Ryanair latest scam - beware Dutch nationals

sorry guys-read headline as beware dutch nationals.just added my bit to ryanair´s. anyway next time try easyjet as they like orange.

Jek - you say "...nobody holds a gun to your head and forces you to fly Ryanair..." - true not literally, but in practice RyanAir have forced a lot of the better airlines off routes, so often there is no choice but to use them.  But for any self respecting person they have to be the last resort.

I had to use them last July and it was awful.  The outbound flight was late being called as so when you got to the gate you went straight through and the Speedy boarding I paid for was wasted.  Then we were held on the stairway for 20 minutes whilst the plane was cleaned - it was sweating and horrible cooped up with 200 others pressing together on a staircase, black hole of Calcutta job.  Followed by the absurd undignified scrabble for seats - if it's Hobson's choice of RyanAir next time, I'll walk.

Totally sympathise with David's comments - RyanAir ground staff seemed to be trained to be bloody minded, but in all honesty I must say that the cabin crew I experienced were a lot better.

acer - Ryanair haven't forced anybody off any routes and certainly not "better airlines".  What they have done is offer a service/price mix that the vast majority of people, completely lacking in self-respect according to you - your goodself excluded obviously - prefer.  So these "better airlines" are not sufficently attractive to enough people to make the routes economically viable.  How that makes Ryanair's competitors "better airlines" is a mystery that you are welcome to explain. 

They don't "force" anybody off the route, but can make it unprofitable for them, and then they abandon the route. This happened with BA flying from Gatwick to Malaga. They had to compete with Aer Lingus, Easyjet and Monarch. In the end they cancelled the route. This year though they are back; it seems some people are prepared to pay a premium for superior service.

 What is the superior service that you get from the likes of BA, They have a surcharges for fuel, security, insurance and credit card charges for online bookings plus if you make the booking from Spain it's an extra €10. This is much more charges than Ryanair. So for all of these extras you get a checked bag a glass of orange juice and a packet of peanuts and most importantly a differant colour plane. Still cheaper to pay for the case and drink and i would be very confident if the bags are to big or heavy even BA will make you pay and if your passport and ticket do not match you will not be allowed on the flight.

I have every sympathy and only wish I had known about your experience before I wrote this article...

http://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/donnagee/5018/ryanair-the-loo-ser-as-olearys-cheapskate-ideas-head-down-pan.aspx

Hi Jek, I suppose it depends on individual choice, but for me there is a massive difference.  For example we used to fly regularly to Valencia with BA.  It was always a great flight - very straightforward with a meal and drink included in the price - you had pre-allocated seats so less queueing and no pushing and shoving and the BA cabin staff are among the best there are.

On one occasion when we were checking in we were politely asked if we could assist them with a problem - they were overbooked.  They offered us a different flight via Madrid, it was slower, but they upgraded us to First Class and paid us £200 for the inconvenience which we accepted.  This seems a world of difference from Dave's experience with RyanAir .

But after a while EasyJet moved in and undercut BA, who quickly decided not to compete on the route.  As soon as they had the monopoly, EasyJet's fares increased to BA's and we were worse off.  I prefer EasyJet to RyanAir but that's not saying much.

I'm not sure about your comment Maverick100, perhaps you're teetotal, but I always used to enjoy a large G & T with BA as a "freebie" - it represented the start of the holiday.  Now it starts a few hours later, when we get off the plane.

I fly BA Madrid/Heathrow a few times a year. Some else is paying. The fare, a couple of weeks ago was 930 euros one-way. From my experience the flight is always late. The "meal" is only ever a small packet of nuts or crackers. The positives are I get to chose my seat and fly into Heathrow. I am returning to Madrid today - unfortunately I am paying. So Ryanair it is. I got a 12 euro ticket, bought a few weeks ago. Downside is I have to schlep to Stansted and don't arrive Madrid til 10.30 pm. But the money saved is enough to cover my living costs in Spain for a week or two. I couldn't justify paying all that extra just to make life a little easier. Let's keep fingers crossed I remembered what my name was when I booked.

Well I certainly seemed to have touched a few nerves here. I guess the only thing to learn from all of this is that until it happens to you, people will probably remain loyal to Ryanair. I will report on the CAA ruling if it ever happens! Couple of points however. The maiden name thing on a Dutch passport is not negotiable. Yes, you can elect to say you are now no longer Mrs XXXXX but Mrs YYYYYY which is what we have done - but the maiden name still remains on the passport - not as your name, but as a record of who you were - this was my point. Yes - we have flown countless times with Ryanair as Mrs Elsie Pegg. Actually, a few weeks ago when we were in Dubai, Gulf Air had problems because the ticket was booked as Mrs Elsie Voets-Pegg - you can't win! Apparently Portuguese passports are the same.......

