Key Post Tips and tricks and mistakes to avoid when flying Ryanair

[Brendan Burgess]

What are the Top Ten?

1) Check the destination airport - it may be a long distance from where you want to go.
Examples - London, Stockholm, Warsaw, Dusseldorf (any more?)
2) Don't assume Ryanair is cheapest - check other airlines to the same destination
Try www.skyscanner.ie for short haul or google flights for long distance
3) You should always book the basic flight and add what you want in terms of baggage etc. This is cheaper than buying an inclusive fair
4) Buy any extra baggage when booking the flight, as it's more expensive later
5) Don't book any unnecessary extras like travel insurance, payment for text alerts,
6) Do not book hotels or car hire through Ryanair - it will probably be more expensive and much more difficult to fix if something goes wrong
7) Buy separate outgoing and return tickets so that if your plans change, it's much easier to organise
8) If the return flight is in a different currency e.g. sterling, pay the sterling price and let your bank do the conversion - the rate will be a lot better than Ryanair's rate.
9) You must check in online using the app - online check-in closes two hours before the flight.
10) Don't check in as soon as check-in opens, as you will be allocated a middle seat. You may get an aisle or window seat if you check in later.
10) Be on good time as they are the strictest airline for closing the gate at the specified time

Other ideas

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/ryanair-tips/

Mistakes to Avoid when flying Ryanair

Read Study Abroad student Cleigh Siegel’s advice on mistakes to avoid when flying with Ireland’s cheapest airline, Ryanair:

studyireland.ie

Complete Guide to Flying RyanAir (& Not Getting Ripped-Off)

RyanAir is a budget airline, with flights around Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East for as low as $10 a ticket. But do your research before booking.

thattravelista.com

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Other
11) If you are not sure of your dates, tickets booked a long time in advance can be so cheap that you can book, say, two return tickets for different times.

If you do this, then book the basic tickets and get the add ons later

12) If you are booking for a group, book the seats individually

https://www.askaboutmoney.com/threa...r-a-group-book-the-seats-individually.243951/

12) If Ryanair reschedules your flight, they will allocate you to a specific alternative, but if that does not suit you, you can choose any flight to the same airport up to 3 days before or 3 days after without paying a switch fee.

 

[misemoi]

2) Don't assume Ryanair is cheapest - check other airlines to the same destination

Skyscanner is brill for this for short haul, loads of different filters, flexible dates, shows all airlines

Google flights better for long haul

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Travelling with children

Can someone else summarise this bit please.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

If your flight is delayed...

Again, if someone could summarise this please.

 

[Ent319]

Just making a plug here for AirHint.com

Have used it previously. It uses machine learning to reverse engineer airlines’ algorithms based on data about prices. It’s able to give decent indications about when you should book, if flights are likely to go up or down or not etc. It reckons it’s quite accurate for Ryanair.

 

[Duddaa]

They're strict on baggage but if you comply with their regulations I generally find them good.

Know the baggage size for your flight and what your allowed. Different baggage sizes exist:

• Under seat baggage
• Cabin Bag
• Checked in bag.

I'm not going to post current dimensions as this changes over time so check directly on the website. Currently you have additional allowances for children under two (buggies, travel cots, car/booster seats, etc.) and for children over two.

If you purchase a bag that's Ryanair compliant size and its a few years old, check that it complies with the current sizes as these change over time.
If you overfill a compliant size bag so its bulging then its no longer compliant in size and you will have to pay a fee.
Take note of additional bags you're carrying such a hand bag, water bottles in pouches with straps are classified as bags, a separate bag of snacks, etc.
You can't purchase a coffee or hot drink in the airport gate and bring it onto the plane either.

 

[Bronte]

1) Check the destination airport - it may be a long distance from where you want to go.
Examples - London, Stockholm, Warsaw, Dusseldorf (any more?)

This is very important, I have met people at the wrong airport

2) Don't assume Ryanair is cheapest - check other airlines to the same destination

You need to add up everything to figure this out. For example Aer Lingus includes the bag. You must compare not just the fare.

Try www.skyscanner.ie for short haul or google flights for long distance

Skyscanner is excellent for checking long distance.

3) You should always book the basic flight and add what you want in terms of baggage etc. This is cheaper than buying an inclusive fair

you need to check it, it might be cheaper with the inclusive, and this actually changes all the time, as a frequent traveller it is important to keep up with the way Ryanair and others change their model

4) Buy any extra baggage when booking the flight, as it's more expensive later

Definitely currently the case, and the difference is stark. And you need to compare the price per kilo, particularly the 20kg v the 23 kg.

5) Don't book any unnecessary extras like travel insurance, payment for text alerts,

Why not add travel insurance if you want it ? I don't but you've not said why not. My logic on this is I'm medically covered in Ireland due to the EU and if my flight is cancelled or delayed I can cover the costs myself. In addition there are horror stories of people stranded with no hotels available, insurance is no good to you then.

6) Do not book hotels or car hire through Ryanair - it will probably be more expensive and much more difficult to fix if something goes wrong

I always book car hire via the Ryanair website, I don't believe it's more expensive.

7) Buy separate outgoing and return tickets so that if your plans change, it's much easier to organise

There's a problem with this. If one leg gets cancelled, such as your outward, you'll get all your money back. An inward is no good to you if you cannot get there in the first place or if yoiu won't go if your 50 Euro ticket will now cost 500 Euro with another airline.

8) If the return flight is in a different currency e.g. sterling, pay the sterling price and let your bank do the conversion - the rate will be a lot better than Ryanair's rate.

Didn't know this, but I always buy in Euro's.

9) You must check in online using the app - online check-in closes two hours before the flight.

