Free Airline Tickets

[skintsaint]

Basically Ryanair are doing free flights for travel over the next couple of months if you book by tomorrow night because of a BBC documentary which lied.

 

CHECK IT OUT

[sotonjoe]

you'd have to be mad to fly wth them.

[benjii]

you'd have to be mad to fly wth them.

 

Why?

[Wilko]

Basically, Ryanair were shown up as the mugs that they are and are doing this publicity stunt to try to save some face.

[benjii]

Basically, Ryanair were shown up as the mugs that they are and are doing this publicity stunt to try to save some face.

 

You reckon? :smt041

 

I don't see why people hate them though. At the end of the day if you just want to get somewhere cheaply they are usually the cheapest.

 

I've only used them once but they were ok. Slightly bumpy landing but ok.

[dubai_phil]

Having amassed over 250,000 air miles per year for about 10 years because of business, I can tell you there is only ONE way to determine a GOOD flight.

 

Did it land?

 

Anything else between leaving home and getting back again is down to luck and a bunch of people you never met.

 

And the quality/cost of the Cabernet Sauvignon on board or how good a book you take with you

[saints_is_the_south]

Didn't see the programme but i've flown with Ryanair loads of times & keep using them, they're cheap & always on time, at least they have been whenever i've flown with them.

[Arizona]

Basically, Ryanair were shown up as the mugs that they are and are doing this publicity stunt to try to save some face.

 

Mugs?

 

Panorama clearly had an agenda with that programme. The stuff they were coming out with was so biased it's untrue.

 

The bloke complaining that he missed his flight because he couldn't get his baggage checked in was very much the exception rather than the rule. Most of the delays in Stansted in August were caused by staff shortages for the handling agent and computer problems within the airport.

 

The pilot moaning about having 45 minutes to prepare a flight should count himself lucky he isn't being laid off like a handful of pilots at most other European airlines.

 

The narrator flying to Vasteras failed to mention that he wasn't forced to fly there and that if you want to fly to Aarlanda with BA that's your choice. The fact that so many do prefer Vasteras or Skavsta to flying with BA shows more about public oppinion IMO. He also failed to mention that there are probably only half a dosen airports like Vasteras which are out in the sticks.

 

I did laugh at Michael O'Leary taking the p*ss with the interview at the end though. The fact that the beeb refused an unedited interview just shows them up as mugs more than anything.

 

This isn't Ryanair trying to save face, this is Ryanair taking advantage of some very kind free publicity from the BBC.

 

Ryanair are often the cheapest (not always) and have an enviable on time record. That's the bottom line for 99% of passengers, everything else is trivial.

[Red Alert]

Two tickets Bristol to "Barcelona" return = £0.04, bargain.

 

I wanted to go to Oslo and play in the snow, but have been learning Spanish so made the sensible choice.

[Kev]

Having amassed over 250,000 air miles per year for about 10 years because of business, I can tell you there is only ONE way to determine a GOOD flight.

 

Did it land?

 

The only thing guaranteed about a plane that has succesfully taken off is that it will land.

 

How it lands is another story. But it will land.

 

Regarding Ryanair, Michael O'Leary is a ****.

[Al de Man]

We flew with them to Murcia this year and felt quite cheated by all the hidden costs which stacked up as you work through the booking procedure.

 

I'm not sure what they're going on about in point #3 with being able to avoid the Web check-in charge because we couldn't see how. Then there's the £5 fee for using a credit card. Or debit card. Or anything other than a Visa Electron aka "The Elizabeth Duke store card". And that fee is per person, per direction.

 

You want to check some baggage in? Of course you can, but there's a £15 fee for that.

 

 

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=CHARGES

 

They even implemented a fee for disabled travellers until they lost a discrimination case.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3443739.stm

 

 

I'll gladly admit they're one of the cheapest out there and as a result would probably fly with them again. It's just a shame that their low fares are linked with complete and utter contempt for their customers and they're not a bit more transparent about all their charges.

[St Landrew]

I've used Ryanair once, from Stansted to Montpellier and back. My expectations were quite low, and frankly it was OK. The latest Boeing 737 was better than I expected, but a bit cramped.

 

I've flown with FlyBe from Eastleigh to Toulouse on a BAE HS146 and it was far better with roomy, comfortable seats. Of course, they've replaced the HS146 now. Progress..!

 

I suppose the thing that gets up everybody's noses is that Ryanair's Michael O'Leary treats his customers like cattle. There's no need for his attitude, but he knows he can get away with it. FlyBe and Easyjet are a little more expensive generally, but they don't appear to have contempt for their passengers. Appearances can count for a lot, and one day Ryanair will take one arrogant step too far.

[dubai_phil]

The fundamental problem with Ryanair, is that their model is becoming the standard for all other airlines.

