Ryanair and Easyjet

[richw]

Yes, Manchester airport 11th Sep 2015. I'm not saying the plane didn't run, I'm talking about the waiting to get a plane that's not there yet. Three Ryanair flights, passengers waiting at the gate to board for 20 - 40 minutes before the plane even arrives let alone everyone gets off. Sorry, I don't have flight numbers etc if that is what you are looking for :roll:. Funny thing is I don't feel the need to winge when I fly with other airlines , and I'm not even winging about those flights - I wasn't on them. As I said, it was Easyjet that I commented on the customer service of. The reason for not flying Ryanair is the way they treat their staff.

I can back you up from personal experience. Chania to Athens is a regular route I use, normally using Ryanair for that leg.. Its normally a lot cheaper to fly EasyJet UK to Athens, and then get a connecting flight to Chania than flying direct to Chania from the UK due to Athens having 2-3 flights daily at least vs 2-3 flights a week to Chania.

At Chania they have the bus from the gate to plane ready to go before the plane has landed. It drives out to the plane as soon as plane is parked up, and don't open the doors of the bus until the crew are ready. Literally minutes after unloading. I've seen this on several occasions.

 

[fowler9]

I can back you up from personal experience. Chania to Athens is a regular route I use, normally using Ryanair for that leg.. Its normally a lot cheaper to fly EasyJet UK to Athens, and then get a connecting flight to Chania than flying direct to Chania from the UK due to Athens having 2-3 flights daily at least vs 2-3 flights a week to Chania.

At Chania they have the bus from the gate to plane ready to go before the plane has landed. It drives out to the plane as soon as plane is parked up, and don't open the doors of the bus until the crew are ready. Literally minutes after unloading. I've seen this on several occasions.

Have they closed the gate when this happens so everyone has had to stand on the bus? I have been stuck in two really bad Ryanair departure lounges in Bergamo and Rome. Never had to stand at the gate though. My longest ever delay (Only just) was 6 ours in Wroclaw waiting for a Ryanair flight, fortunately it was better than Bergamo and Rome. We had free Wi-fi, dead cheap beer and a smoking area. I also never stood in a queue at the gate.

 

[kelv]

Used both of them quite a few times and always got an absolute bargain so always found it difficult to justify complaining about anything, when they are getting the 5 of us to spain or Italy for about £200 then I'm not expecting to be treated like a Concorde passenger.
How some of the folk could expect to be on some of our flights amazed me tbh and I didnt mind telling them when they voiced complaints.
when they 1st brought in priority boarding with ryanair they always gave us it at check in as we were with kids so needed to be seated with them, only the once it didnt happen and they tried to put us all over the plane until I pointed out that my then 5y.o. couldnt sit with a stranger, they tried to say that he had to so I said if that was the case then they can remove our bags & we wont fly, they asked a couple of passengers if they minded moving so we could be in 2 separate groups & 1 did no problem, the other did when I pointed out it was highly likely my kid would vomit on him.


Both preferable to Megabus in most circumstances, although when I got a 50p return Manc-Lille to watch Everton I again didnt feel that I was in any position to complain about anything really.

 

[radamfi]

Maybe Norwegian should be included in this discussion, given they are a sizeable player, especially out of Gatwick? Can be very cheap with free Wi-Fi in Europe and dirt cheap Transatlantic fares on a Dreamliner if you are willing to give up baggage and food.

 

[richw]

Have they closed the gate when this happens so everyone has had to stand on the bus? I have been stuck in two really bad Ryanair departure lounges in Bergamo and Rome. Never had to stand at the gate though. My longest ever delay (Only just) was 6 ours in Wroclaw waiting for a Ryanair flight, fortunately it was better than Bergamo and Rome. We had free Wi-fi, dead cheap beer and a smoking area. I also never stood in a queue at the gate.

Yeah everyone put to wait on the bus. We're talking 10 minutes or so, no big deal. Nothing worth moaning about, purely observations. Possibly even a big positive for efficiency and getting a prompt departure.

At the prices I pay easyjet or Ryanair I couldn't justify complaining unless something was dangerously bad.

