Yet Again, Ryanair, the ******s

[hugo a gogo]

OK, more fool me for even considering using the shower of pricks, but it was tax free flights, me the missus and two kids, €50 each way to Manchester from 'somewhere near-ish' Düsseldorf

all well and good, take a risk

go through the booking; no - you can't have online check-in with an infant
€20 per person for check in at the airport
ok, thinks I, I'll check out the prices for just me and the littlun to check in at the airport, plus a second booking for the missus and the bigger littlun, of course you have to click all the way through to confirm before you see the final price

so, I've compared both ways of booking it, €228 for one booking for all of us
60€ plus 110€ if i make 2 seperate bookings

I go to the €60 booking - Mrs Hugo, and Little Hugoette, go all the way through, €60, credit card details, congratulations, confirmed booking 4 passengers check in at airport €228!

The fking booking computer has saved my details from the previous attempt where I just tried to see the price of booking all of us together, and processed that instead of the right one! I managed to click right back to the beginning and see where I started, in case it was my mistake, nope - 1 adult 1 child

And of course their 60 odd cent a minute 'helpless-line' is closed for the night

fking useless stbags and that crooked tt O'Leary

[andy-xr]

Probably cookies, if you havent paid yet then clear your browser and give it another go

[SeeFive]

This has happened to me, although not with Ryanair. I think it was FlyBe, who when I phoned and whinged about their silly defaults on their website said that it happens a lot, and changed my booking free of charge.

Here's hoping.

[308mate]

Cause this would never be discussed in a pub or a lounge would it.....

[bazking69]

I'm flying with this shower for the first time ever this Saturday. Lets see what they can possibly do to get my holiday off to a bad start...

[Puggit]

308mate said:

Cause this would never be discussed in a pub or a lounge would it.....

Don't even complain about over Mod-ing or Big Al will close the thread

[blueyes]

bazking69 said:

I'm flying with this shower for the first time ever this Saturday. Lets see what they can possibly do to get my holiday off to a bad start...

You know Riotair are monitoring your every email don't you?

Well now they know you're expecting a bad start to your holiday so they'll make sure it all goes perfectly: no queue at check-in or security, bags are 5kg overweight but they don't charge you, flight on time, plane half full, an emergency exit row just for you, happy intelligent staff... you know... just brilliant.

But beware... they are saving the hell for your return journey. You're all relaxed after your break, you had a good outbound trip and you have been lulled into a false sense of security. This is what will happen...

You turn up on time at the airport to find only 2 check-in desks open and a feckin massive queue, your bags are 1kg overweight but they decide to charge you so you have to leave the queue and queue and pay at a separate desk then push to the front of the queue. Trouble is, in the confusion, the idiot forgets to tag one of your bags and you'll never see it again. Then you'll queue for security and it'll take so long you'll have to run for your flight... only to find that it's been delayed for 3 hours... then cancelled due to some made up ste so that they don't have to provide accomodation, so you'll have to sleep in the airport on a trolley until the next flight the following morning. The next morning you won't be able to get on that flight because it's full so they'll offer to re-route you by taking 2 flights. The first flight will be delayed so you'll miss the connection and spend another 8 hours waiting for the next flight. Naturally any flights you actually get on will be packed, full of screaming babies and have no food or drinks on board. You will be sat next to a fat smelly weird man. Eventually you will arrive at your home airport, but none of your baggage will. They will offer you £15 for the problems. There will be feck all you can do about it.

So, my friend the secret here is forward planning. If you see the massive queue at check-in, go and buy another flight with a major carrier immediately.... it'll be easier.

have a nice holiday!

[hornetrider]

Puggit said:

308mate said:

Cause this would never be discussed in a pub or a lounge would it.....

Don't even complain about over Mod-ing or Big Al will close the thread

Guys I've just found the new way of looking at the P+P - are you using it? It's actually ok now (still not quite as good, but better).

Go to Gassing Station, and click the header title "Pie and Piston" and basically you get all the topics in the P+P sub-fora viewed together.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forumGroup.asp?...

Edited by hornetrider on Thursday 7th May 11:17

[hman]

this man speaks a LOT of sense!.


its the same with sleazy jet and any of the other budget jobbies

[hornetrider]

On topic - having never flown Ryanair before I was very close to booking what I thought were uber bargain tickets to Frankfurt - only to google the airport and find out it was 120k's from the city!

