General Ryanair discusion

Nijmegen wrote: »

Correct. I was on a trip recently with a family member who doesn’t use a smart phone, as it was a short flight we didn’t bother booking seats and I had the hassle of checking them in and printing a boarding pass at the hotel to avoid the charge. Not an issue if you’ve got a smartphone and the app tho. But I imagine if you’re travelling on holiday with a group etc and you just want the printed document to remove complication it’s a pay for play situation.

COuld you not just have checked them in on your phone and then show both boarding passes at the gate on the one phone ?

billy few mates wrote: »

I haven't used them for a while but a couple of years ago when I was using them briefly I discovered the later I checked in the better the seat I got. I'm one of those people who refuses to pay extra to select a seat (or any extra really) and I assume most people do the same.
Im assuming that the it's set up so that if you check in early and refuse to pay to select a seat they'll automatically allocate you a **** seat until eventually they only have the best seats left so they have to give them to you anyway...
Even when it doesn't work you're still no worse off if you have no intention of paying anyway...

Yep, I fly with them quite regularly and can attest to this. Most flights are full or nearly full and as you say, they want to incentivise people to purchase a pre-booked seat (generally either so the customer can avoid a middle seat, ensure they're sat with their party or just sit in their preferred area) and so the seats that most would consider the "crap seats" will be the ones allocated first.

Add to this that a lot of people are anxious about flying so will check in either as soon as they can or not too close to the check in window closing and folks who buy pre-booked seats will usually pay for the cheapest seats that they find acceptable rather than pay the €14 - 20 for a premium exit row.

I usually check in around 3 - 4hr before free check in closes (still like to give a little wiggle room in case of a problem!) and i'd say I get an exit row or front row seat 30 - 40% of the time or failing that it's usually something in the first 5 rows or so, normally an aisle or window seat.

Brittany Ferries won't sell May 2020 bookings until mid October. I think Brexit uncertainty has a lot to do with travel companies being cagey. If they accept bookings now for a normal season and travel via or near UK is affected by a "No Deal Brexit", then the airline or travel company could be held liable for their bookings. Airlines, ferries and travel agents are just on hold right now. For you, book nothing or ensure that your travel insurance covers Brexit chaos. ( probably does not)

billy few mates wrote: »

This ruling could change the landscape for a number of airlines who use contractors instead of directly employed pilots...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/18/bbc-presenters-told-pay-tens-thousands-back-taxes-judge-rules/

Not really - are there any airlines who have their pilots employed individually as contractors?

I thought it was a case that they contracted in services companies to crew the aircraft, and that the pilots are employees of the service companies.


The BBC case related to former employees being forced to act as owners of individual service companies and the being taxed as owners/directors of those companies instead of being taxed as employees.

Just a follow up on a query I had about flights being affected by the Spanish Cabin Crew industrial action.
Both outbound and inbound flights went ahead as schedule with Spanish Cabin crew.

On the way out the flight from Cork had a Stag Hen and 40th birthday party.
No refreshments were sold and we thought it was due to people being drunk.
However on the flight back this morning the same thing happened.

On a related point. The 2 mid emergency exits were occupied by the Stag party. Some of the guys were so drunk they were falling around the place.
The cabin crew asked them if they were ok to open the doors in an emergency and they all said yeah, they weren't capable of opening their zippers if they had any.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Folks, I posted this in the travel forum, but just thought I'd chance my luck here as I'm flying tomorrow and still undecided what to do. Can anyone here help (I appreciate this is likely not the right place to ask, as it's more a customer question than an aviation enthusiast question).

Cheers, though, to anyone able to offer any insight

Should be grand. I fly with them a few times a month and they are usually lax enough unless you are clearly taking the pïss. At least on the Dub-Rome route.

Good question kkv, they now have those fancy machines for checked in baggage, unfortunately, and I don't think you can drop your cabin bag this way.

This all happens at the gates these days. Won't be a harm to ask one of the people manning the check in/ bag drop area, they might be more than happy to do that for you.

There is a risk they will tag your bag and ask you to keep it with you until you are about to board the plane, though

Ryanair are selling planes to temporarily lease them back and extending leases.
This is a company that is very motivated to renew its fleet and move off 737NG and to move to 737Max.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ryanair-reasonably-confident-of-737-max-return-by-461194/

"In early August, the Ryanair chief had already stated that "we will need about 600 less pilots and cabin crew for summer 2020" based on the assumption that the operator would receive around 30 Max jets during 2020.

Ryanair is taking steps to mitigate the impact of the Max grounding, O'Leary says, stating that "about 15 of our aircraft shortage next summer will be made up by postponing aircraft sales and extending leases".

He cites a deal reach with lessor GECAS, under which Ryanair will keep seven of 10 "older 737NGs" that the operator had originally intended to sell this winter.

"We're also extending some of the aircraft that are coming off lease at the moment," he says, adding: "I think it's seven or eight aircraft – we're extending leases for another 12 months.""

marcos_94 wrote: »

have tried this before with Ryanair and Aer Lingus. Asked at the check in desks if i could check in my hand luggage there but was told by both that I couldnt check them in at the desk and would have to ask at the gate

Depends on who you meet I think - I've had success with both airlines at various airports

Comhra wrote: »

Had a few days in Germany recently. Flew Ryanair Kerry - Hahn.

Getting off the plane in Hahn I was struggling slightly to steer two cabin bags up the aisle (my own and that of my elderly travelling companion) As I was approaching the front exit, the young German male cc member spotted me and immediately offered to take one bag, carried it down the steps and waited for me to collect it. All done with a cheerful smile and a handshake.

A nice (and unexpected) example of friendly assistance reminiscent of the good old days of flying.

Kerry-Hahn is a very pleasant route. Genteel passengers for the most part and nice quiet stress-free airport experience on either side.

I now see flights to NOC operated by Lauda Air, and I see the NOC-CGN flights will operate again in summer 2020 (which surprised me), but by Malta Air.

I presume this means different contracts/conditions for staff?

adam88 wrote: »

We’re flying Dublin-Toulouse in May next year. Our flights are now operated by Malta Air. Will there be any change on-board???9

I flew Knock to Cologne last month and it was operated by Malta air. Zero difference except the safety instructions had air malta on them. Same Ryanair Livery, Magazine etc.