Ryanair: A Big Fight over a Small Bag
Ryanair. It’s hard to know what to say sometimes, but I think I speak for most when I say Ryanair is a big corporate twat. The low fares are the only thing attracting customers, which would be a good enough reason to fly with them, except that… the fares aren’t that cheap.
“Low” not “Cheap”
Once the taxes, credit card fee, checked in luggage, sports equipment, travel insurance, web check in, text message confirmation and priority boarding fees are applied, the final price doesn’t seem so appealing. People are definitely not returning for the customer service, as the cabin crew clearly skipped over those pages in flight attendant school. And the plastic yellow seats, and the music played when the flight lands on time offend my senses.
All this aside, Ryanair experience is a constant battle between you and the cabin crew at the gate prior to boarding. It’s a big fight regarding your one tiny piece of carry on. It’s a battle, which can sometimes turn into a full blown waging war, of your intelligence and skill in relation to how well you can pack your case versus how easily tricked they are.We all book Ryanair , and then moan mercilessly when we can’t fit anything into our case or bring anything back with us from our travels. It’s a complete pain, but the “cheapest” fares continue luring us in, and we deal with the case situation as and when is necessary.
Don’t Mess with Me Game
I use the same small case every time I fly. I don’t think it would fit into the case testing thing they use and I’ve never been asked to try because a) Even before I get to the gate my ‘don’t mess with me’ game face is on ready for a verbal showdown if necessary b) I hold my case on the opposite side to the cabin crew member checking my boarding pass, c) I position myself next to a fellow traveller with a mammoth case who will take the attention from me and my possibly slightly over sized one and d) I buy something in duty free then shove loads of stuff in that bag that won’t fit in my luggage. All other tips from Ryanair travellers are welcome.
I don’t understand Ryanair’s reasoning because as long as people aren’t going overboard with cabin luggage there shouldn’t be a problem, there isn’t with any other airline. Whether my handbag is on my shoulder or in my case it’s still going to weigh the same, and if it’s in the cabin with me it’s not going to take up any additional passenger room because it’ll be under the seat in front as per all airline instructions.
Bad Bad Marketing!
Ryanair shoot themselves in the foot regarding the one piece of cabin luggage which includes a lady’s handbag because, if I have my bag squished into my envelope sized case which is in the overhead compartment, how am I meant to buy their scratch cards, smokeless cigarettes, newspapers, beverages and snacks and whatever else they’re trying to sell me every second of every flight? Tell me this Michael O’Leary? I can’t have my money handy if I don’t have pockets in what I’m wearing and as your aircrafts don’t have seat pockets I can’t put my purse there for the duration of the flight for safe keeping. But, most importantly, I wouldn’t want to buy anything you’re trying to sell me because it’s all crap I don’t need, or want. Definitely not if you charge me £30 to check my case in.
Written by Sarah Connolly
Images Copyright © 2012 Unordinary Customer. All rights reserved.
justlev2
MehaPatel
sarahconno
Unordinary Customer
Unordinary Customer 
Yes your right about the fares, but the onus is on you to check.
Sorry, you’re the twat, & so are all the other people who try the same.
Firstly you admit you are carrying a case that is oversize so you are purposely not complying with their regs, don’t complain if you get caught.
Secondly you admit it is overweight, refer to the above. I would also point out that 10 people like you delay the flight by 30 minutes.
The size of the bag they specify is industry standard, look at the Easyjet gauge.
Yes you are right about the colour & the seats, but one positive, no one in front is going to recline their seat onto you. If you don’t like the price of the grub, take your own, if youv’e got room for it in your bag.
Regarding your duty free bag, unless it’s changed in the last few weeks they are making you put your duty free bag in your carry on.
You say you don’t think you cause a problem with your slightly ovesized bag, have you been on a Ryanair flight recently, you now have to put the bag under the seat in front of you where your legs go.
I fly Ryanair & Easyjet on a regular basis & much prefer Easyjet, but, as long as you stick within what Ryanair say, they do what they say, take you from A to B on a budget flight.
It might interest you to know that the check in staff get paid commission on the amount of extra revenue they raise because of overweight bags.
When I have flown Ryanair recently the staff at the gate go down the line & tell all passengers that it is one bag only, you are lucky you have not had you bag checked, they also now have a box they take down the queue by hand & put it over every bag, making a fortune on the day I was there.
Lastly I fly my mother from her local airport. Jet 2 & Ryanair fly to the same destination, because I know my mother couldn’t cope with the Ryanair experience I pay for her to go Jet 2 with seating allocated for all passengers. Costs with Jet 2, about £175.00. Cost with Ryanair about £60.00. Get with it. You pay peanuts you gets monkeys. If you don’t like it don’t book it.
As you say, it is you that keeps on getting lured in. Nothing personal Sarah, just think people should get a balanced view.
Happy Days
Woooah woah woah, alright there Nick, Calm down.
1 – I haven’t got caught so I haven’t complained.
2 – You call me a twat then say “nothing personal”. It is a little bit personal.
3 – I have never delayed a flight by 30 minutes or any minutes as I haven’t got caught with a slightly over sized case.
4 – I never said anything about “the price of the grub”. I just said I can’t buy it if my bag is in my case which is in the overhead compartment.
5 – It’s ‘you’ve’, not ‘youv’e’.
6 – I am aware check in staff get paid commission on the amount of extra revenue they raise because of overweight bags and no, it does not interest me.
7 – I am well with it thank you Nick.
8 – I have started flying alternative airlines because Ryanair is so crap.