 

So, everything these days is about cutting the costs.

 

You pay for your headsets to watch a movie on flights in the US, BA don't give you food anymore, customer service? lol

 

At the end of the day, a flight is now nothing more than a highly regulated bus. The only real difference is that people don't stand in the rain at a bus stop, but that's only because of the security concerns I'm sure.

 

Ryanair (and the others) have made a huge difference to behaviour patterns, hopping around Europe from a local airport instead of trekking all the way up to Luton for your package tour as used to be the case in the 80's.

 

Their business model allowed them to react to changes in customer demand whereas the dinosaurs like BA continued to sit in their ivory towers occassionally "mopping up" small regional airlines as "franchise partners" but only to suck people in "to maximise the use" of their landing slots at Heathrow and Gatwick

 

BA cannot compete, Ryanair showed that customers can be treated like cattle, so the dinosaurs cut customer care levels further, yet still make losses. You don't get a sandwich, but their cabin crew still get to stay in 5 star level hotels.

 

At the end of the day, like everything else, careful research before buying ANYTHING can often show better deals or hidden costs. I was going to Barcelona for a trade show. Ryanair were 9.99 each way. I had to take some pop-up stands that fitted into a golf club bag, and had to take one suitcase. By the time I finished checking all the costs online, BA were about 20 quid cheaper at 129.00 return. Price structures? used to be a saying that gets forgotten

 

If a deal is too good to be true, it almost certainly is

 

O'Leary comes across as a ****, and he treats his customers like cattle. However he has been damned successful over time in building the airline, and has enabled an awful lot of people to "pop away for the weekend" and see places that would never have happened 15/20 years ago.

 

Progress of some kind, so he's probably a necessary evil

 

Oh and think Ryanair is bad? try Aer Lingus or Yemen Airways

[benjii]

The fundamental problem with Ryanair, is that their model is becoming the standard for all other airlines.

 

So, everything these days is about cutting the costs.

 

You pay for your headsets to watch a movie on flights in the US, BA don't give you food anymore, customer service? lol

 

At the end of the day, a flight is now nothing more than a highly regulated bus. The only real difference is that people don't stand in the rain at a bus stop, but that's only because of the security concerns I'm sure.

 

Ryanair (and the others) have made a huge difference to behaviour patterns, hopping around Europe from a local airport instead of trekking all the way up to Luton for your package tour as used to be the case in the 80's.

 

Their business model allowed them to react to changes in customer demand whereas the dinosaurs like BA continued to sit in their ivory towers occassionally "mopping up" small regional airlines as "franchise partners" but only to suck people in "to maximise the use" of their landing slots at Heathrow and Gatwick

 

BA cannot compete, Ryanair showed that customers can be treated like cattle, so the dinosaurs cut customer care levels further, yet still make losses. You don't get a sandwich, but their cabin crew still get to stay in 5 star level hotels.

 

At the end of the day, like everything else, careful research before buying ANYTHING can often show better deals or hidden costs. I was going to Barcelona for a trade show. Ryanair were 9.99 each way. I had to take some pop-up stands that fitted into a golf club bag, and had to take one suitcase. By the time I finished checking all the costs online, BA were about 20 quid cheaper at 129.00 return. Price structures? used to be a saying that gets forgotten

 

If a deal is too good to be true, it almost certainly is

 

O'Leary comes across as a ****, and he treats his customers like cattle. However he has been damned successful over time in building the airline, and has enabled an awful lot of people to "pop away for the weekend" and see places that would never have happened 15/20 years ago.

 

Progress of some kind, so he's probably a necessary evil

 

Oh and think Ryanair is bad? try Aer Lingus or Yemen Airways

 

I think that's all quite right. I can't see the Ryanair model becoming dominant on longer haul flights though. It would simply be too uncomfortable for most people. I don't mind a crap flight if it's a short flight but if I'm on a plane for 6 hours+ I want some interestingly arranged food and a film!

[Hopkins]

We flew with them to Murcia this year and felt quite cheated by all the hidden costs which stacked up as you work through the booking procedure.

 

I'm not sure what they're going on about in point #3 with being able to avoid the Web check-in charge because we couldn't see how. Then there's the £5 fee for using a credit card. Or debit card. Or anything other than a Visa Electron aka "The Elizabeth Duke store card". And that fee is per person, per direction.

 

You want to check some baggage in? Of course you can, but there's a £15 fee for that.

 

 

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=CHARGES

 

They even implemented a fee for disabled travellers until they lost a discrimination case.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3443739.stm

 

 

I'll gladly admit they're one of the cheapest out there and as a result would probably fly with them again. It's just a shame that their low fares are linked with complete and utter contempt for their customers and they're not a bit more transparent about all their charges.