 

[fowler9]

Yeah everyone put to wait on the bus. We're talking 10 minutes or so, no big deal. Nothing worth moaning about, purely observations. Possibly even a big positive for efficiency and getting a prompt departure.

At the prices I pay easyjet or Ryanair I couldn't justify complaining unless something was dangerously bad.

Well that isn't great. I have been stuck on a bus for longer getting off a BA internal flight at Heathrow Terminal 5 transferring to a long haul flight though. Off an A320 at a remote stand from Manchester to Heathrow. Seemed to take forever given we had a very tight connection to a flight to Hong Kong. All worked out in the end, I don't think these things are confined to Ryanair. It was certainly far from a problem free start to a round the world trip.

 

[Robertj21a]

Yes, Manchester airport 11th Sep 2015. I'm not saying the plane didn't run, I'm talking about the waiting to get a plane that's not there yet. Three Ryanair flights, passengers waiting at the gate to board for 20 - 40 minutes before the plane even arrives let alone everyone gets off. Sorry, I don't have flight numbers etc if that is what you are looking for :roll:. Funny thing is I don't feel the need to winge when I fly with other airlines , and I'm not even winging about those flights - I wasn't on them. As I said, it was Easyjet that I commented on the customer service of. The reason for not flying Ryanair is the way they treat their staff.

Ah, I see. That's totally different from what I assumed you meant about the plane not arriving [ever]. Personally, I've never waited in a queue, preferring to relax until they start actual boarding.

 

[nidave]

... oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. I mean, I am partial to a crisp sandwich but... oh dear.

I hope this is only for the economy "buy on board" options on their short haul flights. I'd be very concerned if that was being distributed for the complimentary meals on their long haul routes!

Been talking about this on Facebook and a few people have said they add salad cream to their crisp sandwiches.

 

[Mojo]

Only from London.

It's for any direct flight as far as I'm aware; not just those from London. Unless you are referring to the fact that connecting UK domestic flights are no longer free? A policy I can see no issues with as it only makes it fairer.

 

[WestCoast]

It's for any direct flight as far as I'm aware; not just those from London. Unless you are referring to the fact that connecting UK domestic flights are no longer free? A policy I can see no issues with as it only makes it fairer.

BA don't operate any direct scheduled flights from non-London airports, except Glasgow to Salzburg bizarrely enough.

I can use Avios from my local airport, Birmingham, on Flybe flights but you have to pay all the taxes. It's usually cheaper to just pay in cash.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Ah, I see. That's totally different from what I assumed you meant about the plane not arriving [ever]. Personally, I've never waited in a queue, preferring to relax until they start actual boarding.

It really depends on the airport. My recent experience at Bratislava resulted in priority passengers/assistance passengers getting a nice area with seats, but all the rest having to stand for ages in lanes. Of course with allocated seating you can just wait until the last minute in either case and they have to find space for your hand luggage somewhere

 

[Mojo]

BA don't operate any direct scheduled flights from non-London airports, except Glasgow to Salzburg bizarrely enough.

Indeed, this is exactly what I thought (with the exception of the Sun Air from Manchester); so I'm not quite sure what the statement was.

 

[stut]

They (Sun Air) also had Cambridge - Gothenburg for a while recently, which was nearly useful for me.

 

[miami]

They (Sun Air) also had Cambridge - Gothenburg for a while recently, which was nearly useful for me.

Blink and you miss it!

 

[jopsuk]

They (Sun Air) also had Cambridge - Gothenburg for a while recently, which was nearly useful for me.

it's not stopped yet. Indeed, the 0700 just left 41 minutes late. Saw it with my own eyes...

 

[WestCoast]

I just flew from Luton to Budapest on Wizz Air's HA-LXE, an A321 which was delivered to the airline last Thursday. It had that new car smell.

