[nostalgeek]

> so they did build up some trust for me (and others)

let's not pretend they don't try to rip customers off with hidden or gotcha fees, because they do. Their whole business model is based on bait+switch. You said they did "build trust" but at the same time you are saying " I know their procedures", of course, because if you are not careful you'll pay some bullshit fees. It's just one of the worst plane company in western Europe.

And they are not that cheap since their planes often only land not in main airports but ones in the middle of nowhere so you often have to add the cost of transport to your actual destination which is often not that cheap.

[cricalix]

I've never encountered the "hidden or gotcha fees" with Ryanair, but perhaps that's just luck of the draw? I've never opted for car hire, travel insurance etc with them - just the flight and maybe a bag. Never been surprised by any charges. Anecdotes, obviously, are not data.

The airport thing might be changing a little bit - they've got no choice with Dublin in Ireland, and they're now operating out of Frankfurt Am Main (as well as or instead of Frankfurt Hahn). Frankfurt AM absolutely isn't middle of nowhere.

They're also one of two options if you want to get to Leeds Bradford airport from Ireland; the other being Aer Lingus Regional, which costs more and has worse baggage allowances, and uses turboprop planes which are noisier. I can tune out the Ryanair "lottery" tickets (which are more a scam than a lottery I think) easily enough.

Oh yeah, one other thing - Ryanair will give you approval to carry a CPAP for a year at a time, in addition to regular hand luggage. Painless process via a CS agent online. Aer Lingus? Every flight requires an email to SpecialAssistance who might deign to get back to you within a week.

[user5994461]

>>> just the flight and maybe a bag.

You don't need to pay for the bag. The bag is included in the ticket. However, they write the opposite on the ticket and they push very hard to get you to pay an extra charge for the bag.

[dzhiurgis]

€30 for printing boarding pass is a rip off (and more than a flight)

Paid cabin luggage, non reclining seats, fucking lottery ticket sales... it’s silly. Yet I still do somewhat like em.

[ngokevin]

Can just download the ticket on your phone or print it. You save time anyways not having to check in. It's just the idiot tax for people for not reading.

Free check in of extra luggage at the gate. If you end up paying for the "luxury" of in-cabin, then your flight becomes the same price if you flew with some other airline that offers cabin luggage.

For short flights you don't need reclining seats. I don't like reclining seats anyway because you are stealing space from the person behind (and also getting stolen from the person in front).

Wear headphones or sleep to ignore ads.

Can't expect half as cheap flights without something to cover for it.

[dzhiurgis]

Point of check in is to check in when you can’t or won’t want to check in online for tons of reasons. For people who use it first time - it’s absolute rip off as no other airline charges you that much(apart of Wizz and EasyJet). I really think EU should regulate the shit out of this.

No recline is horrible especially when you are taller. I can’t sit normally, even when I get front or emergency seats.

[tomp]

> Their whole business model is based on bait+switch

That's the business model of most of EU's cheap air companies. E.g. EasyJet "allows" you one piece of luggage on board, but unless you're EasyJet Plus (i.e. pay extra), good luck actually taking it with you on board with any sort of predictability or regularity.

[nostalgeek]

> That's the business model of most of EU's cheap air companies. E.g. EasyJet "allows" you one piece of luggage on board, but unless you're EasyJet Plus (i.e. pay extra), good luck actually taking it with you on board with any sort of predictability or regularity.

And Ryan Air takes it to a whole new level. At least easy jet planes don't feel like they are going to break in the middle of the flight.

[user5994461]

EasyJet tells you that you can bring one bag, hence why EasyJet is better.

RyanAir doesn't say that you can bring a bag, they actually write the opposite on the ticket, even if you can bring a bag for free.

If you read the little text in the conditions, it doesn't say that you can bring a bag either, instead it adds further confusion to push you to pay an extra bag charge. IMO, the level of deception involved is abusive to the point where it could be brought to the EU court and justify a fine.

[hutzlibu]

"And Ryan Air takes it to a whole new level. At least easy jet planes don't feel like they are going to break in the middle of the flight."

That would be my main issue. I don't mind little space and other inconviniences that much ... but I do not accept a higher risk for flying budget. I assumed, that RyanAir budget everything they can, but not savety. And as far as I can tell, the maintaineance etc. looked professional.

[ngokevin]

Budget airlines fly with a fleet of modern airplanes, maybe even more modern than larger airlines. Is there any evidence of increased risk of safety?

[hutzlibu]

Well, I guess with knowing their procedures, I also meant, that I know the points, where they try to rip me off. But since I know, and also exactly where I will land and start, it works for me very cheap.

[agumonkey]

it saddens me a lot to see this race to lower prices, it made me realize that older companies weren't not that expensive; most of the cost is the cost of providing regular options-included (comfort, food, toilets, magazines etc) flights.

uber feels like this partially, it's often juvenile hubris seducing markets and then dropping down when reality kicks in.

quite a loss