 

I just managed to book 18 seats on a flight to Barcelona for me and a bunch of mates for 36p. 2p each. Bargain.

 

I did this by avoiding all those charges you are on about. No baggage, Visa Electron, Web check in, etc etc.

 

Treat!

[Weston Super Saint]

You reckon? :smt041

 

I don't see why people hate them though. At the end of the day if you just want to get somewhere cheaply they are usually the cheapest.

 

I've only used them once but they were ok. Slightly bumpy landing but ok.

 

Just don't count on coming back again!

 

They cancelled our flight a few years back - we were up a mountain in Poland - and they moved us from the evening flight to that morning's flight.

 

They were good enough to send us an email to inform us though, which we didn't read, due to the fact we were up a mountain and not really bothering with emails.

 

Lesson learnt I guess. Always check your emails when on holiday

[hypochondriac]

I just managed to book 18 seats on a flight to Barcelona for me and a bunch of mates for 36p. 2p each. Bargain.

 

I did this by avoiding all those charges you are on about. No baggage, Visa Electron, Web check in, etc etc.

 

Treat!

 

How are you going on holiday with no baggage?

[Rattlehead]

I just managed to book 18 seats on a flight to Barcelona for me and a bunch of mates for 36p. 2p each. Bargain.

 

I did this by avoiding all those charges you are on about. No baggage, Visa Electron, Web check in, etc etc.

 

Treat!

 

Why not book the whole plane for under a fiver and pretend it's a private jet.

 

Just a thought.

[sotonjoe]

Why? They fly you places, It's the same as BA, take off then land

 

 

yeh ... EXACTLY the same as BA ... not.

[dubai_phil]

I think that's all quite right. I can't see the Ryanair model becoming dominant on longer haul flights though. It would simply be too uncomfortable for most people. I don't mind a crap flight if it's a short flight but if I'm on a plane for 6 hours+ I want some interestingly arranged food and a film!

 

Strangely, experience teaches differently

 

Food - nah - Pret a Manger Ham & Brie is often WAY better than BA's long haul pasta (hey it's a BRIT airline serve BRIT FOOD - and how come you can choose special meals for everything EXCEPT "Red Meat Only"?)

 

Movie - ok if the system works you watch a film, but ACTUALLY as half of all long haul flights are overnight what you REALLY want is silence and a few sherberts to help you sleep

 

But, the number one thing, the ONLY real worry on long haul is.....

 

You do NOT want some person next to you that had LOTS of Garlic in a CURRY for dinner last night, nothing else comes close to making 9 hours hell....

 

(Try a flight that stops off or connect through Mumbai one day, Ryanair is HEAVEN)

[benjii]

Lol - Hopkins has a Visa Electron.

[ecuk268]

The problem with Ryanair is that they don't actually go where you think.

 

For Barcelona they fly to Girona or Reus both nearly 70 miles from Barcelona. For Frankfurt they go to Hahn (80 miles) and for Brussels they go to Charleroi (20 miles).

 

So do your research first.

[Rattlehead]

I don't even know what Visa Electron is. I presume it is for pikeys.

[sotonjoe]

I don't even know what Visa Electron is. I presume it is for pikeys.

 

 

... and kids

[Baj]

The problem with Ryanair is that they don't actually go where you think.

 

For Barcelona they fly to Girona or Reus both nearly 70 miles from Barcelona. For Frankfurt they go to Hahn (80 miles) and for Brussels they go to Charleroi (20 miles).

 

So do your research first.

 

But don't people do that for any airport these days? Even if I'm flying by BA, I still check the physical location of the airport. As it happens, I'm one of the lucky few that flys annually to see a mate and the airport is actually miles from Stockholm BUT a damn site closer to his house

[hamster]

All of the things that are supposedly bad about budget airlines are hardly news, i am not quite sure why people complain when they know all this prior to booking?

Isn't it a bit like ordering a buger and moaning that it isn't steak (after you've eaten it)?

[OldNick]

Its amusing having football fans complain about being treated like cattle when talking about airlines

[Al de Man]

Its amusing having football fans complain about being treated like cattle when talking about airlines

 

That's what happens when we're spoilt with such top notch catering.

[Hopkins]

Holiday without baggage - Only going to go and get smashed for two nights. Hand luggage is allowed so thats that sorted.

 

Yes I have a Visa Electron. Actually no, I don't. Our student house account for bills is a Visa Electron card. Ideal for not getting chagred card fees aswell.

 

Location - Yep we know it is going to be 70 miles from Barcelona but we did the same for Milan in January (2p aswell) and found a cheap coach into the city from the airport. Same will be available from Girona I suspect. That or a train.

 

Wish I had done the booking of the whole plane now. Private jet thought makes me erect.

 

The thought of Barcelona with 18 mates for just 2p each makes me cum though.