am the type of person who wants to go the travel agent - who enjoys this human interaction - long lost in many people in order to buy an air ticket, who enjoys going out to buy a book and a cd rather than purchasing everything via the internet, who enjoys personalised service when buying a TV and other technology (incidentally I do not own a plasma screen) rather than going to all those ludicrous IKEA and MediaMarkt outlets where there is nobody to assist and if there is, they do not know anything about the product someone is purchasing and who also enjoys the frills of an airline company who actually does provide if their flight is cancelled, delayed etc (yes, I am sepakeing from personal experience) hence, not leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere. Don’t get me wrong but I am not a tree-hugging environmentalist. What I am saying however, is that “some” line must be drawn - people can no longer expect and demand to reap the benefits no matter the cost no matter the negative externality. Irresponsible capitalism is completely undemocratic and I just cannot understand the logic of “he has an SUV” so I want one too, he flies to Zurich so I want to get there too with 1 euro. Western society is truly out of league and treading in utmost futility.
Phil said,
February 12, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
I’ve just experienced the true colours of Ryan air. My wife booked flights to Nimes, France to attend my mother’s funeral. She unfortunately booked the wrong day on the outgoing flight. We tried phoning Ryan air without succes as it was a Sunday. We decided to rebook the correct flights and contact Ryan air to cancel the wrong booking not ever thinking this would be a problem. Of course the next day we came up against the inhuman brick wall “no refund policy”. I was given a Dublin teleophone number which was a recorded message with no options to actually talk to anyone. I then phoned the brick wall phone line and demanded to speak to a manager, I was then transfered to someone in Italy with no warning and the same brick wall response. Forgive me for being nieve but most companies I deal with simply sort out obvious problems like this without leaping on the opportunity to take your money (£470 in this case). This is the true face of the greed of Ryan air policies, nothing less than blatant stealing. I don’t know how Mr Ryan air or his staff sleep at night, total scum in my view.
Tilman said,
February 17, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
I can not say, thet the cabin crew or other members of the staff have been unpolite to me. May be, sometimes or more those people do not feel well in their clothes, they have to wear, which can not be called uniforms. Evidence is given by TUIfly, that a low cost carrier must not have a contract with a tailor, who should be killed better yesterday than tomorrow. May be, Ryanair makes low prices by styling the female crew like a gang of high level charwomen. This philosophy particualarly is presented by the smock-like coats.
But people must know, that this crazy Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary makes Ryanair crew pay for their own training, uniforms and meals. Staff have to use their own pens (The Independent). Any more questions?
Michael said,
February 20, 2007 @ 12:08 am
My family and I are never travelling Ryanair again if we can at all help it, regardless of cost and connection requirement. When Easyjet (reasonably good carrier) stopped flights from Gatwick to Cork, it left Ryanair the only option from those airports, near to home in the UK and family in Ireland. We travel frequently between UK and Cork, 3 to 5 times a year. Recent events have included cancelled and delayed flights, exceptionally poor service, excess baggage charges, escalating costs and comments from airport personnel (not working for Ryanair) along the lines of ‘well, you did book with Ryanair, so sorry, but that’s the way it is with them’, and ‘we don’t like having to handle Ryanair flights, so our commiserations, but in future book with someone else’. And that’s what we intend to do. Please encourage your friends and family to do the same. If we as passangers continue to vote with our feet, the company will either go out of business or management will change. (Not that O’Leary with 400+ million cares).
Philippa Makepeace said,
March 13, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
OK, so this chain shows pretty categorically that a lot of people dislike both the actual experience of flying and the online booking (your flight for £17 but here are the extra £40-50 charges attached). I’m not surprised - I hate it everytime I book and have vowed never again (only to find that I hve had to get two more flights this year - D’oh!)
Does anyone know if Ryanair can be taken to some kind of trading standards thing? I personally feel that their charging policy is unfair and the prices they show at the outset bear so less relation to the actual price that it is something that could be challenged under the trade desciptions act or something like that.
Charges for not travelling with a bag (£4 - priority booking aparently) and credit/debit card charges (oh yes, they charge you for using either on an online booking site - how else could you pay for heavens sake?) are unfair and should be included in the original cost.
Any budding lawyers out there want to test it???
