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Ryanair - New reserved seating structure(s)

ekellyie

Hi there,
Could anyone give me advice on how to tackle the new reserved seating/priority boarding structure that Ryanair have in place.
I understand that now you can reserve a seat or book priority boarding with an added on cost, or you can just check in as normal online and they will reserve random seats for you free of charge.

If you haven't reserved a seat or purchased priority boarding and you're checking in as normal, do Ryanair give you the option of a Window or an Aisle seat before choosing it for you?

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Strumms

At the end of the day if you are organised and have your **** together and go by the booking process then you will be fine.. the problem occurs when the self entitled 'but but but but I HAVE KIDS' brigade hold up the process and expect the cabin crew with all their other duties to move heaven and earth and piss off passengers who have done no more then book, check in, turn up on time and sit in the seat they selected and often payed for.

Got sick of the number of times I have been asked to move to accommodate famalies or even boarded to find a family of three who had accommodated themselves into my row when they had only 2 of the 3 seats booked.. not any more..I pay extra for a seat closer to the front and at the window .. when I have been asked by cabin crew if I'd move I just politely but defiantly explain that I paid for the seat, that I won't be moving, thanks and continue to look out the window... because people have kids and or can't get their **** together doesn't entitle them to anything more then anyone else on any given flight. If you need to pay the extra to sit together .. do so if it's going to bother you... if you don't want to pony up then just don't be an arsehole and expect everyone else to suffer your lack of planning and or cheapness..

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Ghekko

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Likewise and I have kids! Hate the sense of entitlement of some people.:mad:

Jayop

I honestly have nit once been asked to move or seen anyone else being asked to move on countless flights since allocated seating came in.

A Dub in Glasgo

Neither have I although I mainly travel Ryanair Glasgow to Dublin and Glasgow to Stansted so maybe it is just the bucket and spade routes

Mr rebel

Jayop wrote: »

I honestly have nit once been asked to move or seen anyone else being asked to move on countless flights since allocated seating came in.

I haven't either, but if I was asked to move I would take the "Strumms" approach as I always pay for a specific seat in advance.

Strumms

Jayop wrote: »

I honestly have nit once been asked to move or seen anyone else being asked to move on countless flights since allocated seating came in.

I travel a lot for work , using Ryanair maybe three out of every four flights so over time you tend to see and experience most of the idiosyncrasies that comes with flying Ryanair.

The straw that broke the camel's back was on a late night flight from STN to DUB where I boarded as one of the first passengers only to find said family of three taking up the whole row. I pointed out politely that I had prepaid for the window seat which 'little Johnny' was happily gazing out of on the company dollar... you could tell by the reaction that it was all a pre-planned maneuver and the usual 'ohh well we were hoping to sit together', 'ohh sorry'.. 'ohh well little Johnny was hoping for a window seat' kinda rubbish but no offer to move of course. I relented as I had on the odd occasion as I didn't see the gate area as being that busy so expected the flight not to be. The flight ended up pretty much full and I ended up sitting in the last row, aisle seat beside the toilets and with a flea in my ear from the cabin crew for not taking my assigned seat and clogging up the place as I eventually was pushed further down the plane against a two way tide of passengers.. :rolleyes:

So hence going forward, if you have kids, kids with no legs, kids who just buried the pet parrot / dog / cat / pony / pet grandmother... I don't really care.. sort your **** out like everyone else and get the **** out of my seat...

now.. anything good on TV ?

Bob24

^
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I think it is exactly why Ryanair is introducing that policy. A family who wants to go the for cheapest possible option (Ryanair AND not booking seats) but doesn't accept the rule of the game (you need to be organised and check-in early) and doesn't care if their non-acceptance means someone who did pay for a service doesn't receive that service. The problem in the situation described above is that realistically there is nothing the passager or the Ryanair staff can do without looking uncivilised, even through it is 100% the family's fault in the first place and that passenger is getting screwed by them.

The other options for Ryanair to address it were to automatically assign free adjacent seats to families (but free add-ons is not what they do), or to start enforcing assigned seats even if it means moving families (probably a mess in the cabin and a PR disaster, not an acceptable option).

