Travel on your own

Is Ryanair worth flying? Our experience, pros and cons

Ryanair plane
Ryanair plane

Ryanair is possibly the air Line most controversial today.

I have had occasion to fly with Ryanair on numerous occasions over the years, the last time I used this being recent. low cost airline, when I flew from Berlin a Stockholm, and from here to Madrid.

Therefore, I have experience in this regard, especially considering that, mainly for professional reasons, he has flown with many different companies in recent years.

 
 

DON'T FORGET YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

Are you planning your trip or getaway? Don't leave without take out your travel insurance before, and here we explain whyIf you contract it with us, you have a 10% discount with the code GUIASVIAJAR10.

And the truth is that not everyone has had the opportunity to fly with Ryanair, and you have doubts when considering doing so, as is the case of one of our readers, who raises these doubts in the Travel Guides Facebook page.

This has encouraged me to reflect my opinions, with pros and cons, of flying with Ryanair, which you have below.

Advantages of flying with Ryanair

Without a doubt, the great contribution of the low cost airlines, and Ryanair in particular, is the opening in recent years of new connection lines between European cities, and in Spain, at regional airports.

Thanks to the low costAs Ryanair Specifically, we can now fly directly at low prices to destinations where it was previously necessary to make a stopover to reach them.

And this advantage is very important in the case of those who live in cities that are not Madrid or Barcelona.

Ryanair check-in line at Skavsta Airport in Stockholm
Ryanair check-in line at Skavsta Airport in Stockholm

In fact, these flights connect Spanish cities with important European destinations, avoiding the need for stopovers in, for example, Madrid or Barcelona.

Disadvantages of flying with Ryanair

Now, RyanairFrom my point of view, it is the largest airline uncomfortable to travel, with some demands on travelers that are sometimes at least within the limits of what is legal.

A major inconvenience is that when you buy a ticket on their website, you have so many options to choose from, they make the purchase excessively difficult, so the final price increases to the point where you don't even know what you're going to pay.

 
 

In many other companies the process is much more transparent and simple, so you have a clearer idea of ​​whether or not it is worth taking a passenger on board. hand luggage (55 x 40 x 20 with a maximum weight of 10 kilos) or invoice it.

Please note that in the check-in lines and at the access point to the plane, the control is exhaustive with metal baskets and even weighing devices that you will find to test the dimensions and weights.

If you choose to invoice, you must also keep in mind that you can only Take a single carry-on bag, briefcase or backpack into the cabin  (40 x 20 x 25) that you must place under the front seat, in which you must put everything you carry, such as a camera, bags... to only fit one piece.

Ryanair plane at Madrid airport
Ryanair plane at Madrid airport

Another aspect that you have to take into account is the obligatory de invoice online and print the boarding pass before arriving at the airport,

And if you have forgotten, in Spain you will have to pay 30 euros to issue the boarding pass in the area of check-in of the airport.

On certain trips, the great inconvenience of flying with Ryanair, as with others low cost, is that the airport you fly to is much further from a city than the usual one.

For example, if you fly to Stockholm, Ryanair takes you to Skavska, an airport located 100 kilometers from the Swedish capital.

In short, more time and travel costs.

Are the prices really cheap? Ryanair?

Although a priori the prices of flights with Ryanair that are advertised are a very striking factor, this has its nuances.

It is true that you can get very good prices on unusual routes and by purchasing well in advance, but when flying to more popular destinations, where other companies fly, such as London o Rome, not always the final prices of Ryanair they are the best.

And it is basic to talk about final price, since to the initially announced price we must add other additional amounts which significantly increase the final price.

I'm referring to the price you have to pay if you have excess weight in your luggage, prepare to pay 11 euros per additional kilo!!

What are the Rates of Ryanair

  • Here you can check the Ryanair rates that you will have to pay in certain situations, such as changing your flight or changing the name on the ticket

In short, before deciding on fly with Ryanair Compared to doing it with other companies, you have to make sure what the final price to pay will be.

Be careful, you also have to consider the cost of travel to the city destination in the event that Ryanair fly to an airport located far from the destination city.

My opinions

I recognize that Ryanair It is the airline I like flying the least with, and that is despite the fact that I have never had the slightest incident (delays, poor service, etc.).

If there are other options, I try to avoid Ryanair, even if you have to pay a little more for the ticket.

I will also say that on the last flights I have paid the priority boarding option, because with this supplement you can be sure to avoid the long queues that often occur in front of the check-in lines. Ryanair (without the risk of missing the flight).

And, also, not having to stand in line at the boarding gate half an hour later, to enter earlier and find a better seat on the plane and, instead, be able to get in first and choose seats comfortably.

