Ryanair - My Doctor's Opinion

[Renato1]

Pony up means come up with the cash.

So you're not penalised with a non-EU passport for having to use "normal check in" if you haven't paid for the airport checkin option?

IMHO the rule is more about airline staff needing to check if the non-EU pax needs a visa and/or onward ticket out of the country concerned so as to avoid a hefty fine of USD5,000.00 for flying a pax into the country without the correct travel documents.

I've never heard that expression, thanks.

As anato1 says, there isn't any extra fee, and I've never seen such mentioned in the litany of complaints at the review sites.

I am really hoping they turn out to be as good as my Doctor says, as they flew to quite a few interesting places directly out of Treviso (which is only about 40 minutes drive from where I stay in Italy.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've never heard that expression, thanks.

As anato1 says, there isn't any extra fee, and I've never seen such mentioned in the litany of complaints at the review sites.

I am really hoping they turn out to be as good as my Doctor says, as they flew to quite a few interesting places directly out of Treviso (which is only about 40 minutes drive from where I stay in Italy.
Cheers,
Renato

i think you need to define 'great' (as per your doctor)

they are 'great' for cheap fares (if you buy at the right time), and they are 'great' for flying to/from some secondary airports which may suit some people.

but out aside from that... you get nothing. absolutely nothing.

not even a reclining seat. no food, no coffee or tea. it's like riding a suburban bus, only with less leg room. and more people.

crews may or may not be friendly just like any airline (full cost or low cost). And there is no reason for them to treat you any better just because you have paid a few dollars more to sit in a premium seat. A good crew will be friendly to everyone.

however... it's totally possible you might think you're having a better flight if you are at the front and able to stretch your legs, rather than being squashed like sardines anywhere else in the plane. A one hour delay will not be as hellish sitting at an exit row compared to row 155 with 1000 people sitting on top of you.

 

[dajop]

A little dramatic no? For most people on short flights ( <2 hrs) the distance between seats is probably fine. It's listed on seatguru as having 30" pitch - which is also what Qantas is listed as having in their 737-800s (same plane type). They do have 21 more seats (soon to be 15) . Having no recline when squeezed in like this is a good thing IMHO!

 

[Renato1]

i think you need to define 'great' (as per your doctor)

they are 'great' for cheap fares (if you buy at the right time), and they are 'great' for flying to/from some secondary airports which may suit some people.

but out aside from that... you get nothing. absolutely nothing.

not even a reclining seat. no food, no coffee or tea. it's like riding a suburban bus, only with less leg room. and more people.

crews may or may not be friendly just like any airline (full cost or low cost). And there is no reason for them to treat you any better just because you have paid a few dollars more to sit in a premium seat. A good crew will be friendly to everyone.

however... it's totally possible you might think you're having a better flight if you are at the front and able to stretch your legs, rather than being squashed like sardines anywhere else in the plane. A one hour delay will not be as hellish sitting at an exit row compared to row 155 with 1000 people sitting on top of you.

Yes, it's all subjective. But my Doctor does travel a lot, and he'd have told me "garbage" if he thought it so.
He did specifically say that Ryanair staff definitely seemed to give more consideration to those who'd paid the extra money.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A little dramatic no? For most people on short flights ( <2 hrs) the distance between seats is probably fine. It's listed on seatguru as having 30" pitch - which is also what Qantas is listed as having in their 737-800s (same plane type). They do have 21 more seats (soon to be 15) . Having no recline when squeezed in like this is a good thing IMHO!

Well... I'm speaking from the perspective of someone over 6 foot. So maybe I'm a little biased!

 

[OATEK]

We flew EasyJet KRK-LGW because it was the only direct flight we could find. Paid extra to sit at the front, and for priority boarding and had a pleasant flight. KRK was small, but far more enjoyable than LGW where we were herded into pens in a confined space and snarled at by officials. Made LHR seem positively friendly.

Did and Air Berlin flight TXL-KRK, and again paid extra to sit at front and found it a pleasant flight.

The young-uns have flown RyanAir and said it met their expectations - play by the rules, print the passes, and take your own snacks on board.