CelticRambler

'Tis all well and good in principle ... but the workaround is simple: book the children as adults, no additional fee necessary. :cool:

I've been a Ryanair customer for more than 25 years, a happy Ryanair customer for the first 20 of those, and an increasingly disgruntled one as they (and their website) become progressively more like the dinosaur airlines, trying to "enhance" my user experience by taking out the attributes that made it attractive in the first place, like free seating.

Boarding for all my recent flights has been chaotic because of allocated seating, with people in row 15 trying to get past others in rows 5 and 10 still standing in the aisle putting their stuff away (and ditto from the other end). :mad:

A Dub in Glasgo

CelticRambler wrote: »

Boarding for all my recent flights has been chaotic because of allocated seating, with people in row 15 trying to get passed others in rows 5 and 10 still standing in the aisle putting their stuff away (and ditto from the other end). :mad:

This happened with unallocated seating as well

Living Off The Splash

Our flight was delayed on an Aer Lingus flight last year as "the family" was accommodated by moving people from seats who had paid for them. We missed our take off slot.

While the air hostess was distracted moving people the second group of self entitled were storing their luggage in the overhead lockers at the front of the plane before taking their seats at the back of the plane.

The third set of self entitled were carrying on two and three over sized bags without anything being said to them and taking up other peoples locker space.

I am all in favour of Ryanair's new rules. I only wish there was someway to reserve the locker space over your own seat.

Bob24

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

I only wish there was someway to reserve the locker space over your own seat.

Not sure I agree with that. I know what you mean but is having some storage next to your seat not as a basic service the airline should deliver anyway? (as opposed to a paid option)

Airplanes are designed so that everyone gets some storage (bar maybe the front row). If you don't, it has to do with the way the airline is operating (for exemple pushing too much for passengers to take carry-on luggage and not properly enforcing baggage allowances inside the cabin).

A Dub in Glasgo

Bob24 wrote: »

Not sure I agree with that. I know what you mean but is having some storage next to your seat not as a basic service they airline should deliver anyway? (as opposed to a paid option)

Airplanes are designed so that everyone gets some storage (bar maybe the front row), and if you don't it has to do with the way the airline is operating.

Not true, if all passengers wanted to put stuff up in the lockers, there is not enough space. What does happen though is folk putting stuff up in the overhead lockers that can go under the seat in front of them

Bob24

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Not true, if all passengers wanted to put stuff up in the lockers, there is not enough space. What does happen though is folk putting stuff up in the overhead lockers that can go under the seat in front of them

By "stuff" I supposed you mean every single passenger trying to put a large suitcase though.

What I meant to say is that planes are designed so that "having some storage space next to your seat" is a basic service. Most airlines achieve that with no problem.

Ryanair is not completely operating airplanes in the way they were designed to be operated, pushing everyone only to have carry-on luggage and only enforcing cabin bagage allowances when the staff is not busy with something else and/or when there is a quick buck to be made.

(which lately lead them to ask people who are queuing to board if they want to checkin their suitcase for free, but when they are at the gate already many people don't want to do that anymore as they didn't plan for it and have stuff in their suitcase they want to keep with them)

You could say it is just a different business model and charging for storage space in the cabin is a solution to that issue. But realistically I don't think it is possible as it would be very difficult to enforce and cause a mess at boarding with all the people who didn't book not a specific storage location (but who still are entitled for carry-on luggage) not knowing where to put their suitcase.

Mr rebel

Priority Boarding is essential for me as it takes so much of the hassle out of the boarding process and not having to worry about overhead locker space. It's a nice feeling to be already sitting in your seat while everyone else faffs about and blocks up the aisle

I'm always pleasantly surprised more passengers don't avail of PB but Ryanair seem to be decreasing the price of it so I expect more will.

CelticRambler

Mr rebel wrote: »

Priority Boarding is essential for me as it takes so much of the hassle out of the boarding process and not having to worry about overhead locker space.