Hilary said,
March 30, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
I’ve always found Ryanair okay though I have travelled with them for quote some time though I’ll be off to Friedsrichhafen one way with them soon so they can’t leave me stuck there. If anything I used to find the FR experience more than great cause there lovely pilots used to let me jumpseat with them & I experienced takeoff, landing & alot of laughs up there. Course that was all before 9/11. I know that they work their staff to the bone though noone is forced to join the company with a gun to their head. I suppose for years pilots were a fairly pampered lot and the pendulum has swung the other direction, O’Leary has no time for pampering them anyway.
Having to pay for my luggage has come as a bit of a shock though the ticket is still cheap. With Aer Lingus offering direct flights to so many more destinations fom Ireland my need to use Ryanair has decreased anyway. If I ever experience a horror story with them I’ll let you know.
I was brought up in the era when one had to nearly mortgage their house to fly such was its exclusitivity. I welcome its availabilty to everyone now but too worry about its possible effect on the environment since I major in that area.
Hilary said,
March 30, 2007 @ 6:26 pm
Sorry mean’t I haven’t travelled with them for quite some time. Sorry Opps!
Marcus said,
April 23, 2007 @ 10:10 pm
I am a frequent Ryanair customer and I have to say that they a the rudest, most unpleasant company I have ever dealt with.
I live in Finland and travel home to the UK and often on to France to visit my family and friends. Ryanair do not simply offer a low cost low thrills service they offer a chance to pay to be verbally abused and have your civil rights restricted. I’m not talking about cancelled flights or anything that happens to all airlines at sometime or other. I can list two very good examples that can be found time and again.
1 A Lady sitting across the aisle from me had purchased two seats for herself (why she cared that much I don’t know but she did.) This is allowed by Ryanair’s terms and conditions and has to be done on the phone. She has her print outs anywhere. The stewardess comes and asks the lady to move over so that a couple can sit next to her. The lady explains that she has booked and paid for 2 seats. The stewardess tells her that she is lying and after some arguing that her papers are made up. At this point I lean across and explain (Politely) to the stewardess that it says quite clearly on the website that it is possible and the printout of the passengers email should be enough for her to check. To this the stewardess replies “It says so on the website does it? Well show me the f***ing websites then! What you can’t? Well sit down in your [insert more choice vocabulary ] seat and Shut up!” after a bit more choice vocabulary and rather tried polite responses the stewardess left to the front of the plane. (the couple went and sat elsewhere whilst this was going on) Later In the flight I explained to another steward that I would like to make a complaint. They said I should write. This this I did and I was assured that the lady would as well. My response from RyanAir was” As you are unable to provide any truly substantial proof against our staff. We are unable to take matters further…. ….We hope that you will enjoy flying with us in the future….
Example 2 is short I promise:-) At Stansted airport there are clear signs explaining that all purchases made after security may be taken on-board the aircraft. However on the occasions that I have tried taking my half drunk coffee through the boarding gate I have been informed that it is “Ryanair security policy” that you may not carry hot drinks on to the aircraft. What is the sign written above to lady’s head. Yep that is right another sign saying you may take all purchases made after security may be taken on-board the aircraft!
Ryan Air are Rude and unpleasant. I fly with them because I cannot afford to fly any other way more than once a year. I fly less with them than I use to (proportionally to the decline in their service. and I can see myself finally not having the energy to put up with them again.
Joseph Simpson said,
May 27, 2007 @ 10:38 pm
I think the major problem with Ryanair is that when something goes wrong they do not want to know and literally leave you stranded. I´ve flown with all the budget airlines but what separates Ryanair from the rest is that they do not use major airports and they cancel flights literally at the last minute leaving people stranded with no other connections in that area for several days unless they travel to a different airport. I know from experience that I flew with Ryanair to an airport in the middle of nowhere so that I could bus it to where I really wanted to go. There was no bus at the airport, and Ryanair did not want to know. I had to pay for an expensive taxi - and after that experience, I will never EVER fly Ryanair again because they cannot be RELIED on.
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
August 8, 2007 @ 11:57 am
As an avid aviation industry enthusiast and as person who is especially sensitive to preserving cultural heritage and sustainable tourism and moreover as a person who has travelled to more than 80 countries worldwide, I would like to say the following concerning low-cost airlines:
The boom in low-cost airlines and the even larger boom of passengers using low-cost airlines is having devastating effects. First and foremost, I am no scientist and therefore I cannot state or claim with substantial evidence that the increase in aeroplanes has created or is creating climate change - however, I can and would like to comment on several issues being affected by the low-cost craze.