 

[anat0l]

A little dramatic no? For most people on short flights ( <2 hrs) the distance between seats is probably fine. It's listed on seatguru as having 30" pitch - which is also what Qantas is listed as having in their 737-800s (same plane type). They do have 21 more seats (soon to be 15) . Having no recline when squeezed in like this is a good thing IMHO!

It may say 30", but it seem surprisingly tight. Perhaps part of it is to do with the non-reclining seating, the backs of which are as hard plastic as you'll get. Luckily Ryanair doesn't have separate safety cards (it is imprinted on the backs of the headrests) or literature, so the net where the literature normally sits is completely free of material.

I guess the seats themselves are also a bit chunky. For most of the flights that Ryanair operates, it is probably fine for most people (the flights I have taken with Ryanair are about 2 hours, approximately the same time as a BNE/MEL flight). Myself, I am not the fittest person, but I find it alright. The typical European would likely have no problem. Finally, at the risk of sounding pretentious, let's not forget how much you're paying for the seat (although, hell, to fly with another carrier anyway...)

Yes, it's all subjective. But my Doctor does travel a lot, and he'd have told me "garbage" if he thought it so.
He did specifically say that Ryanair staff definitely seemed to give more consideration to those who'd paid the extra money.
Cheers,
Renato

No offence to your doctor, it's just funny because it seems he has good "knowledge" on this topic since he is a doctor. Of course that is not the idea nor intention, since you mentioned he travels a lot, so he is giving his opinion which is respected through experience. Again, not an attack on him, just saying that it could have been easily misinterpreted upthread.

Well... I'm speaking from the perspective of someone over 6 foot. So maybe I'm a little biased!

Yeah, you'd probably have a bit of a hard time.

Let's not forget that it more depends on the length of one's legs than overall height generally.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

No offence to your doctor, it's just funny because it seems he has good "knowledge" on this topic since he is a doctor. Of course that is not the idea nor intention, since you mentioned he travels a lot, so he is giving his opinion which is respected through experience. Again, not an attack on him, just saying that it could have been easily misinterpreted upthread.

Unless the doctor accompanied the crew down the length of the aircraft, how would he even know he was treated better (on any given flight) than 'the budget travellers down the back'?

 

[anat0l]

Unless the doctor accompanied the crew down the length of the aircraft, how would he even know he was treated better (on any given flight) than 'the budget travellers down the back'?

Could be the benefit of multiple experiences (e.g. some at the front with premium, some at the back without it).

You do have a point; in fact, I would have thought that the crew treated everyone more or less the same, subject to the crew and the passenger not being difficult (either or both of them).

 

[UP4014]

I'm pleased your Doctor thinks they are good.

I will not fly them regardless.

Matt

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Could be the benefit of multiple experiences (e.g. some at the front with premium, some at the back without it).

It could be the days they sat in the 'budget section' they had a bad crew, and everyone was treated equally badly. And they lucked out with a good crew (treating everyone equally well) on the days they had an expensive seat. Unless you accompanied the crew down the aisle, how would you know?

More research required

(I still think perception has a lot to do with it... a CX or KA flight with a free exit row courtesy of OW status seems much (much!) more enjoyable than the same flight in a regular seat!)

On Ryanair, it might be that if you have paid for an exit row you at least get a 'hello how are you?' from the crew before they ask you the relevant safety questions pertaining to that seat. That interaction from the crew might be considered 'better service'.

 

[Renato1]

Unless the doctor accompanied the crew down the length of the aircraft, how would he even know he was treated better (on any given flight) than 'the budget travellers down the back'?

He was talking more about outside the plane before boarding, that the courtesy and attention being paid to him and his wife was noticeably different.

Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

A little dramatic no? For most people on short flights ( <2 hrs) the distance between seats is probably fine. It's listed on seatguru as having 30" pitch - which is also what Qantas is listed as having in their 737-800s (same plane type). They do have 21 more seats (soon to be 15) . Having no recline when squeezed in like this is a good thing IMHO!

I'm a smidgeon under 6ft, and the two hour flight on Iberia from Rome to Madrid was excruciating because of the way my knees were jammed into the hard front seat. When I though ten minutes had passed, I'd look at my watch only to see that three minutes had actually passed. The flight seemed never ending.
Regards,
Renato