[Puggit]

Flew Ryanscare on business last week, Stansted-Bergamo.

Wasn't that much different to using bmi. I paid £3 each way for priority boarding, this also got me priority security at Bergamo.

I carried one bag, yet no one had bags weighed or measured. One woman got on at Bergamo with 4 bags.

Nothing like the hell I was warned about. I'd use them again, only I live nearer to Heathrow than anywhere else, and it's all on expenses.

[308mate]

hornetrider said:

Puggit said:

308mate said:

Cause this would never be discussed in a pub or a lounge would it.....

Don't even complain about over Mod-ing or Big Al will close the thread

Guys I've just found the new way of looking at the P+P - are you using it? It's actually ok now (still not quite as good, but better).

Go to Gassing Station, and click the header title "Pie and Piston" and basically you get all the topics in the P+P sub-fora viewed together.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forumGroup.asp?...

Edited by hornetrider on Thursday 7th May 11:17

I like it. Not least because it nullifies the change to this format in the first place.

[bazking69]

blueyes said:

bazking69 said:

I'm flying with this shower for the first time ever this Saturday. Lets see what they can possibly do to get my holiday off to a bad start...

You know Riotair are monitoring your every email don't you?

Well now they know you're expecting a bad start to your holiday so they'll make sure it all goes perfectly: no queue at check-in or security, bags are 5kg overweight but they don't charge you, flight on time, plane half full, an emergency exit row just for you, happy intelligent staff... you know... just brilliant.

But beware... they are saving the hell for your return journey. You're all relaxed after your break, you had a good outbound trip and you have been lulled into a false sense of security. This is what will happen...

You turn up on time at the airport to find only 2 check-in desks open and a feckin massive queue, your bags are 1kg overweight but they decide to charge you so you have to leave the queue and queue and pay at a separate desk then push to the front of the queue. Trouble is, in the confusion, the idiot forgets to tag one of your bags and you'll never see it again. Then you'll queue for security and it'll take so long you'll have to run for your flight... only to find that it's been delayed for 3 hours... then cancelled due to some made up ste so that they don't have to provide accomodation, so you'll have to sleep in the airport on a trolley until the next flight the following morning. The next morning you won't be able to get on that flight because it's full so they'll offer to re-route you by taking 2 flights. The first flight will be delayed so you'll miss the connection and spend another 8 hours waiting for the next flight. Naturally any flights you actually get on will be packed, full of screaming babies and have no food or drinks on board. You will be sat next to a fat smelly weird man. Eventually you will arrive at your home airport, but none of your baggage will. They will offer you £15 for the problems. There will be feck all you can do about it.

So, my friend the secret here is forward planning. If you see the massive queue at check-in, go and buy another flight with a major carrier immediately.... it'll be easier.

have a nice holiday!

I'll report back next week. I might be pleasantly surprised. I won't be disappointed if I am not though.

[hugo a gogo]

I've faxed Ryanair btw (only way to contact their laughably-named 'customer services' dept), with a lovely non-sarky letter asking them to refund the airport check-in charges or cancel the booking and re-book it properly

let's see what happens

[ianash]

I decided after my last flight with the O'leary cowboy's to never fly with them again. I'd rather pay a lot more and be treated properly than endure his shat service.

[hugo a gogo]

SUCCESS! Unbelievably I got an email this morning telling me they are crediting me €60!

the didn't seem to believe what happened with the wrong booking going through, but they say "Where a passenger is unable to avail of Online Check-in by reason only of a matter marked (*) - that is people travelling with infants - above any airport check-in fee paid will be refunded upon application. A refund of the airport check-in fee is only applicable to the person unable to avail of the service and not all passengers in the reservation."

might try and get them to waive the other check in fee

[blueyes]

bazking69 said:

blueyes said:

bazking69 said:

I'm flying with this shower for the first time ever this Saturday. Lets see what they can possibly do to get my holiday off to a bad start...

You know Riotair are monitoring your every email don't you?