I must the say the 230 seat A321, while brand new and spotless, was a bit more extreme low cost than Ryanair and easyJet. A bit tight on the legroom but survivable for a two hour flight with a very low fare (£22 including large cabin bag). I'm not sure I'd fancy a five hour jaunt from Budapest to Dubai on it though

 

[F Great Eastern]

I don't agree with the way Wizz charges for it's luggage, what they call a "large cabin bag" is a normal size cabin bag on Ryanair and all other airlines and they have always had more fees than Ryanair. At least recently they removed the sliding scale baggage charges based on flight length, which for all intents and purposes was somewhat of a fuel surcharge, the longer the flight, the more the baggage cost, but

Their punctuality and service recovery if there is a problem in Western Europe is awful since any spare aircraft are based in Eastern Europe though it does help them earn a lot of money on their delay warranty product, since nobody would buy it if the service was reliable,

Their fares are not all that attractive either, since even for the average passenger taking a normal (I refuse to call it large, that's Wizz spin), cabin bag, by the time you have paid for that, and paid for membership of the discount club to get the best fares, you're bumping up the price quite a lot on most routes to the point where Ryanair is much cheaper with a normal sized and small cabin bag allowed, with the fares open to everyone.

There will be exceptions to that rule, but generally where there is not a cut throat fare war going on Ryanair always seems to be cheaper for anyone who is actually carrying some luggage, and more punctual too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One thing Wizz do well is that if you pay for a checked bag, you can take one as big as you want up to the absolute maximum of 30-something kg. This is extremely passenger-friendly (short of a bag of bricks or lead you'd have a job exceeding it), though I bet their baggage handlers don't like it.

 

[miami]

One thing Wizz do well is that if you pay for a checked bag, you can take one as big as you want up to the absolute maximum of 30-something kg. This is extremely passenger-friendly (short of a bag of bricks or lead you'd have a job exceeding it), though I bet their baggage handlers don't like it.

I've always assumed that upto 23kg is dealt with by 1 baggage handler, and 23-32kg is by two people.

Sounds like Wizz are trying to discourage the "cram it in the overhead locker" culture that emerged in the last 20 years. Good for them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sounds like Wizz are trying to discourage the "cram it in the overhead locker" culture that emerged in the last 20 years. Good for them.

The best way to do that would be to pack in charging for the first checked bag.

 

[fowler9]

I've flown with Wizzair a few times and quite like them. Got an absolute bargain to Budapest last month from Liverpool, about £52 there and back I think it was, didn't need or want to pay for any extras which helped.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've flown with Wizzair a few times and quite like them. Got an absolute bargain to Budapest last month from Liverpool, about £52 there and back I think it was, didn't need or want to pay for any extras which helped.

Some of us are forced to pay for extras - on their older aircraft, the ones with the hard-backed plastic seats, I can't physically sit down other than in the exit row. Which rules out tall people who are not, for mobility reasons, able to sit there.

I'm 6' 4" - that's not *insanely* tall these days. I do fit in easyJet[1] and Ryanair seats, just, though I do normally choose the exit row and will admit I quite like being able to pay to ensure I get it rather than the stressful queueing up first thing.

[1] Not a fan of the new A320 layout with an extra row. But if not in the exit row the trick is to choose a seat forward of the exit row, as the spacing there has not changed - it's only the seats behind the exit row that have been squashed together to add the extra row.

 

[edwin_m]

I've always assumed that upto 23kg is dealt with by 1 baggage handler, and 23-32kg is by two people.

Sounds like Wizz are trying to discourage the "cram it in the overhead locker" culture that emerged in the last 20 years. Good for them.

I seem to remember that if you have a checked bag your "large cabin bag" turns into a "small cabin bag" and you have to buy something else to be able to take a "large cabin bag" too. Fortunately when visiting Riga several times last summer I was just about able to get away with "large cabin bag", as my laptop is too large to fit in a "small" and I wouldn't want to check it in.

 

[pemma]

I seem to remember that if you have a checked bag your "large cabin bag" turns into a "small cabin bag" and you have to buy something else to be able to take a "large cabin bag" too. Fortunately when visiting Riga several times last summer I was just about able to get away with "large cabin bag", as my laptop is too large to fit in a "small" and I wouldn't want to check it in.