What hassle? As soon as someone in a Ryanair uniform stands at the boarding gate, a whole load of mad eejits leap up to join the queue (priority or not) and spend ages standing, doing nothing. I wait in the comfortable, air-conditionned spaciousness of the departure lounge till they're all gone, then saunter along, happy to be paddy-last getting my boarding pass scanned, but still end up standing behind a bunch of others on the steps up to the aircraft.

Then the nice RA cabin crew offer to stow my bag for me and work their way up the ailse ordering the stragglers to SIT DOWN! before (usually) offering me an emergency exit row seat. Then the 'plane takes off. I can't think why anyone would want to spend even longer sitting in cramped, stuffy conditions while the spatially challenged traipse past and try to play musical chairs ...

Bob24

CelticRambler wrote: »

What hassle? As soon as someone in a Ryanair uniform stands at the boarding gate, a whole load of mad eejits leap up to join the queue (priority or not) and spend ages standing, doing nothing. I wait in the comfortable, air-conditionned spaciousness of the departure lounge till they're all gone, then saunter along, happy to be paddy-last getting my boarding pass scanned, but still end up standing behind a bunch of others on the steps up to the aircraft.

Then the nice RA cabin crew offer to stow my bag for me and work their way up the ailse ordering the stragglers to SIT DOWN! before (usually) offering me an emergency exit row seat. Then the 'plane takes off. I can't think why anyone would want to spend even longer sitting in cramped, stuffy conditions while the spatially challenged traipse past and try to play musical chairs ...

Agreed if you are travelling alone and don't have a large suitcase which you want to make sure you can keep with you.

If you are travelling with an other person and each suitcase ends up on the opposite side of the cabin it can be annoying to be fair. Same if you have fragile items in the suitcase and they request you put it in the hold because cabin storage is really full already.

jimmy180sx

ðŸ‘† this...the past two years I've waited to get out the plane last and have als way got an emergency exit seat over the wing and bagged safely stowed away above, if not the row behind me overhead locker...all flights DUB-LTN

CelticRambler

Bob24 wrote: »

If you are travelling with an other person and each suitcase ends up on the opposite side of the cabin it can be annoying to be fair.

:eek: The opposite side of the cabin is, at most, a whopping 3.53m away ... and, even if it's stowed at the far end of the cabin, why do you need to be rooting around in your suitcase during the flight anyway?

Before RA brought in the second bag concession (which seems to be universally abused) it was perfectly possible to survive a 2-hour flight with a handful of in-flight essentials; nothing's changed.

Maybe that's why my four children are such easy-going travellers - they were reared in the good old days of the supposedly cheap-and-nasty RA and have never forgotten the habits they learnt. :pac:

Bob24

CelticRambler wrote: »

:eek: The opposite side of the cabin is, at most, a whopping 3.53m away ... and, even if it's stowed at the far end of the cabin, why do you need to be rooting around in your suitcase during the flight anyway?

I mean opposite end of the cabin - sorry if that was not clear, English is not my native language and I might have missed a subtlety. While it is not the end of the world to be honest yes it would bother me while exiting the plane if I am sitting in the middle of the cabin and I have one suitcase to collect in the front and another on in the back (especially if it is an airport where only the front door can be opened). It is not the distance, it is the slow flow of people in the corridor preventing you from moving around it (call me impatient but if I can avoid it I prefer not having to wait until everyone else has left).

To each there own I guess - my partner and I prefer getting inside the plane early and knowing all our stuff will be stowed next to us for sure ... which then makes us relaxed for the rest of the journey. That is fine (and probably a good thing) if other people have different preferences.

If I am traveling alone just with a small backpack which is easy to store anywhere ... I on the other hand don't bother and don't mind boarding last.

Michael D Not Higgins

How are people getting emergency exit row seats by getting on last if you get a seat assigned at check-in? Or are you paying extra for the seat?

Stark

If there's no-one in the emergency exit row they'll move someone in there so there's someone to open the door in case of emergency. Been a long time since I was on a flight where that happened though.

Michael D Not Higgins

Stark wrote: »

If there's no-one in the emergency exit row they'll move someone in there so there's someone to open the door in case of emergency. Been a long time since I was on a flight where that happened though.