Make sure you are actually checked in. And leave plenty of time at the airport, some of the scanners in different airports have problems with the app, Cork was one, not Dublin, and elsewhere

10) Don't check in as soon as check-in opens, as you will be allocated a middle seat. You may get an aisle or window seat if you check in later.

This is what my price conscious adult children do, they 'win' on this most of the time. I pay because I want an aisle seat. One of my siblings now has decided to pay for the extra legroom, for the comfort as they are tall, said what else is the money for, it's often not much extra than a normal seat.

10) Be on good time as they are the strictest airline for closing the gate at the specified time

Ain't that the truth, and it doesn't matter if the plane is late.

11. Check out the size of your under-seat bag, they are VERY strict, I've seen them target people at Dublin, it depends on the airport in my experience, if it's an abroad airport they can be less strict. I put my 'Cabin Max' bag in the sizer recently to prove it works, it's a small wheelie as I can no longer tolerate having a bag over my shoulder etc. I have seen people with 'furry' bags get charged, as the fur was outside the line, there were huge arguments, so make sure your straps/wheels/bits all fit.

12. Double check your emails to confirm your booking immediately after you book. Sometimes there can be a glitch with the credit card.

13. Don't argue with the staff, it's pointless, and some of them love it, I don't argue, but I've seen them get enjoyment out of threatening people - they have the power to deny you boarding, you will lose. Keep a dead pan face at all times.

If your flight is delayed...

Again, if someone could summarise this please.

I'd highly recommend using the agents to make the claim, dealing with Ryanair is torturous.

If you overfill a compliant size bag so its bulging then its no longer compliant in size and you will have to pay a fee.

Your choice then is to dump stuff, work out the costs of your bulky cheapest item versus the price per kilo extra charge, I saw a bunch of lads do this in Dublin during the summer, left loads of stuff behind.....

 

[Eblanoid]

10) Don't check in as soon as check-in opens, as you will be allocated a middle seat. You may get an aisle or window seat if you check in later.

How to get a seat (often premium) for nothing...

I check in as late as possible online and select random seat allocation. I'm usually allocated some kind of premium seat (extra leg room or near the front) because all the "cheap" seats have already been bought/allocated. You can get a good indication of the likelihood of being allocated a premium seat by checking how many "cheap" seats are left on the seating map before you select random allocation during your late check-in.

This method mostly suits single travellers whose carry-on bag fits under a seat.

 

[misemoi]

Travelling with children

1. Try to avoid this if possible
2. In the event that it is necessary, note that a 12 year old is treated the same as an adult on a lot of airlines, so for eg doesn't get a free seat and they will seat them alone. Maybe your 12 yo might be ok with this but most aren't.
3. Teach your kids the luggage rules. Mine get a great kick out of "beating the system" by using pockets, wearing anything that can reasonably be worn instead of putting it in a bag, hiding things in a duty free bag, stuffing a neck pillow with soft items. We remind them that bag money is coming out of trip fun money so less ice creams etc if we overpack.
4. Bring food and water with you for kids as choices and prices mean buying airplane and even airport food a no-no.
5. If travelling as a family or any group, factoring in the door to door cost of your trip including transport to your destination might mean Ryanair is no longer the cheapest. Also a taxi might be cheaper than several shuttle fares as they are often the same price for kids as adults.
6. If travelling with car seats, buggies etc, These items are often bagged by owners so you can fit some things in with the bag. Make sure you cushion them well with eg towels, nappies (often more expensive at your destination).
7. Screen rules in the air are different. Do what you must to get through the flight, it can be a chore for adults so we can't expect kids to amuse themselves. Ryanair and other short hauls have no on board screens, so charge and save media on your own devices and bring headphones.

 

[Monbretia]

Re No. 3, probably right for single bookings or couple of adults but I have always found the family package to be good value with what it includes for heading off on sun hol with kids/grandkids.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

A lot to digest and update.

I got an email from a friend who suggested that you should consider booking one way with one airline and back with another. But Bronte made valid points on booking a return flight as well.

 

[Bronte]

I check in as late as possible online and select random seat allocation. I'm usually allocated some kind of premium seat

There is one problem with this, a serious one, Ryanair “recently” purchased smaller planes, something like that, but it means those have a few less seats than their other ones. It has been the case Ryanair had to change p,abes last minute, they then bumped the last passengers checking in, they were able to check in, but didn’t get allocated a seat.

 

[JohnFlory]

Indeed. Ryanair routinely overbook flights. One way to exclude passengers is to close the gate at exactly 30 mins before flight time and put everyone in a stairwell. Usually catches one or two stragglers. Another is to not allocate seats to last few to check in.

 

[joe sod]

. Another is to not allocate seats to last few to check in.

So that contradicts an earlier suggestion that you should leave it as late as possible to check in online in order to get a good seat without paying premium, if you leave it too close to flight time you might not get a seat at all.

 

[Protocol]

There is one problem with this, a serious one, Ryanair “recently” purchased smaller planes, something like that,

They have purchased newer Boeing 737 aircraft, which have more seats in the same size aircraft, made possible by removing toilets.

737-NG variant, 410 aircraft = 189 seats
737-MAX 8200 "gamechanger" variant, 210 aircraft = 197 seats


Yes, I see what you mean, if the aircraft are switched, there are eight less seats.

 

[patfert1]

Ryanair routinely overbook flights

Do you know this as a fact as opposed to something you read? I know this practice is routine for decades in some airlines and parts of the world, but i had some inside knowledge of ryanair as of some years ago and I wasn't aware of them doing it.

 

[patfert1]

Regarding car hire, I never used any aggregators until recently based on advice in this forum i searched and booked a car via the ryanair site. Prices were very competitive and the car i booked from one of the main hire companies was an excellent price.