Well now they know you're expecting a bad start to your holiday so they'll make sure it all goes perfectly: no queue at check-in or security, bags are 5kg overweight but they don't charge you, flight on time, plane half full, an emergency exit row just for you, happy intelligent staff... you know... just brilliant.

But beware... they are saving the hell for your return journey. You're all relaxed after your break, you had a good outbound trip and you have been lulled into a false sense of security. This is what will happen...

You turn up on time at the airport to find only 2 check-in desks open and a feckin massive queue, your bags are 1kg overweight but they decide to charge you so you have to leave the queue and queue and pay at a separate desk then push to the front of the queue. Trouble is, in the confusion, the idiot forgets to tag one of your bags and you'll never see it again. Then you'll queue for security and it'll take so long you'll have to run for your flight... only to find that it's been delayed for 3 hours... then cancelled due to some made up ste so that they don't have to provide accomodation, so you'll have to sleep in the airport on a trolley until the next flight the following morning. The next morning you won't be able to get on that flight because it's full so they'll offer to re-route you by taking 2 flights. The first flight will be delayed so you'll miss the connection and spend another 8 hours waiting for the next flight. Naturally any flights you actually get on will be packed, full of screaming babies and have no food or drinks on board. You will be sat next to a fat smelly weird man. Eventually you will arrive at your home airport, but none of your baggage will. They will offer you £15 for the problems. There will be feck all you can do about it.

So, my friend the secret here is forward planning. If you see the massive queue at check-in, go and buy another flight with a major carrier immediately.... it'll be easier.

have a nice holiday!

I'll report back next week. I might be pleasantly surprised. I won't be disappointed if I am not though.

Are you still stuck in an airport somewhere?

[bazking69]

Well, I'm back. Been there and done it. And do you know what? Not one issue apart from the horrendous price of drinks and snacks that I avoided anyway.
No delays, no check in problems, pleasant staff, straight off the plane each time at the other end. I was pleasantly surprised if the truth be told.

Coming back, we somewhat underestimated how long it would take to get back to the airport from Girona following a lazy and boozy lunch, and got to the gate with about 30 seconds to spare having thrown the car keys at someone who we presumed worked for the hire company in the car park and ran to the gate. Straight through with no jobsworth giving us a hard time, quick pint in the beer garden while all the other fools queued to get on the plane first, then straight on and in the air within 15 minutes.

Would I use them again? Happily, as long as the total price is still competitive.

Maybe I got lucky?

Edited by bazking69 on Friday 22 May 14:16

[Deva Link]

bazking69 said:

Would I use them again? Happily, as long as the total price is still competitive.

I think that's exactly right - you've got to condition yourself to look past the headline minimal cost and look at the total, irritating though it is to see all the add-ons.

Must admit that I've always managed to avoid RyanAir, but I flew Liverpool to Barcelona on Easyjet the other day for £100rtn and I really couldn't fault it.

Compare that to Manchester to Munich by Lufthansa and I was pleased to *only* have to pay £440 for a recent trip. It's been up to £600 on some previous journeys.

[havoc]

Deva Link said:

bazking69 said:

Would I use them again? Happily, as long as the total price is still competitive.

I think that's exactly right - you've got to condition yourself to look past the headline minimal cost and look at the total, irritating though it is to see all the add-ons.

Must admit that I've always managed to avoid RyanAir, but I flew Liverpool to Barcelona on Easyjet the other day for £100rtn and I really couldn't fault it.

Compare that to Manchester to Munich by Lufthansa and I was pleased to *only* have to pay £440 for a recent trip. It's been up to £600 on some previous journeys.

I wouldn't comment on Ryanair without having flown with them. I have - twice.

After the first time I swore I wouldn't do it again, but the second time was a stag-do to Krakow so had no choice. Second was worse than the first:-
- Amateurish pilots.
- Cheapest most uncomfortable seats ever (wouldn't recline at all, no tray or even a pocket in the seat in front, therefore nowhere to put any food or drink other than your lap, whether you'd bought it at airport or on the plane. I've been on better-equipped and more comfortable buses!)
- No information at all about the (numerous) delays.
- Seemingly deliberate use of the airports furthest from the place they claim to be taking you to, adding £££ in taxis or trains to your cost.

By contrast easyJet are professionally run with pretty-decent planes, and even BMiBaby and FlyBe have many plus points.