Speaking of European Low-Cost Airlines . . . Beware Ryanair, Says a Reader
by Wendy Perrin
Funny, just hours after warning earlier today that "many European low-fare airlines charge a lot of extra fees you can't always predict, including fees for luggage," I get this email from reader Kate Reeves:
"My husband and I just had the experience of flying Ryanair from Knock (in west Ireland) to Bristol in England. The tickets were listed as about 15 Euros. Then there were a great number of add-on fees, such as departure fees, airport taxes, and such, to the extent the tickets actually cost approximately $180 apiece.
To add insult to injury, my husband had to pay $160 for his suitcase because it was 'overweight' by Ryanair standards. It weighed 48 pounds--under the weight mandated by international carriers--however Ryanair does not allow checked baggage over 33 pounds (15 kilograms). And they only allow ONE carry-on, which means if a woman has a purse, that's her one carry-on.
Ryanair was definitely NOT a cheap airline. We would have been really put out except we had been warned about this by English friends, so we had no one to blame but ourselves."
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Oh yes, the joy of Ryanair.
For anyone who plans to travel with them, do yourself a favor and read all the fine print when you book your ticket. You CAN get amazing deals on flights with Ryanair (I paid $10 for a flight from Manchester to Dublin earlier this year), but the additional fees are steep - especially for luggage.
Posted by: wandermom | October 24, 2008 at 07:25 PM
I travelled with Ryanair, and will travel again in mid-November.
I never had a surprise. This time there was actually a charge for my suitcase upfront (¬5 per piece). I usually spend a lot of time in researching what the best deal is. If I don't have time to do my research, then I pick the maybe more expensive choice that doesn't have so many fine prints!
Posted by: Roberta74 | October 29, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Ryanair, what can one say, they do what it says on the packaging! no frills, basic travel,i travel several times a year with them. I have to admit i am a walk on passenger (no luggage) and i can pick my flight times for the best prices and know their t+c off by heart,flights are sometimes a few minuets late taking off but in six years have never landed late, this is one thing they pride themselves on, on this basis no other airline comes close.
Posted by: jonha666 | September 07, 2010 at 04:53 AM