They don't necessarily pick the last person on the plane though. You'd probably have to ask the cabin crew to sit there, right?

highlydebased

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

They don't necessarily pick the last person on the plane though. You'd probably have to ask the cabin crew to sit there, right?

They usually wait until all pax are onboard as it then becomes clear if anybody will be sitting in emergency rows or not. Cabin crew have to ask somebody to sit there. Being the last one on just means you have yet to find your own seat so increases your chances of being asked.

munchkin_utd

Mr rebel wrote: »

Priority Boarding is essential for me as it takes so much of the hassle out of the boarding process and not having to worry about overhead locker space. It's a nice feeling to be already sitting in your seat while everyone else faffs about and blocks up the aisle
I'm always pleasantly surprised more passengers don't avail of PB but Ryanair seem to be decreasing the price of it so I expect more will.

you do realise that priority works as its only a fraction of the entire flight.

If everyone went priority then the entire plane would be "boarding first" which of course then means youre back to whoever gets in the queue first and is stubborn enough to stand for an hour gets on first.

with allocated seating theres no need to be on the plane first, and for my last Ryanair flight i was ordering a lovely coffee for myself and the mrs 10m from the gate, the kids playing at a lego corner, as the others were queuing to get past the first door.
indeed, not to board but just to get beyond a door to stand in a queue in a different place slightly nearer the airplane, which hadnt finished emptying the previous passengers! Youd sometimes wonder if there was a €50 note being given out to the first passengers to board, the way some carry on.

DivingDuck

munchkin_utd wrote: »

indeed, not to board but just to get beyond a door to stand in a queue in a different place slightly nearer the airplane, which hadnt finished emptying the previous passengers! Youd sometimes wonder if there was a €50 note being given out to the first passengers to board, the way some carry on.

I'd sit on the wing for a guarantee of having my bag close enough that I can make sure nobody's dipping into it to relieve me of my valuables.

Mr rebel

I'm just one of those annoying passengers then who has to board first:o

BrokenMan

What this thread and many more prove is that we are all different.
Some people like to pay to be sure they sit together.
Some people like to queue early to make sure they get to have their bags near them in the bins.
Some people, like me, are hoping they will be asked to put their cabin baggage in the hold when they are dropping off their checked in bag.
And you know what, we are all entitled to that.
Except the tool who's sitting in my ore booked seat. He can sod right off

CelticRambler

Bob24 wrote: »

While it is not the end of the world to be honest yes it would bother me while exiting the plane if I am sitting in the middle of the cabin and I have one suitcase to collect in the front and another on in the back (especially if it is an airport where only the front door can be opened). It is not the distance, it is the slow flow of people in the corridor preventing you from moving around it (call me impatient but if I can avoid it I prefer not having to wait until everyone else has left).

Nope. Still don't understand the logic. If it's really that important to you to have your bag next to you, put it under the seat in front. I've never heard of anyone's under-seat space being "stolen" by another passenger" ... but if you're sitting in the middle, you're going to be held up by the slow flow of people regardless of whether you've got your bag with you or not.

Even if you're the last one off the 'plane, you can easily be at passport control ahead of the priority boarders, e.g. in Dublin, by taking the empty stairs instead of queuing for the escalators.

I'd love to know how many of the people who purchase priority boarding also buy a fast-track pass for the security gate ...

Bob24

CelticRambler wrote: »

If it's really that important to you to have your bag next to you, put it under the seat in front.

Yes, as I have said already this is what I do if I have a small backpack. I was talking about larger suitcases here.

CelticRambler wrote: »

if you're sitting in the middle, you're going to be held up by the slow flow of people regardless of whether you've got your bag with you or not.

Nope, not the same for the example I mentioned. If your are sitting in the middle and have a suitcase to collect in front and another one to collect at the back (and especially if only the front door of the cabin can be open) ... You basically have to wait for everyone else to have left before you can get your bags and you can't see what's happening to them while you are waiting.

Again, it is fine for you and I to have different personal preferences. I have less "competition" when I try to stow my stuff first to make sure it is next to me and I will be at ease for the rest of the flight, and you have more time to relax next to the gate because you're not concerned about that. Everyone's happy.