The low-cost craze culture in Europe is not only gripping the airline industry but also all other walks of life, when the only objective in today’s societies, if there is such a thing as a society today, is to a) get something as cheaply as possible from a customer’s point of view without having any feeling or obligation of responsibility and b) companies and firms who as their only objective seek to make as much profit as possible regardless of any other factors and indeed for their very customers who pay for their goods. This careless attitude and irresponsible void of any responsibility attitude is especially true of the low-cost airline industry in Europe and of the food industry in Europe.
The disintegration of the low-cost industry in Europe after its initial boom will thankfully taper off reaching a constant and eventually decapitating itself altogether thankfully and there are several factors for this.
a) there is no way that such low-cost fares being maintained especially in airlines such as Ryanair without jeopardising or indeed curtailing safety or otherwise b) such airlines receive under the cover grants and pay-outs from governments who are only too happy to keep their mouths shut as such airlines and their boom have created greater circulation of money, that is, greater economic activity c) they do not have any regard for the stranded passengers due to adverse factors such as weather conditions, problems at the airport (s) they choose to operate to and from, cancellations, diversions etc.. d) personnel of such airlines are rude (although I do not blame them realising the conditions in which they work), they have to but their own outfits, kit, gear, they are made to pay for overnight accommodation and food themselves, pilots of Ryanair and EasyJet amass approximately 800-900 Euros per month as a salary – in other words they feel dejection, low or almost no morale and basically could not care less for being a pilot with Ryanair for example. Pilots should get what they earn at serious airlines, Euro 8000 – 10000 per month as piloting is probably one of the most difficult jobs around. e) Such aggressive expansion of the low-cost everything mentality will boomerang and it has already boomeranged where some of the most pristine islands in Greece are purposefully shying away such tourists especially and concentrating on wholly entirely different tourism products – those which can sustainably see tourism being a dynamic, healthy and clean industry for years to come. It is better to have less tourism rather than tourism hell-bent on drinking alcohol to an excess and trashing wherever they go. f) Places such as Riga and Tallinn are turning more and more British people away at their major entry point which are their capital city airports since it seems they too are immensely fed up of British antics which include showing their filthy arses in public and drinking to such a point as to collapse into a coma on pavements and in bars and of course the unforgettable vomit. The low-cost tourist fortunately, at least from Britain, is finding himself being turned and shunned away or even refused service because they are British more and more often. Since British people are the mainstay of the low-cost airline, it will inevitably incapacitate greatly the low-cost airline product.
Yes as you may have already established, I am not the most purported or enthusiastic supporter of low-cost airlines or rather not of the airlines themselves but of that which they stand for. It is not responsible that people can think, and they do, that they can fly from London to Prague for example on a Euro 30 return fare. Such availability and choice for example, ruins and destroys places of particular natural beauty and cultural heritage. Yes tourism is an extremely important industry for countries and cities especially in the former eastern Europe but this needs to be sustainable. You simply cannot have almost 1000 English people per day descending on Prague and wishing to see nothing of this beautiful city – wishing only to do what they indeed do in their own country as well – drink, drink, drink, become extremely vulgar, violent, dirty and trash the place down. The low-cost revolution in flying has not only given access to sincere people wishing to travel who evidently could not previously travel, but alas and it is to a large extent, this revolution has also given rise to dominions of “Anglicanisation or Americanisation†everywhere – eroding traditional cultures, city character, people etc..
The low-cost airline industry is an industry like all others today where everybody bombarded via the media with beliefs that they can be a person of importance, a celebrity and that they can claim to be able to have a right to everything and anything. YES BUT WHAT ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY AND THE TRUE PRICE OF THIS FREEDOM OF CHOICE OR GOD-GIVEN CHOICE AS IT IS PUT.
To my mind flying should become a luxury once more and a fun thing to do, it should be an experience in the air where the full monty of aperitifs and a full meal service was served. Too much freedom of choice as it is called has dire negative effects as well, too much capitalism will result in so-called tourism destroying the very essence of it not being able either to re-plenish or re-quench.
I am only 32 but I feel that I do not belong in this world anymore – it’s as though I am old all of a sudden. Is the low-cost airline industry the only thing of concern to today’s traveler?
Si Lenphart said,
August 8, 2007 @ 11:58 pm
Excellent site. Keep up the good work !
