Ryanair…Yay or Nay?

Yay. Ryanair is fine. We used them from Krakow to Rome non stop,2 hrs I think.. All other choices we could have taken included an extra stop, layover. The flight you are taking is very, very short. There was nothing wrong with RyanAir except the seats weren’t very comfortable.
They sent us many reminders about their rules, etc. right up until the day we flew with them.

I flew Ryanair Porto to Barcelona on June 14, 2019. It was not the most comfortable plane/2-hour flight I've ever been on. Note that the seats might be more comfortable on a different plane or now that I weigh about 30 pounds less than I did back then.

I don't like checking bags, but I'll suck it up and do it if it's a non-stop flight and if it's required. So, I accepted the fact that I'd need to check even my little (51.5 x 35.5 x 20 cm, 20.25 x 14 x 8 in, 36 L) Eagle Creek International Carry-on bag and paid for that when I did my reservations from home.

I was surprised by the number of people trying to carry-on much larger bags than mine. Needless to say, they were required to gate check them at a much higher price than what I paid. Those of us who were carrying on only the equivalent of a personal item were in a separate line. We got loaded on much more quickly than those who hadn't paid attention to the baggage restrictions.

So, my advice is to look at the kind of plane you'd be on, what the baggage rules are and how they'd affect your costs.

As for me, I'll always choose a faster, cheaper, non-stop flight over a longer one-stop one that requires a plane change. More things can go wrong with the plane change scenario, especially if checking bags is also required for it.

Next September is still far away and I guess not all airlines sell tickets that far in the future, but normally Aer Lingus also flies direct between Dublin and Glasgow.

As for flying Ryanair, they are the stereotypic low cost airline. Uncomfortable seats with as little legroom as possible, and the basic ticket will include a seat, everything else you have to pay extra for. So if you plan to fly Ryanair, triple check the rules and remember that the price you see advertised is probably not the price you'll end up paying. (Also note that Ryanair flies the 737 Max, something some might want to avoid.)

Most has been said already by others. Make absolutely sure you understand the size and weight limits of luggage (both carry on and checked in). Nearly everything costs extra - including choice of seats - so if there are two of you, and you do not choose to pre purchase seats next to each other, then you will be apart on the plane - guaranteed. There is constant pressure to buy things: snacks, duty free, lottery tickets. If your flight is cancelled, or you need to cancell because e.g. the covid rules have changed and you can no longer enter your destination country - then good luck getting your money back (Despite EU rules)

That said, overall - not a great deal worse than any other budget airline- and often very reasonable. I've flown with Ryanair more than any other airline over the last 10 years and I've seldom had issues. When I can fly to Italy return from Stansted or Gatwick for significantly less than a standard train fare from my home in the south of England to London, then it becomes a very easy choice.

I have avoided RyanAir because I've always had another non-stop option. I believe these two conditions are still true (based on what I've read):

• If you somehow arrive at the check-in counter without a printed boarding pass, RyanAir will be glad to print one for you for approximately the price of dinner at a fancy restaurant.

• RyanAir has a requirement that Americans (probably all non-EU folks) present their passports as part of the pre-flight process. That is not done at the same counter as the basic check-in. You may have to search high and low for that counter. Allow extra time, because RyanAir will show absolutely no mercy if you show up at the gate even one second after its cut-off time.

I'd take RyanAir if it was my only non-stop choice, or if my other choice was an airline I felt uncomfortable about for safety reasons. Otherwise, I'll continue avoiding it.

Andrea, have you considered taking a ferry from Dublin to somewhere on the coast and then a train to Glasgow?
It would be a long day, but maybe more relaxing and scenic.

As has been stated, Aer Lingus also flies that route. The schedule you see now will probably be different by September.

I have flown that route. I used Aer Lingus.

I flew that route in September 2019 on Ryan. It’s fine, although your elementary school chair would probably be more comfortable than Ryan Air’s seats. But it’s such a short flight it hardly matters. We are generally carry on only and our bags meet virtually every airline’s carry on limits but Ryan’s. So I paid the checked bag fee upfront which had the added benefit of giving us seat assignments. Do be careful about printing out your boarding pass ahead of time. You have to do so within a specified amount of time. I have also flown Aer Lingus on that route. If memory serves, I had to pay for a seat assignment. But I could be wrong. It’s worth looking into.

Thanks everyone. When I looked at the Ryanair website before I posted this it confirmed what I already assumed, that we would have to pay extra to upgrade to a ticket that Includes a checked bag. That’s not too big a deal. What I didn’t know was that Aer Lingus also flies direct. That sounds more appealing to me. One of my travel companions and I are both prone to sea sickness, so I don’t think a ferry would work. It sounds interesting though. Thanks again!

I find it really strange to be defending Mr O' Reilly and his company again, but while "If you somehow arrive at the check-in counter without a printed boarding pass, RyanAir will be glad to print one for you for approximately the price of dinner at a fancy restaurant." is true, it does make this very clear on their website, and the passes are also downloadable free on the smartphone app.

As regards fancy dinners - one of the reasons I still fly with them is that the savings I normally make by flying with them will normally be spent on at least one fancy meal.