Ryanair - New reserved seating structure(s)

Shelflife

I understand and accept that if i want my family to sit together then the option is there for me to do so, I have flown with ryanair on numerous occasions and we were always without fail allocated seats together when we checked in.

last time we were allocated four different seats even though there was plenty of seats available to sit us together or to sit us two and two.

It just seems a bit petty to deliberately split up people travelling together when there is no need to do so apart from revenue generation.

Michael D Not Higgins

I was on a Ryanair flights where the cabin crew were made shuffle people around to accommodate a parent to sit with their children. On the same flight I and my other half organised some seat changes to sit together which worked out well since we managed to get another couple to be able to sit together. I guess they're hoping people will catch on and start buying seats together but if not they're just going to continue delaying boarding.

joeysoap

On the confirmation email for my latest booking (I did purchase seats)

Change your seat
BEST TIME TO BUY

You have purchased 2 seats
Not happy with where you are sitting?



Ryanair concerned if I am happy where I am sitting, which is touching.

Living Off The Splash

joeysoap wrote: »

So much for airhint! These fares dropped again tonight to €44!


Dublin to Faro: Fare progressively increased from €114 to €134 to €156 to €178 and suddenly dropped a few days ago to €96 then €83 then €69 and then €44. Unreal.

People see the €114 increase to €134 and panic and grab the €134. Then feel smug when it increases to €156 and €178.

Also the guy who never saw the €114 price but only the €134 price jumps at the €156 price for the same reason. They catch different folk along the line.

Same on the way down. When they drop to €96 they catch a load of people who were watching them go from €114 to €178. This is when they catch the most people.

Those with nerves of steel who wait beyond the first drop can get good prices.

You will probably see the €44 start to increase again. It may hit €39 or something in a "flash" sale though.

I am tracking about 5 different flights to various locations at the moment both for Ryanair and Aer Lingus (different pricing model). Which ever price comes to me I will book it and leave the others for another time.

EverythingGood

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

People see the €114 increase to €134 and panic and grab the €134. Then feel smug when it increases to €156 and €178.

Also the guy who never saw the €114 price but only the €134 price jumps at the €156 price for the same reason. They catch different folk along the line.

Same on the way down. When they drop to €96 they catch a load of people who were watching them go from €114 to €178. This is when they catch the most people.

Those with nerves of steel who wait beyond the first drop can get good prices.

You will probably see the €44 start to increase again. It may hit €39 or something in a "flash" sale though.

I am tracking about 5 different flights to various locations at the moment both for Ryanair and Aer Lingus (different pricing model). Which ever price comes to me I will book it and leave the others for another time.

Once you book, never look at prices again!

Fred Swanson

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EverythingGood

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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I never feel the need to check back again. The wife does though!

A Dub in Glasgo

EverythingGood wrote: »

I never feel the need to check back again. The wife does though!

Same here, booked a holiday last year and then 2 months later my wife says we could have got the same holiday for £100 cheaper. I asked her for the Deloren but I don't think she got the reference!

joeysoap

That's the downside of Kayak, they keep sending updates - unless you switch them off- and junkies don't do that

I have decided from now on when the two of us are travelling I will book aisle seats in row 24 for the €2/€3 (failing that aisle seats up to row 28, and failing that, two together in those rows).

While we are on RY and fees, I am going to purchase a 2nd bag before next trip, to within RY dimensions, 35 x 20 x 20. It will hold my camera, iPad and documents etc. I don't see a weight limit anywhere for the '2nd' bag so I assume there is none? I am well aware other travellers are taking the p*ss with the size of this bag, but it's only a matter of time before RY clamp down on this.

Living Off The Splash

The second bag I bring is a nylon thingy with strings to wear as backpack over your shoulder. All the electricals, liquids, reading glasses, bikkies for the plane, passports, boarding cards plus sunglasses for the other side go in to this for getting through security. The liquids are then put back in to the carry on main bag and I am left with only the stuff I need to access in the cabin for the flight.

This bag fits very easily under the seat in front.

Sadb

Haithabu wrote: »

What's not right is that they deliberately cause inconvenience so you pay for not having the inconvenience. Yes, it's a seat but for Ryanair it's no hassle or extra costs to have two people sitting together. The system can easily do that.

Imagine you go into a restaurant with your family and they put you on different tables unless you pay a fiver each. Would you still be happy ?

You go to a restaurant as a family to sit, chat and eat together, you don't book a flight just to sit together and then fly back home again. The flight is just the method of travel used to get to your destination/holiday.

A Dub in Glasgo

Sadb wrote: »

You go to a restaurant as a family to sit, chat and eat together, you don't book a flight just to sit together and then fly back home again. The flight is just the method of travel used to get to your destination/holiday.

Nah, a family / friend unit can sit, chat and eat together on a flight. Just because you decide that you prefer to spend time away from your travel companians does not mean everyone does

weldoninhio

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Nah, a family / friend unit can sit, chat and eat together on a flight. Just because you decide that you prefer to spend time away from your travel companians does not mean everyone does

They still can, once they pay for seats beside each other.

dartboardio

weldoninhio wrote: »

They still can, once they pay for seats beside each other.

Of course, and this is the problem, sometimes they let you sit together for free and sometimes not!

A Dub in Glasgo

weldoninhio wrote: »

They still can, once they pay for seats beside each other.