A Higham said,
August 15, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
A friend & I had booked a Ryanair flight from Seville to London and a connecting flight from London to Guernsey with another airline. We had left 6 hours between these flights and bought travel insurance with Ryanair in case we missed our connection.
A “technical difficulty” with the Ryanair plane meant we were delayed by 5 hours, missed our connection in Guernsey, and had to stay in London to get a plane to Guernsey the following day. While waiting at the airport my Spanish friend helped us to ensure that we had the appropriate forms completed and stamped by Seville airport staff in order to claim expenses caused by our missed connection and resultant hotel costs.
When we asked for advice on what action to take on arriving in London the Ryanair flight attendant was actually rude to us. Although friendly, the handling agents in London also couldn’t help us. As instructed on our insurance documentation we booked the cheapest London hotel possible and kept our receipts. When we tried to claim back these expenses Ryanair and their insurance company refused to refund us.
I will try to avoid flying with Ryanair in future and will definitely not purchase their travel insurance.
Derek Pellowe said,
August 21, 2007 @ 11:53 pm
The latest catch penny by Ryanair is ‘buy a priority boarding pass and be amongst the first to board the aircraft’ This was not the case when I returned from gerona to Blackpool recently. The first group to board were the Check ‘n’ Go passengers - those who had checked in on-line - followed by the priority boarding passes. When queried with Dublin, the answer was basically ‘no-one forced you to buy a pass, so don’t complain!’
flies737 said,
August 22, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
hi folks,
just a few comments on ryanair,
Safety = prime objective (more then major high cost airlines) as one incident will be more of a problem for a low cost airline(all high cost airlines will say i told you so etc etc)
Maintenance = very good
Politeness cabin crew - many times not very as being overworked (6 on 2 off 6 on 3 off). Also many east europeans…what can i say:-(
Not having luggage and coats on first and last rows laying around = due to the people in these rows having to assist with evacuation (holding slides etc) they need to be able to get out quicker then other passengers as not to block them.(irish air law)
No refunds and quick cancelations = sad but true ryan is not to good with this i have to agree with many people here on that.
ryanair underpays staff and gives bonuses etc = cabin crew get payed netto between 1500-2000€ and get bonus for on board sales pilots get payed between 4000€ and 10000€ euros netto a month and do NOT get bonus for cutting corners and decreasing safety(they get fired for it)
ryanair not pampering passengers = if you want cabin crew to kiss your ass and heed your every wish dont fly ryan(pay 5 times more and fly a high cost airline). cabin crew in average will try to be polite but with average level of passenger politeness must be very hard…
For all i can reccomend ryanair if your want to get safely, cheeply and quickly from A to B. if you want to be pampered and taken well care of…fly high cost…
Ciao from Pisa
A RYANAIR CAPTAIN 737-800
Derek Pellowe said,
August 22, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Mmmmmm. We see both sides of the coin.
On the whole I found cabin crew to be reasonable people. The problems seem to be found the nearer you get to administration and Head Office in Dublin.
Reference was made to ‘Irish air law’. People abandoned in foreign places don’t want their ‘asses kissing’ they just want their rights under INTERNATIONAL law.
People who have been mis-sold services don’t want their ‘asses kissing’, they just want the service they have paid for, nomatter how minimal it is, and can accept the fact they won’t get a inch more.
I will make a complaint quietly, in a civil manner, without raising my voice. If I fail to get a reasonable response (even one with which I disagree) I will broadcast my experience on websites like this, and my own. I let others judge my actions and those of Ryanair. If it gets them more business, then bully for them ;)))))).
I fly Ryanair, not because the air tickets are cheaper, but because the saving in ancillary costs of transport, car parking, loss of earnings are substantial. If any of the other airlines did the route I need from my local airport, I would gladly pay double, or treble, the fare.
On a lighter side. I have complained twice to Ryanair, and neither was answered within the 7 days thay say they will. They publish figures to the effect that they receive 0.5% complaints per 1000 passenges, and reply to 99% within 7 days. They also claim they will fly 42 million passengers this year, which, by my calculations, puts me in a small group of 140 complainants. Am I special ??? Don’t think so. As the Irish trading standards authority has published figures showing that 9 out of 10 complaints from outside Ireland were against Ryanair, I reckon I am just another John Doe.
