[hexbin010]

Ryanair weren't just a bystander in this race to the bottom, they were primary drivers of creating it, along with Easyjet, undercutting competition and forcing everyone else to become a low cost carrier.

They're a total success commercially you can't deny it, but my god what a horrible experience for everyone involved, passengers and staff alike

[Satam]

I disliked them a bit, but then they stopped flying to a certain destination. I quickly realized that the other airlines were 3x more expensive. I realized I actually cared about price much more than any possible extra leg room or other perks, and that their super cheap flights are quality by itself.

[testing22321]

Like the comment you are replying to said - if you don’t want super cheap prices and super cheap service, fly with a more expensive carrier. Qantas, emirates, etc etc.

You get what you pay for .

[Kwpolska]

Legacy carriers run a hub-and-spoke model. Ryanair specialises in direct flights. If I can choose between a direct flight with Ryanair, or a connecting flight with a legacy airline, I'm going to choose the former to limit time spent in airports.

[notahacker]

You can get point-to-point connections with legacy airlines all over Europe (the hub and spoke model means you can also get onward connections including to non-European destinations). Might not be exactly the same airport pair (and there are sometimes good reasons to prefer the second tier airport Ryanair flies too rather than the main city airport), but there aren't many city pairs you're forced to use Ryanair or a connection, provided you're happy paying more money and flying at a different time.

But yeah, you're not going to be flying Qantas or Emirates, you're going to be flying BA or Aer Lingus or Air France or even another LCC

[tgsovlerkhgsel]

With the expensive carriers, you nowadays get super cheap service but not the price...

[hexbin010]

Firstly Ryanair don't fly the routes Qantas and Emirates do, so you have no idea what you're on about comparing them

Second, Ryanair et al have dragged all the previous decent airlines down with them into the gutter and even paying more doesn't really get you service of years gone by. The only way they could compete was by slashing costs and prices to appear near the same ranking in the search results. You don't really get what you pay for flying short haul in Europe. Even business is mostly "low cost economy plus" rather than true business class in Europe

[dmaa]

If by 'the gutter' you mean cheaper - thanks Ryanair! I don't like the experience of flying either, but there is no denying that it is accessible to anybody today, 20 yrs ago it was still a luxury.

Regarding the destinations, yes, Emirates does not fly from Memmingen to Stanstead. But why would anybody, unless they live in the village next to either.

[expedition32]

I mean if you really have money there are companies that can get you on a private jet. No customs, no luggage check in, no Heathrow/JFK.

[sokoloff]

You still have the customs/immigration step; it’s just often done planeside.

[lotsofpulp]

>Second, Ryanair et al have dragged all the previous decent airlines down with them into the gutter

Ryanair didn't drag anyone into the gutter. Buyers preferring to spend less did that, which could be for a variety of reasons, one of them being increased wealth gaps in society.

[testing22321]

Yes, you are 100% correct. The routes that Ryanair flies are only serviced by the ultra budget airlines. The expensive airlines can’t make it work.

So again, if you don’t want to fly with ultra budget service, don’t.

Train, drive, bus.

[ghaff]

Within Europe, I'm usually not in a big hurry or tight on budget within reason. But I understand that many are and it encourages race to the bottom budget airlines. Personally, I mostly do train within Europe even when it involves an overnight sleeper where they exist.

[hexbin010]

I see you're doing Reddit level discourse. I'm out

[amrocha]

You can just pay more to have the old experience. Economy plus is what you used to get 20 years ago, and business is way more affordable than it used to be.

I’d rather have a cheap flight and spend my money at my destination though.