New Ryanair Features to introduce in 2014 - should I book flights now or wait?

Sincity1

Hi - i see announcements that Ryanair will introduce assigned seating from Feb, reduce baggage charges and allow an additional piece of hand luggage in 2014. I am planning on going on holidays in May to Spain. If I book my flights now though, will I still have to pay the usual for baggage, priority boarding etc. Whats your advice ? wait until Feb (ish) when prices go up or book now and pay alot more than people who book later?

grimm2005

Sincity1 wrote: »

Hi - i see announcements that Ryanair will introduce assigned seating from Feb, reduce baggage charges and allow an additional piece of hand luggage in 2014. I am planning on going on holidays in May to Spain. If I book my flights now though, will I still have to pay the usual for baggage, priority boarding etc. Whats your advice ? wait until Feb (ish) when prices go up or book now and pay alot more than people who book later?

I would imagine all these changes will apply for any flights after February regardless of booking time. Keep in mind though, they aren't giving you anything for free. The additional hand luggage is just a handbag or duty free bag, not a whole extra case, you'll still need to buy check in luggage for bringing anything extra that's substantial and they aren't reducing the price of check in luggage. And you'll still have to pay €5 (vs the current €10) to book assigned seats, ryanair will just assign you random seats 24 hours before departure if you choose not to pay.

Also, note that buying flights closer to the date with Ryanair doesn't automatically mean more expensive. If your flights are listed as "regular price" then chances are they'll be cheaper at some point before then.

clumsyklutz

Sincity1 wrote: »

Hi - i see announcements that Ryanair will introduce assigned seating from Feb, reduce baggage charges and allow an additional piece of hand luggage in 2014. I am planning on going on holidays in May to Spain. If I book my flights now though, will I still have to pay the usual for baggage, priority boarding etc. Whats your advice ? wait until Feb (ish) when prices go up or book now and pay alot more than people who book later?

Actually the additional piece of hand luggage (equivalent to a small handbag) will be in from the start of December, so that won't make much difference.

MOL has said that customers will only be allocated seats (if they don't pay to reserve) 24 hours before, so I'm sure you'll be fine booking now, he has also said, regardless of assigned seating, you can still book priority (though I don't see much point now!)

Also regarding the baggage, I always book first and then add baggage later on using the 'Manage my Booking' section of their website.

irishbloke77

clumsyklutz wrote: »

Actually the additional piece of hand luggage (equivalent to a small handbag) will be in from the start of December, so that won't make much difference.

MOL has said that customers will only be allocated seats (if they don't pay to reserve) 24 hours before, so I'm sure you'll be fine booking now, he has also said, regardless of assigned seating, you can still book priority (though I don't see much point now!)

Also regarding the baggage, I always book first and then add baggage later on using the 'Manage my Booking' section of their website.

Booking baggage that way costs more than booking at the time of booking the flight. BUT, it does allow you book a bag oneway only if you wanted to .

clumsyklutz

irishbloke77 wrote: »

Booking baggage that way costs more than booking at the time of booking the flight. BUT, it does allow you book a bag oneway only if you wanted to .

It actually doesn't, I've priced it tons of times, and booked it this way loads too, there has never been a difference in the price for me.

Atlantic Dawn

Assigned seating will come in at check in stage, booking now will still mean you will have assigned seating as you will be checking in up to 2 weeks in advance of flight. For the baggage the charge for the reduced charges won't be in place now but you will likely save purchasing now on the flight price, the additional piece of hand luggage will become part of policy and will come in to place from whatever date it's introduced regardless of booking date.

irishbloke77

clumsyklutz wrote: »

It actually doesn't, I've priced it tons of times, and booked it this way loads too, there has never been a difference in the price for me.

I hope/wish that is the case and I am not doubting you, but the ryanair website page of fees shows a higher price for booking a bag at the start or coming back later to do it via "manage my booking". If the price is the same, are they charging you the lower or higher price when paying?

The fees page is
http://www.ryanair.com/en/terms-and-conditions#regulations-tableoffees

munchkin_utd

irishbloke77 wrote: »

I hope/wish that is the case and I am not doubting you, but the ryanair website page of fees shows a higher price for booking a bag at the start or coming back later to do it via "manage my booking". If the price is the same, are they charging you the lower or higher price when paying?

The fees page is
http://www.ryanair.com/en/terms-and-conditions#regulations-tableoffees

well spotted!

There is a small difference between booking during the initial purchase and later on!
Is that a new state of affairs?

clumsyklutz

It must be new, because anytime I've done it (last time was September) I've always paid the same price, which I believe was €50.00 (I could be wrong - I'll have a check!) the last time I booked.

If it was higher, I definitely wouldn't have done it this way.

Why Ryanair why? :O :P

munchkin_utd

clumsyklutz wrote: »

It must be new, because anytime I've done it (last time was September) I've always paid the same price, which I believe was €50.00 (I could be wrong - I'll have a check!) the last time I booked.

If it was higher, I definitely wouldn't have done it this way.

Why Ryanair why? :O :P

well....

It actually is a fair charge as normally when you do stuff far in advance you get a discount.
And from Ryanairs point of view, it would encourage people to checkin a bag if in doubt, rather than leave it till the last minute.

Unfortunately for them, it also might do the opposite of what Ryanair claim to want, i.e. reduce number of folks checking in a bag as now people might just add a bag at booking time to avoid the higher charge later.