Matthew Bouchard said,
October 9, 2007 @ 12:42 am
I was in Krakow at the end of my round-the-world trip via train beginning in Singapore. I was tired after 77 days of travelling and decided to fly to London from Krakow. I had come from Kiev since the price seemed reasonable, but ended up having to buy the ticket at the airport, which was a shock at US$380 - double the day before. But they would get me to London, or so I thought.
We took the 10pm flight to Stanstead and all seemed well until while during take off - travelling around 300 KM/h - the pilot SLAMS on the brakes! I’ve never been more frightened on a plane. 15 minutes of silence yields only a terse comment from the captain saying “Air speed indicator showed a fault”, and were evaluating a second attempt. The flight was completely full.
Twenty minutes later and they announce the flight is to be cancelled. I thought it was a good decision until I realized what it means to be on a cancelled ryanair flight.
Once we arrived back in the terminal and Poland re-admitted me to the country - complete chaose ensued. There were no representatives. There was no instructions. It was 11:30pm and the airport had closed. There were no trains or cabs into town. Without information people eventually lined up at the small Ryanair counter….a line 110 people long. I was sure any minute a representative would come through saying either another plane had been dispatched or a bus to the hotel would arrive soon.
None of that happened.
I got in line…a chaotic mess in Poland. At 3am I finally reached the tired airport representatives. They gave no help aside from: re-book in two or three days or have refund, being left to eventually buy an inflated ticket by someone for last minute purchase.
At three am I didnt know what to do, so I did neither.
I sleep on the concrete floor in front of the counter to ensure I’d be first inline for the morning 10am flight back to London to make my connection to San Francisco. Thankfully, that plan did work, despite being kicked awake by security who said I was blocking the way. The flight back to London was pretty good. No complaints.
I am going to ask them for a reduction of my cost as paying full fare for a cancelled flight and a nights sleep on concrete doesn’t seem right to me.
If youre going to fly ryanair, never take the last flight and always have a backup plane. They cannot be replied on and can ruin your trip.
matt
Paul said,
January 6, 2008 @ 8:35 pm
This is a great thread.
I hope you all might enjoy my upcoming book on Ryanair.
http://www.paulkilduff.com/ruinair.htm
Hilary said,
January 8, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
Are you sure this isn’t just a case of sour grapes ‘Paul’, typical Irish begrudgery & fault finding of a fellow Irish person that’s done well & brought a whiff of fresh air to the old staid establishment. After all beneath is a quote from your website.
‘I wonder where it all went wrong. We both attended private schools in Ireland favoured by the cream of the country; rich and thick. We were at university in Dublin at the same time. We joined large accounting firms in Dublin. He almost qualified as an accountant, but I did. He left the profession to buy a few corner shops in Dublin, but I took a proper day job. One of us is now a multi-millionaire and one of us writes books.!’
I’m not saying Ryanair is perfect; in a operation that large there are bound to be snags & some customers are bound to feel aggrieved however whatever Michael has done wrong he has done unestimable good for the people of Europe (in particular Ireland) & the economy through opening up airline travel for the masses. Do we really want to return to the days of old when only the wealthy could afford to fly such was its exclusitivity, emigrants could rarely afford to return home & the economy was in the doldrums?
Fair play to Michael to stand in line & not pull rank & for having the balls to take on the old pompous establishment. However in the long run whether all these flights are good for the environment is another question?
Paul said,
January 8, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
A fair point but no its not begrudgery and hopefully in the full book there is a very balanced view and the above quoted para is more of a tongue in cheek comment than fact. i admire what they have done tremendously but i do wish they would show more interest in customers onboard which costs nothing.
Stephen said,
February 20, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
My wife who is from Irish, was going to visit her mother in Ireland who had a heart attack whilst my wife was in the middle of being treated with Chemotherapy and Radium after contracting cancer last year. This was a break in her treatment before she starts her Herseptin for another year. At Bristol airport, she got refused boarding by Ryanair after they refused her government recommended Citizen Card photo ID. She has used it on several other airlines with no other problems.
My son and his girlfriend who took time off work to go over with her, asked the Ryanair girl on the help desk to phone head office and ask them as this card is recommended by the government and MP’s. After a moan or two she did this, only to say to the person on the other end “I know you’re going to say no but I have to ask anyway”. Really upset and stressed, my wife had to wait on her own for three hours for me to get down and pick her back up again, she couldn’t even use the toilet as she could not leave her case.