Of course they can - that is the change in implementation that folk are highlighting. I used Ryanair about 40 times since they allocated you a seat and 40 times they allocated seats together on check in if seats together are available. Now, they will not

mattser

What's Aer Lingus policy ? Do they always put people together, or do you pay extra for your seats ?

VG31

mattser wrote: »

What's Aer Lingus policy ? Do they always put people together, or do you pay extra for your seats ?

You can pay extra to reserve seats in advance or you can wait until check-in opens 30 hours before your flight and select seats for free (most airlines have a similar set-up).

grogi

VG31 wrote: »

You can pay extra to reserve seats in advance or you can wait until check-in opens 30 hours before your flight and select seats for free (most airlines have a similar set-up).

IMHO it is good policy.

If you have a preference, you can pay to have guarantee. Otherwise you take the risk and in case of late check-in, your favourite seat might be taken or your crew might not be seated together.

In Ryanair you get a GUARANTEE of not seating together for free.

weldoninhio

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Of course they can - that is the change in implementation that folk are highlighting. I used Ryanair about 40 times since they allocated you a seat and 40 times they allocated seats together on check in if seats together are available. Now, they will not

They were never obliged to. They state explicitly that you can choose to sit together for a fee or you will be assigned a random seat. Their T&Cs that you tick the box for mean you agree to this. But, but, but you used to do this...... is not a valid argument.

A Dub in Glasgo

I have not claimed they were obliged to and I have not claimed you cannot sit together. I have claimed, and you ignored, that they changed their implementation of allocated seating from actively assigning seats together on the same booking to actively splitting seats on the same booking.

I believe that it is a retrograde step, you clearly don't as it is within their T&Cs

embraer170

Companies put all kinds of things in their T&Cs. It doesn't mean these are always fair or legal.

Clearly there is nothing illegal about the new Ryanair policy but one can legimatey ask about the safety implications. During an evacatiation, will people be delayed by trying to care for their loved ones in other parts of the aircraft?

The UK civil aviation authority clearly thinks this is a risk for children under 12 (must be seated in the same row or the row before/after).

The risk factor during an evacuation of the majority of adult passengers seated apart from their travel companions has never been tested. Maybe it will be one day? Hopefully not in a real life situation!

embraer170

https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/On-board/Seating-allocation/

"The seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children."

weldoninhio

embraer170 wrote: »

https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/On-board/Seating-allocation/

"The seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children."

As part of their new policy, if you have a child you have to sit beside them. Won't let you proceed with the booking otherwise.

Fred Swanson

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degsie

embraer170 wrote: »

The risk factor during an evacuation of the majority of adult passengers seated apart from their travel companions has never been tested. Maybe it will be one day? Hopefully not in a real life situation!

This is a good point, if there was an emergency situation I would think passengers would wish to be next to their loved ones. Who knows what would happen if passengers scrambled to re-unite in a desperate situation.

embraer170

weldoninhio wrote: »

As part of their new policy, if you have a child you have to sit beside them. Won't let you proceed with the booking otherwise.

Actually, they will let you proceed with the booking (just try for any flight departing tomorrow where most passengers will have checked in) but crew will try to reseat people.

Ryanair also defines a child as younger than 12. Children older than 12 are free use the random allocation. What would happen in an emergency with parents and a 13 year old seated a few rows back (or a child of any age for that matter).

Instinctively, I know I would go looking for my child/partner/parents (probably even friends).

Fred Swanson

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grogi

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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I was reading IATA and FAA documents now on Child Restrains Systems (CRS) (nobody mentions seating there, as this probably never crossed anyone's mind to split the families) and one thing came to my mind: what happens if during check-in I mark the passenger as requiring special treatment?

RoYoBo

I think Ryanair got the whole psychology of this new approach wrong. While people will always feel aggrieved at having to shell out for something that was free before (albeit in their T&Cs) this feels more like blackmail. Pay or we will take away something you want versus pay and we'll give you some added value for your money.

They should have eased this in and made their income generation strategy less obviously gouging over a period of time. When people see online that their new policy is to put people in the worst seats and at opposite ends of the plane, this only breeds resentment. Ryanair lying and denying they're doing anything different is just adding salt to the wounds IMO.

Having said that, I expect that most people will either pay up or find ways to minimise the effects. I personally will leave checking in until the middle seats are all allocated and won't be buying any drink or food if I'm not beside my partner/friends. Although people have pooh-poohed the analogy with a restaurant, for me it's similar in that I wouldn't go to one to eat and drink on my own. Also, the plane journey is not just a means of travel, for many people the holiday begins there.

Yes, we could just put up and shut up, but the Ryanair business model is based on budget travelling, after all. MOL isn't the only one who wants to cut costs! Those bargain seat charges won't be cheap for very long - expect an increase once the hoo-haa dies down.

Bob24

RoYoBo wrote: »

I think Ryanair got the whole psychology of this new approach wrong. While people will always feel aggrieved at having to shell out for something that was free before (albeit in their T&Cs) this feels more like blackmail. Pay or we will take away something you want versus pay and we'll give you some added value for your money.

Yes I've already seen contacts on Facebook complaining about the policy after finding out about it when checking-in and others replying to curse Ryanair.

Now will the people I saw posting they will dump Ryanair for Aerlingus act upon what the say I don't know, but certainly this is bad publicity and will fuel resentment for the airline.