Ryanair.com: A Steal or a Hoax???

Yes is is true. We have used them and they are quite legitimate. They may, by now be the largest European airline. That was their goal and they had ordered about 70 planes before the recent bust. I do not know where they stand now. Only downside is their baggage allowance and charges for over the limit. Check the flight you want carefully for that. They also operate like a bus - no meals or other comforts. Snacks cost extra. No seat selection, but "Priority Boarding" is available at extra cost. They have a good record of being on time and so far as I am aware, their safety record is good.

No, it's legit. But there are a couple of things you have to take into consideration. First, they have very tight check-in and baggage policies, so you risk paying extra for luggage if you pack to much. Second, they make use of many airports that aren't anywhere near to their actual destination, so it costs you extra time and money to get to where you're going (eg. Paris "Beauvais," Frankfurt "Hahn," Brussels "Charleroi," and Venice "Treviso" are some examples.) There are many other discount airlines that may fill the bill just as well, or better. Check whichbudget.com, Skyscanner.net, and flylc.com for other examples (don't use the flylc booking engine tho...go directly to the airline's website after locating a good fare.) And check the "big boys." Many times they will offer good rates on routes where there is discount airline competition....and their schedules may be much better.

Ryanair can have some good deals, but often on a particular date, the low fares might be sold out.

Also note that Ryan does not use any "mainline" airports on the continent. Of the 15 most popular airports, Ryan serves exactly '0', nada. Most are not served by trains, only buses. Often the cost of transportation to these remote airports can significantly reduce your savings and increase your time. Hahn airport, which RA misleadingly calls "Frankfurt Hahn", is closer to Luxembourg than it is to Frankfurt. It takes about 1h45m by bus. And to fly out of Beauvais (which they call Paris), you have to leave over 3 hrs before flight time on a special bus.

Often, to save money on landing fees, Ryan only flies early morning and late at night, when public transportation is not running.

So, my advice is look before you leap. Check carefully to find out where they fly from and how you will get there. Factor in the added time and money to get to their remote airports. Then check the fares for that specific day

Ryanair is certainly legit but my favourite is Easyjet which often has $1 fares. Re Anna's suggestion of Skyeurope...we were planning to use them this summer but they ssem to be in great financial difficulty if you check them out online so we decided not to risk its disappearance. We are flying from Athens to Milan with Easy jet and then on to Berlin with Air Berlin which is another reliable company. The total fare for 2 of us is $250 Canadian.We chose this route because the times suited us.

Good advice all the way around! I have flown with them as well, perfectly okay if you know what you are getting yourself into. Make sure you read every letter of their conditions, because they will get you on all those are little charges, if you don't watch out!

I have flown RyanAir on several occasions. Everyone here is correct on the baggage and out of the way locations.

They do have a carnival type atmosphere on board. There are no refreshments given for free and several times during the flight the attendants are passing by in the aisles selling items (lottery cards, perfume, food, etc). Also the seats do not recline so the flight is somewhat uncomfortable if you have a bad back.

I've heard RyanAir is considering a route from the US to Europe. Can't wait to fly 8+ hours in a non-reclining seat!

Also, try SkyEurope.com for cheap flights..

Ann

I have used Ryanair happily. Never noticed the non-reclining seat, since I don't like to recline a seat anyway. And in my case, since I was wanting to go to an area in northern Spain, not a major airport, it took me right to where I wanted to be from London for a total of $30 US. But as others have said, know what you're getting into before booking with them and if you're checking luggage, say so during the booking process. It's cheaper then than if you wait till you get to the airport.

Air Berlin is another discount airline that often has incredible deals.

http://www.airberlin.com/site/start.php?LANG=eng&all=1&MARKT=US

Just use the common sense approach when comparing. I start with "I am here" and "want to go there" which is usually a city center to city center. From there, make sure you add up all the costs and time for each option. For Ryanair, this does mean the cheap flight, plus taxes (more than the flight usually), but as others mentioned, transport from a city center to a remote airport (usually with limited options), then the same on the other end. So would I fly London to Paris or Paris to Frankfurt, probably not, the train would most likely be faster and maybe even cheaper. I did fly Leeds to Dublin on Ryanair and was very pleased, and would also fly them for long hops (Frankfurt to say Spain or Portugal).

It's legit , but you have to book ahead of time.

Discount airlines across Europe can be great deals, with all the caveats that other posters have mentioned. Of all of them, Easyjet is my particular fave.

BTW...dont bypass the legacy carriers. Air France, BA etc have some great deals..and the advantage of there is that if your flite is cancelled, there are lots of other to rebook on. With the discounts, not so much.

Ryanair is a Godsend...cheap as all get out. Another is easyjet. Brilliance!

www.whichbudget.com will show you the different budget airlines throughout europe. most are considered as reputable as any other airline.