My son and his girlfriend had to continue the journey without her and were upset at having to leave her at the airport. I managed to re-book her with AerLingus from Birmingham the next day costing me, with total expenses, over £200 extra with no refund from Ryanair for the original fare. AerLingus accepted the Citizen ID card with no problems at all. Ryanair treat you as if you should be privileged to fly with them, they don’t see you as a customer.
We will never fly with them again.
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
April 21, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Stop flying Ryanair and other low cost idiotic carriers who have no respect whatsoever for the passngers they carry.
The expansion of aviation is killing the environment and causing irreversible permanent damage. There is simply no reason whatsoever to fly from Stansted to Gerona for 5 pounds. If one wants to fly - then they should pay - pay in full for the environment they are destroying.
Especially with this huge increase in oil prices, we should do more to refrain from travelling willy-nillingly and only travel if absolutely necessary.
STOP THE LOW-COST INDUSTRY NOW - IT IS DESTROYING THE ENVIRONMENT!!
Hilary said,
April 22, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Victor, do I know you? :)
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
April 23, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
Hilary, how would you know me? :)
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
April 23, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Hilary, there;s always a chance, but how would you know me? :)
Hilary said,
April 23, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
Sorry for going off the subject but your name sounds remarkably like an Aussie from Perth who lives in Dublin & runs an aviation site called Dial a Shop or something. Would I be correct? If so I reckon you know who I am, I rang your department at work one day to report something re: the internet not knowing you worked there. You answered the phone & I recognised your voice. If it’s you we’ll have to stop bumping into each other unexpectedly like this LOL. BTW if its you I saw u on the street the other day returning home from work.
Victor Theofilopoulos said,
April 24, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
Hello Hilary,
I’m afraid I’ll probably be diasappointing you by saying to you that I’m not the Victor you believe to be.
Yes although I am Victor 100% through and through and Greek I live and work in Athens, Greece in a Consulting firm. I basically went to school in the UK, Manchester and to university in London. I have been living in Greece permanently since 1999.
Take care // thanks for your interest.
It’s a good forum this - it’s a real pity about Ryanair’s bad practices and completely unethical business philosophy.
Samantha said,
April 30, 2008 @ 1:22 pm
The low-cost airline industry especially when one feels they have the right to travel to another country for a few euros is causing irreversible damage to the environment. If you want to fly then you must pay for it - if you can’t afford it then tough luck! Ryanair must be stopped as it is a dangerous airline. I am an air traffic controller in London at the Swanwick air traffic control centre and time and time again Ryanair pilots ignore or override air traffic control regulations and instructions in order to save money. Alone in London, Ryanair has been responsible for over 18,000 air traffic control infringements for ignoring international regulations concerning vertical and horizontal aircraft separations especially during complex descent flight patterns for London Airports wishing to cut 30 seconds and 1 minute off flying time to save costs and playing for your lives. Do not fly Ryanair - they are a very dangerous airline infringing even the minimum safety reuqirements of the CAA and of the European Aviation Safety Regulatory Commission. Time and time again serious reports have been filed to the EU Commission which allows itself to be bribed and conned by Ryanair CEO creating immense pressure on us controllers as we are not allowed to speak freely of such incidents. I am and I don’t give a donkey’s any more about the job or if I loose it or not. I am damn serious, Ryanair and other low-costs are causing major safety breaches all across the EU especially in the south-east of England where the air space is already heavily congested claiming that they are not getting preferential treatment as opposed to the legacy carriers. Why should they get preferential treatment - they are an airline like all others - if theycan’t bear the cost and the responsibility, then they should pack up and go home and cease their operations and do us all a favour.
RYANAIR IS DANGEROUS - THEY ARE PLAYING WITH YOUR LIVES AND WITH THE LIVES OF OTHERS - THEY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 18,000 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INFRINGEMENTS THIS YEAR ALONE IN THE LONDON AIRSPACE.
Mark said,
May 9, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
I’m Irish and I say do not fly Ryanair - although it provides jobs it will eventually kill the Irish economy through its horrific business practices. I have unfortunately flown thrice on Ryanair and all were an abismal experience. Never to fly on them again I might add.
They are also a very unsafe airline - I have also heard of numerous incidents concerning safety issues.
They are also responsible for helping to further destroy the environment. I guess I would agree with most people I talk to, that if you want 2 fly u got 2 pay…No more of this cattle-market cheap fares business.