Do they also have the Ryanair & EasyJet policy if the flight is full where some randomly selected passengers with large cabin bags get told their bag has to go in to the hold?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do they also have the Ryanair & EasyJet policy if the flight is full where some randomly selected passengers with large cabin bags get told their bag has to go in to the hold?

I'd imagine so, otherwise the flight isn't going anywhere.

 

[miami]

The best way to do that would be to pack in charging for the first checked bag.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Do they also have the Ryanair & EasyJet policy if the flight is full where some randomly selected passengers with large cabin bags get told their bag has to go in to the hold?

The policy should clearly be "somebody elses bag should go in the hold". The fairest policy is probably "last to board".

I fly hand baggage only because of the speed out of the airport - I sit at the front of the plane, and when coming into somewhere like Manchester T3 I'm in the taxi, and perhaps even home, when the last straggler gets off the plane, let alone when the bags finally get out onto the belt.

I wouldn't mind picking up the bag at the steps of the plane, as happens in some US flights on regional jets, but the tedium of waiting 30, 40, even 50 minutes to retrieve a bag is a pain.

On the other hand 9 times out of 10 flying into the US, waiting for bags is not a problem.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The policy should clearly be "somebody elses bag should go in the hold". The fairest policy is probably "last to board".

Like with an overbooked flight, it's good customer service to ask for volunteers and perhaps to compensate them with something like a free coffee. EZY do free speedy boarding, though that's of little value these days.

Failing that, yes, the last to board is probably friendliest but operationally most inefficient.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I've flown with Wizzair a few times and quite like them. Got an absolute bargain to Budapest last month from Liverpool, about £52 there and back I think it was, didn't need or want to pay for any extras which helped.

To be fair though, their costs at Budapest are apparently less than zero because of the fact they are Hungarian, so it's no surprising they have good prices on those routes, they tend to extract even more money from airports and authorities than Ryanair.

Recently there was speculation that Wizz signed a contract for marketing support with an airport, who would pay large sums of money for Wizz to start flights there and spend lots of money on marketing. There was a clause that if the routes did not get the appropriate yields or revenue that WIZZ would get compensated by the airport!

I fly hand baggage only because of the speed out of the airport - I sit at the front of the plane, and when coming into somewhere like Manchester T3 I'm in the taxi, and perhaps even home, when the last straggler gets off the plane, let alone when the bags finally get out onto the belt.

I do too, but the Wizz free cabin bag is way too small for me to be able to do that, which is why I don't use them. with Ryanair I get a normal sized cabin bag and a small cabin bag for free, which straight away is a big savings. I also get the best fares without having to pay into a stupid club as well.

If Wizz got rid of their cabin bag policy I'd be more likely to fly with them, but it's impossible to put enough in their free cabin bag size to last a few days, especially if you need to take anything like an ipad or laptop.

 

[edwin_m]

Do they also have the Ryanair & EasyJet policy if the flight is full where some randomly selected passengers with large cabin bags get told their bag has to go in to the hold?

I didn't see that on the five or six flights I took, but several of them had many free seats so probably no pressure on the lockers either. I think the idea of encouraging people to bring small cabin bags is to avoid that sort of problem.

 

[WestCoast]

All that matters to me is the final price, and I find Wizz Air is often extremely competitive even including baggage fees.

Ryanair equally has issues. I particularly dislike the way that you cannot check-in online more than 7 days in advance of your flight if you've not prepaid for selected seats, bearing in mind you'll be fined for not doing so. It's a real problem for my parents when they go on holiday. Wizz Air allocate seats at booking (with low seat selection charges) so avoids the issue with their 30 day check-in.

 

[Bletchleyite]

All that matters to me is the final price, and I find Wizz Air is often extremely competitive even including baggage fees.

Ryanair equally has issues. I particularly dislike the way that you cannot check-in online more than 7 days in advance of your flight if you've not prepaid for selected seats, bearing in mind you'll be fined for not doing so. It's a real problem for my parents when they go on holiday. Wizz Air allocate seats at booking (with low seat selection charges) so avoids the issue with their 30 day check-in.

The problem with allocating seating at booking is that that seating is then unavailable for those paying for seating to select it. So short of filling the middle seats from the back you may lose a paid selection.