Easyjet bought GB Airways who were acutally a BA subsidiary - planes, crew, the whole thing - which is why Easyjet into Spain from Gatwick is so good. When all this kicked off, I checked all our future Easyjet bookings and discovered with alarm that a few of these had been booked as per our Ryanair flight. I tried to change them online and Easyjet wanted approx £85 per flight for a name change. I phoned them, explained the situation and the extremely helpful lady changed all the bookings to MaidenName - Married Name at no cost - as I said to her, she had a choice and I could have ended up paying around £300 for this, but they didn't - we had a long chat about my wife's plight - she was horrified. Its Easyjet, Monarch or FlyBe everytime for me now.

And finally - the costs - yes BA and Iberia can chanrge ridiculous amounts but they do also have much much cheaper options. In recent years, during the peak summer times and easter and xmas, I have found that the Iberia/BA prices via Madrid or Barcelona are pretty much on par with the low cost airlines. When taking into account he cost of the Stansted express, it is all pretty much equal.

Anyway, thanks for the support.

@JErK - I really do not like being called Peggy............:-)

Hi, I'm new on EOS but am looking to move to the Duquesa area in May.  I have just read this piece and felt compelled to reply.  I'm flying over to Gibraltar next week for 3 days have use of a hire car all for £15.  Easy solution collect airmiles.  You get the comfort and service of BA without the cost.

Hope all goes well

Hola Todos,

                     on a lighter note watch the below video clip about " cheap flights "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPyl2tOaKxM


 

Some justice left in the world

Ex Ryanair Pilot. Captain James Anderson has won his case line for unfair dismissal.

Sacked by ryanair for gross misconduct for handing a peice of paper to a stewardess.

While auto pilot was engaged on the flight to Majorca.

Ryanair Nil   ------------    Captain Anderson £40.000

Ryanairs Reply..

£40.000 was less than day’s legal costs.

Makes your heart bleed.

Hey, on the subject of Ryanair and the requirement to pay by prepaid debit card (have I got that right?) in order to avoid the booking fee...does anyone know how to get one of those cards if you live in Spain?  I have searched on the internet and can only find them advertised for UK residents.

 Do you have an address or family in the UK?

 Can't you just go into your bank and order one?  I know Caixa do them (or used to last year).  

 Try www.moneybookers.com it appears that the card is available to all E.U residents. The card costs €10 so you will get this back on your first flight.

The Caxton FX Global Traveller pre-paid Card www.caxtonfx.com

Cost £10

When you make the first top-up of £100 they give you the £10 back and add it to your account.

RyanAir booking fee is £1.50

I have used this card for over a year now and find it good. I also have the Caxton prepaid Dollar Card

Also no ATM withdrawal fees Worldwide.

They also do a Euro card This card you can pre load with euros at a given rate

El Alamillo - this is an interesting twist,  can't find the 1.50 euro booking fee anywhere on the Ryanair site, perhaps you could provide a link?

dvpegg - I can understand you being mad - but wonder why you bother complaining. If you feel you have a reasonable case then small-claims court them in your local County Court. It's a simple procedure & will cost you 15 pounds fee to go for 300 pounds damages. If you lose it will cost you a max of about 50 pounds in costs. You will have the pleasure of Ryanair having to send a lawyer to the court, which will cost them much more than they ripped you off for. You will have the catharsis of telling your story to a judge - who is a reasonable human being - and finding out what he thinks. Personally, I think you would win. Don't waste your time arguing your case with peanuts at Ryanair.

Avoid Ryanair's sky-high booking fees with Caxton FX

Ryanair makes a significant percentage of its profit from ancillary fees and charges. If you use a regular debit or credit card to book a Ryanair flight you may incur an additional booking fee. The only way passengers will be able to avoid this administration cost, is to pay using a prepaid MasterCard®.

Which card do I need?

If you are booking a flight departing from the UK that is quoted in GBP (Sterling) on the Ryanair website, use a Caxton FX Global Traveller Card.
 
Our Global Traveller Card will help you avoid paying Ryanair’s booking fees, and you will only pay the £1.50 flat fee for spending in sterling on this card, regardless of the number or cost of the flights you book. The £1.50 fee is levied by Caxton FX not Ryanair and you should remember to load enough funds to cover the cost of the flight and this fee.

If you book a single flight costing £5 on the Ryanair website and pay using your Global Traveller Card, you would be charged £1.50 by Caxton FX. Similarly a family of 12 booking a return flight costing a total of £500 would still be charged a flat fee £1.50 by Caxton FX, if the flights are purchased in a single transaction.

If you are booking a flight departing from a country whose currency is the Euro, and whose price is quoted in Euros on the Ryanair website, you should apply for a Euro Card. There will be no fees from Caxton FX if you purchase a ticket in Euros using your Euro Card.

Get a Global Traveller Card if you are booking flights originating in the UK.

Get a Euro Card if you are booking flights originating in a country whose currency is the Euro.