Ryanair Responds to Criticisms

Good stuff, Damian. Booked with them for the first time a few months back and found what I felt to be hidden charges during the booking process very irritating.

I must echo Will’s words. Really good stuff. This should be nominated for a consumer rights award. Not only do you blow Ryanair’s views out of the water, you also do it in the fairest manner possible – by quoting them in their entirety. Which mainstream newspaper would give Ryanair so much opportunity to speak without twisting their words.

But no word twisting was necessary here. Ryanair can’t truly believe their own hype here. They’re playing a game with the press, unfortunately, knowing that most people will never read this blog and will continue to book with Ryanair, regardless.

Oh, and thanks for quoting me!

Good stuff indeed. What bothers me the most is their Credit Card fee, and particularly Ryanair’s official answer to your question.

It is simply RIDICULOUS to pay EUR 40,- for four people in credit card fees. They can come up with whatever excuse, but I hope that the EU will do something about these excessive fees.

As for Visa Electron, this card is not widely available throughout Europe. Additionally, McNamara fails to mention that Visa Electron is only free of charge when the card’s currency is in GBP and hence, not an option for most Europeans.

Until this recently Ryanair would not have been my favourite airline. However, having made about 12 flights so far this year, they are now our first choice. Why ? because we’ve adapted our travelling to fit. We can easily pack for a 10 day holiday with the 10kg carry on allowance, including mini laptop and books. I applied for an Electron card online with the Halifax, no problems there.
We’re now travelling at a fraction of the cost we previously paid to Easyjet, Jet2 and Flyglobespan.
Last, but by no means least, the Ryanair staff seem to be getting the message, we have found them to be pleasant and obliging.

Many, many, many years ago, when Wilson was the British PM and Heath was the Leader of the Opposition, Heath, in a live tv broadcast accused Wilson of lying.

“How do you know when the PM is lying?” was the question put to him at once.

Heath, not known for his razor sharp wit, pondered for a few moments and then his shoulders began to heave. It took him some considerable time before he recovered his composure and blurted out:

“Easy. It´s when I see his lips move.”

Why,I wonder, do I always think of sailor Ted´s only known flash of humour whenever a Ryanair spokesperson heaves into sight?

Mike, you are clearly a Ryanair employee. Your answer is too perfect. In just a few lines you cover almost all of the points made in the questions and you slip in some rival companies to boot. This is pure Ryanair propaganda – “fit your travel plans to Ryanair and you will save money”. You try to disguise this fact with your suggestion that Ryanair used to be bad, thinking we’ll never suspect a Ryanair employee of saying that. But you clearly are. In fact, I think you are probably McNamara himself.

Amazing – one person speaks out in favour of Ryanair and has valid arguments, promptly follows the accusation that this person must be in Ryanair’s employ.

God, it is so easy to see the world in black and white, ain’t it?

Personally – I fly Ryanair when it suits me and when the price is right. I don’t shun them, I don’t champion them, I just use them when it fits.

Couldn’t care less about the company’s PR stunts or the begrudging rants of those who declare them the Antichrist just because they e.g. got caught out by the clear rules on luggage weight, size and number.

You gets what you pays. And you are free to choose another airline any time. So why the irrational, often highly personal crusading?

It’s not just the dissenting voice that raises the spectre of the Ryanair PR machine coming into play, it’s the fact that it is written so perfectly – it covers everything that the Ryanair bloke says in the questions. Plus, we all know Ryanair employees get involved in arguing on blogs. And we know they read this blog. If their PR machine WASN’T trying to rebalance proceedings a little, I would be disappointed (all big companies have some sort of new media guru whose job it is to respond to sites like this).

Frankly, I think it is pure paranoia you are displaying here – if a reply is pro-Ryanair and not written in a moronic style it MUST be from the Ryanair PR department. So all MUST ignore the contents and simply focus on the issue of who could have written it.

Who assures us you’re not the resident muck-thrower at Easyjet, trying to stir things up here on behalf of your company?

Lighten up, people, this is a useless throwing of red herrings at each other. It does nothing to further discussion on the issues. Or rather issue: Should one accept Ryanair’s policies if one flies with Ryanair? And if one is not willing to do so, should one not simply choose another carrier?

The answer to that is too simple, maybe?

i had a bad deal with ryanair 2007 on no refund or cancelation i would never fly or book a flight with them they are a law unto themselves & bloody rude to go with it.The only one close to being that bad is ezyjet they both smell the same bad & rude

Re my previous comment the reason i wanted to cancell was we were on a round the world ticket & due to a strike in Ireland we had to find an alternate airline (what a bad choice)after i booked we were told we could only have 20kg each our round the world allowance was30kg each they wanted 150erou ecess luggage & wouldnt refund because they couldnt honour their end of the contract.I warn everyone to read the small print before entering into any dealings with this crowd

“Should one accept Ryanair’s policies if one flies with Ryanair? And if one is not willing to do so, should one not simply choose another carrier?”

..is an important issue in this “debate”, though certainly not the only one.

Before that question is addressed another arises, for Ryanair and for all rivals, including easyJet obviously. “Do it´s terms and conditions comply with the law?”

Mainly though not exclusively EU law, given the contemporary daily ramifications of most carriers being registerd in country A, flying between countries B & C whilst carrying passengers resident in country D, with passports from country E; most though not perhaps all of which countries are in the EU.

Which country´s laws apply? Hence the importance of over-arching EU rules and regulations, to keep cowboy outfits in check.

Ryanair has however managed to run a coach and horses through European laws affecting consumer rights on planes. Although the EU continues to threaten to take its breaches of the law seriously, it never has to date.

As an example, law EU 261/2004 obliges airlines to put up passengers in a hotel,feed them, give them access to phone and / or email give them a free ticket for a new flight AND compensate them by €250 minimum when a flight is cancelled for anything but the most exceptional of circumstances.

Ryanair? You MUST be joking.

[Why, when the BBC reported problems in Italy last autumn over cancelled Ryanair flights, the gist of their report was to the effect that "as its Ryanair, the European directive is non-operative."!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Some of us object to Ryanair because, to quote a nameless, (evil, in my opinion) former British PM, “they challenge the rule of law which is the only flimsy protection which the consumer has.”

@ Gordon Deaner

So you booked without informing yourself about the conditions on separate inner-European flights (none have the overseas allowance of 30 kg) – and it is Ryanair’s fault that you chose not to fly? They would have honoured their side of the contract, only you had too much luggage.

Sorry, but …

If you believe I’m a Ryanair employee please do a Google search and make your own decision. Just type Mike Glaire into google.

Happy flying.

MikeG

Just booked flights for 4 adults travelling out from Scotland on the 7th September, returning on the 14th September. Carry on luggage (10kg), online check-in. Total return costs – £53.60, yes £13.40 each return. That’s £6.70 each single.

I rest my case (well a small 10kg carry on case).

Happy Ryanairing

MikeG

PS The medium size bag from the Flylite range is only £20, weighs very little (800g) and is exactly the right size for Ryanair and Easyjet. http://www.flylite.uk.com/bag_products.aspx

Thank you so very much!!!
I too had a VERY unpleasant flight with them a couple of years ago. The flight to Milan from Bratislava was cancelled due to extremly winter conditions but we, the passengers have not been announced. Moreover, we were still invited to check in. And after that we had to go through customs and check out as if coming from a trip in order to take our lugguage back!!!
When we complained and asked for a PR person to talk to, they have called the airport security!!! How about that?
We found a UK number where we were told we can file a complain. However nobody answered and until today I do not want to fly with them. Ever.
So THANK YOU for writing the article.