Of course, if on a trip you can only fly with Ryanair, I have no problem doing it. The important thing is to be able to travel, and Ryanair that makes it easier a lot of times.

And you do you think? I hope your comments.

 
 

About the Author

José Luis Sarralde

Journalist and traveler throughout his life, José Luis Sarralde is the founder of Guías Viajar, where since 2008 he has been capturing his travel experiences around the world, specializing in cultural and scenic destinations in Spain and Europe.

Comments

Click here to write a comment

  • I think it is interesting to mention in this post Ryanair's new policy regarding luggage.

    As of January 15, 2018, only passengers with priority boarding (and who have paid the corresponding fares) will be able to board with two pieces of luggage in the cabin. A handbag and a cabin suitcase will be considered two pieces, so only the smallest piece of luggage (in this case, the bag) can be carried free of charge.

    The other bag or cabin bag will not incur any cost, but will be taken down to the hold of the plane at the boarding gate.

    If we want to upload two packages we can pay €5 more.

  • Do not contract with holidays ryanair, we made a mistake on the date when contracting a flight + hotel package, when we contacted them they told us that within 24 hours it could be modified at no cost, which we did at the time but without the page gave us the option to modify the hotel days, we spoke with them and they told us that they would take care of it, after 24 hours they told us that we have modified the flight but the hotel does not give us the option, that we have to cancel at a cost of 360 euros for cancellation fee and 459 euros for booking new dates plus 30 euros for management expenses when the total trip was 810 euros, if I have contracted a combined package, how do they change my flight and leave me the hotel for another date? I tell them that the Law obliges them to indivisibly contract and they answer that they are governed by German jurisdiction with a totally leonine contract.

  • The terrible company, I was at the Lanzarote airport and there was a delay of more than 3 and a half hours and the truth was very poorly attended and organized.

    18/08/2017

  • Due to my wife's income, and due to consultations, tests, and others, I have been forced to cancel a flight from June 1, 2017 to July 13, 2017, and traveling every year and maximum for the reason, practically the amount of two tickets, they have eaten them, having to pay again, everything,

    There is no right, if Santander was more prepared on flights to Malaga and Seville, Ryanair would not count on me. SHAME

  • I was traveling last week and I did it with Rayan, I want to say that it was great in every way, even the carry-on suitcase weighed more than 10 kg, everything was great.

  • My daughter was charged €45 for not having obtained her boarding pass from home

    RYANAIR=I'll reduce your ticket and I'll put it in your boarding pass

    ABUSES AND MORE ABUSES

  • RAYNAIR: Low cost company? I just took a trip with this airline. Between the payment for baggage check-in, the charge for paying by card and the 100 euros they charged us upon return, the flight was more expensive than with any other company. With our reservation made and paid, on our return as we did not have printed boarding passes, we had to pay otherwise they would not let us fly, the moment we paid they issued us the cards. BRAVE SCANS AND THIEVES, they don't steal from me anymore. And the flight is a hassle of passing the stewardesses selling things. BAY BAY RAYNAIR, See you never. GULFS

  • The worst company to travel with!! They didn't let us board because we were 5 minutes late!!! 5 minutes? If there were 20, okay, we're late, but 5??? But even so, there were still 45 minutes before the plane took off. We lost all the money and they didn't even give us alternatives to take another flight. The attention of the Ryanair workers at the airport is terrible. The girl, unpleasant and with very little tact, because since they work in front of the public, they should be a little more friendly. We asked at the airport what we could do and no one knew how to answer us. The easiest answer was “download skyscanner and look for a flight.” They couldn't give us information about any other flights. I have flown with Vueling and without a doubt much better. I do not recommend to anybody.

    • According to the company's policy, a minor under 16 years of age cannot travel alone. I was unaware of this policy and after having checked the suitcase, having presented the ID and boarding pass, waiting for my son to pass the security check, I left and told him I let fly I wait half an hour at the airport just in case, since we live in another city and I had to drive 150 km. When I'm back, my son calls me crying that he can't fly because he's not old enough, they give him his suitcase and leave him alone to his adventure, even saying that his mother had left, without any type of supervision. no information. In this life not everything is about money, we have lost humanity. The treatment of the staff was unacceptable, impolite and impossibly arrogant. Never more !!!.

  • It seems like a robbery to me that for changing a date a month in advance they charge me €30 as a penalty per ticket and I think that should be punished judicially since in a month there is enough to be able to bend that ticket, it's more the reservation does it one person and yet they punish all the components of the ticket so I still think they are THIEVES.

Language

Search

Useful for your travels