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. Ryanair charges for bags which are free with other airlines and if you have to pay a bus or train fare to get you to your destination, the total cost on Ryanair may well be more expensive.
Try www.skyscanner.ie for short haul or google flights for long distance
3) You are not obliged to get a return ticket. Check out the option of flying out and back with different airlines. It may be cheaper or the flight times may be more suitable.
4) Consider buying separate outgoing and return tickets so that if your plans change, it's much easier to organise - the downside is that if your outgoing flight is cancelled, you will not get a refund of the return ticket if it's booked separately.
5) 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.
6) Ryanair has three separate flight categories - Basic, Plus and Flexi Plus. It is usually cheaper to buy Basic and buy the add ons separately,
- however @Bronte has found that buying the Plus is sometimes cheaper. There is also a family option which probably works out cheaper than buying individual flights.
7) Buy any extra baggage when booking the flight, as it's more expensive later
8) Do you really need travel insurance? Don't pay for it if you don't. If you do, shop around.
9) Shop around for car hire - some Askaboutmoney users have found it cheaper when booked through Ryanair. Personally, I like booking things directly so that if things go wrong, I deal directly with the supplier.
10) Make sure that you get a confirmation email after you book, in case there was a glitch in the booking process e.g. your credit card payment was refused.

Checking in and arriving at the gate
10) You must check in online using the app - online check-in closes two hours before the flight.
11) At check-in, you can pay extra for an aisle seat, extra leg room or the front of the plane. If these are not important to you, 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.
12) Don't leave it to the last minute either as if the flight is fully, you won't be allocated a seat at check-in and while, in most cases, you will be allocated a seat at the gate, you are at risk of being bumped off the flight.
13) Be on good time as they are the strictest airline for closing the gate at the specified time - see Ryanair's policy towards people who arrive late at the gate

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 book a return flight with Ryanair but don't use the outgoing flight, the return flight is not cancelled.

https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-ie/articles/47320825778705-What-happens-if-I-don-t-take-my-outbound-flight-Can-I-still-use-my-return

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.

 

[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]

If booking for adults and children, after you select Basic, you will be offered a family bundle, which is well worth considering.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

I have moved the discussion on what happens if you arrive late at the gate to here

https://www.askaboutmoney.com/threads/ryanairs-policy-towards-people-who-arrive-after-the-gate-closes.244743/

 

[Brendan Burgess]

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.

Thing have been edited and renumbered. Can you quote the bit you are clarifying.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Thank you all for your comments which I have tried to incorporate in the first post. I have to strike a balance between covering everything and keeping it readable.

@Bronte You had the most suggestions/clarifications. Have I incorporated them ok in the first post?

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Just making a plug here for AirHint.com

I checked it out and they wanted me to disable my Ad Blocker, so I won't include it.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

4) Consider buying separate outgoing and return tickets so that if your plans change, it's much easier to organise - the downside is that if your outgoing flight is cancelled, you will not get a refund of the return ticket if it's booked separately.

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.

@Bronte

Could you expand on this a bit more as I wonder if it's a problem in reality?

I tend to do short weekend flights to busy cities so it might be different for other flying patterns.

Say I am going to Manchester for the weekend.
I book a return ticket - out 9 am Friday back 10 pm Sunday.

Ryanair has never cancelled a flight without a reasonable alternative. So I might fly out at 10 or 11 instead. Not the end of the world.

What has happened is that something has come up on the Friday so I booked a later flight on the Friday. As I had booked separate single flights out and back, I didn't need to make any changes to the return flight.

Some years ago this happened to me with CityJet and I just booked a separate flight out only to find by not using the first leg of the return flight, they cancelled the return leg. At the time, Ryanair did not do this. If you did not travel out, you could still travel back but you had to notify them. I just think that separate flights are cleaner.

But can you give me an example an actual risk where a return is better?

What happens if the cancel the outgoing flight but you want to keep the return. I presume that if you cancel a return flight, you cancel it all?

 

[Brendan Burgess]

https://www.askaboutmoney.com/threads/cityjet-not-using-outgoing-leg-of-flight.193703/

OK, so some airline do cancel the return or have done in the past but Ryanair does not

https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-ie/articles/47320825778705-What-happens-if-I-don-t-take-my-outbound-flight-Can-I-still-use-my-return

What happens if I don’t take my outbound flight? Can I still use my return?​

If you decide not to travel on your outbound flight (the first leg of your journey), your return flight will not be cancelled.

Ryanair operates a point‑to‑point model, which means each flight is treated as a separate segment. So even if you miss or choose not to use your outbound flight, you can still travel on your return flight as booked.

So with Ryanair at least, maybe it's better to book a return. Then if your plans change, book another flight out.

If you are flying with another airline, check first.

 

[Bronte]

Could you expand on this a bit more as I wonder if it's a problem in reality?

You’re not seeing the issue because you’re only flying to England. An Irish person is never stuck if you’re over there because there are so many alternatives. I’d have no problem booking 2 separate flights to the UK, indeed if you lived in Limerick it might make sense to fly Ryanair Shannon or Cork to Luton and come back Aer Lingus Heathrow to Dublin. But you’ll be able to sort out a cancelled flight relatively cheaply at no major inconvenience.

Book Dublin Stockholm (expensive destination) book Prague (far) the Canaries (an island) then if your outward flight doesn’t go you won’t get refunded on the return. More crucially it’s not like there are multiple flights outbound on those routes. On the day, or next day to your cancelled flight.

BTW we got stuck this year in the Far East due to the Iran war. People were paying thousands to get flights. People forget what things like snow, or ash cloud can do. Add in Christmas or weddings …. Nobody is going to give a ratting damn about missing a flight to London. I made one of my adult children fly from the UK last month 2 days before our Sun holiday into an airport in another country, because I would not take the risk of an issue for our expensive package holiday if there was a problem with their cheap Ryanair flight. Conversely, for their UK return, they flew out locally, the day after holiday arrival, as a) any problem they could explain to their job b) they woukd be at home so it’s not an issue.

 

[Monbretia]

6) Ryanair has three separate flight categories - Basic, Plus and Flexi Plus. It is usually cheaper to buy Basic and buy the add ons separately,
- however @Bronte has found that buying the Plus is sometimes cheaper.

The exact one I was referring to seems to be gone but this is as close as it gets, original No. 3 said something like always better to book basic and add ons separately rather than take a package. I find the family package good value if you have kids with you and need checked luggagee.