The European Discount Air Carriers are low quality scams. Maybe??

I took Wizz Air from Budapest to Eindhoven a few years ago and was very pleased with the plane and the service. I do remember though the cruise director on the Viking Cruise boat was very skeptical when I asked him to print off my boarding pass for me that such an airline existed.

The Irish discount airline you refer to is called "Ryanair", all one word.

I took Vueuling and EasyJet last Fall and was impressed. After my flights I got the sense that most complaints were likely because people think they can cheat the rules and not get caught. EasyJet's app is especially clear to follow and understand what you're getting and what you may need to upgrade. We checked luggage and reserved seats and while both options doubled or price each time it was still cheaper than other airlines.

From Barcelona to Lisbon I watched the gate person walk up and down the long row checking bags and letting some know they needed to check it. That's when the whining started. One guy with an old crappy suitcase dumped his clothes out of his suitcase into a garbage bag and took that on the plane instead.

I'm curious about the unreliability part. All 3 of our fights boarded from doors at the front and back of the plane and it was the fastest we've ever boarded. My sample size is small but the only unreliability I saw was that the overhead bins fill fast and if we had paid for overhead storage instead of checked bags we wouldn't have had space.

I'm curious about the unreliability part.

All my flights were on time give or take. But I found some stats and the Legacy do better. If I skipped over the stats someone would find them and "but, but, but, but ..."

I didnt see an luggage inspectons on my Ryan or my Wizz flights. The last Wizz flight my travel companion had luggage that was obviously too large and no one said a word. Naturally I was pissed because I paid to check the bag with my fishing stuff in it when that bag was smaller than the what my traveling companions were carrying.

“The American tourist only makes up 10% of the European tourist market and still thinks he has to spend 8 hours on a train to feel European.” I am an American tourist and always compare transport possibilities between two locations and select the best one whether by bus, train or plane.

Took my first Ryanair flight last month, which happened to be the inaugural flight from Bratislava to Gdansk. For around 50 USD, I paid for priority boarding & a seat reservations. The flight was just over an hour & saved me a full day of train travel. The flight wasn't full, so the gate agents didn't seem too concerned about carry on luggage. I will admit to being somewhat nervous about flying Ryanair because of some negative publicity, but I was very pleasantly surprised & enjoyed the flight. It left on time & landed safely!

I recently booked a flight on TAROM airlines going from Bucharest to Budapest and the cost was only €63. Can’t beat that.

That said, I do like riding on trains and would not hesitate to spend multiple hours on one. There’s something very relaxing about it. Flying can be a little bit stressful. Not the flying part but getting to the airport, going through security, boarding, etc.

the cost was only €63. Can’t beat that.

Well, actually I can! Found this one recently.

https://ibb.co/yBR8sh3s

I think one issue with the Budgets is the very concept of the "bare bones" pricing, then add as needed. People's greed just gets the better of them, or at least it burns them that they can't fly for the very cheapest price.

I fly Ryanair 1 to 2 times a year, always pay for a checked bag, always get some level of service with a reserved seat, and have never had an issue. Yes, about half the time my bag would have flown and not been checked, but it pushes the space envelope, and I run, usually, just over 10 kilo, but big deal.

I recall one discussion on here, or another forum, where a lady saw paying 300 euro on another airline as the better deal, because she got a free checked bag, rather than having to pay 30-40 euro on Ryanair, on top of a 30 euro base fare. The idea of paying "extra" was offensive to her. Sorry, I take the 230 euro savings and have a heck of a nice meal, or three.

The discount airlines are just travel tools you can use to broaden opportunities when traveling.

Sure, even if have to admit that airports aren't as fun as train stations. I use the flights mostly to reach secondary airports like Podgorica this week. On the ease of use scale, it's a 10, Budapest is an 8, so there is a difference than comparing them to LHR, AMS, and CDG.

And there are great trains. Anything under 3 hours without a doubt. Then a few, but very few, have spectacular views and some are just great experiences for various reasons.

I use 4 hours by train or bus before I start to consider flights, and a bit dependent on the size of the town/airport on each end.

Most of my flights though are "no brainers", somewhat long distance between countries.

I do also consider the time and cost getting to and from airports (that alone can add a couple hours in some places and another 50 euro or so), of course needing to be at the airport a couple hours before.

Taking a discount airline really depends on where you are going.

If you are flying to places like Frankfurt or Paris, rather than the main airports, the discount carriers may take you to Frankfurt Hahn or Paris Beauvais. You would still require a lenghly bus ride into those cities. Much further than the main airports.

But for most short flights, it's basically the same all around. I go for the times I prefer as well as price. Total price.

I am over the "romance" of taking a European train. I look at the route, the equipment and the number of changes. If it doesn't thrill me, I look into flying. The bus is my last resort as I like it the least.

As an example....I have two flights coming up in the next two weeks. The first is a little over an hour. The train would take eight hours. The second flight is under 90 minutes. The train would take 12 hours.

One caveat.....if I know the scenery is going to be amazing, I'm willing to spend more time on the train just to experience that.

To FrankII's point

PARIS airports to the Louvre
BVA (Ryan) 1:23 by taxi, 1:57 by bus
ORY (Wizz) 34min by taxi, 38min by public (and so much easier to navigate)
CDG (Air France) 47min by taxi, 42min by public

ROME airports to the Pantheon
CIA (Ryan) 42min by taxi, 58 by public
FCO (Wizz and Legacy) 43min by taxi, 39 by public

LONDON airports to, well --- way too complicated

FRANKFURT airports to the city center
FRA (All but Ryan) 16min by taxi, 11 by public
HHN (Ryan) 1:20 by taxi, 2:10 by public
FrankII, thank you. Never realized that Ryan went to Hann. Its only 2 days a week so I missed it in searches. It’s quite a ways from Frankfurt but a lot closer to Ramstein Air Base so it might become to go to way from Budapest.

the cost was only €63. Can’t beat that.

Well, actually I can! Found this one recently.

Ha ha, Toby, you do indeed have me beat!

toby I have flown Volaris from San Antonio to D.F. on a few ocassions. You are in for a "treat".

I've flown with Flybe (no longer in service, I think), and I've flown with EasyJet more than once, and the experiences have all been good, although I have gotten a chuckle from watching people trying to force their bags into the sizer, like Cinderella's stepsisters and the glass slipper.

This fall I'll be trying Transavia for the first time.

Where a company is registered is simply, and mostly, for tax purposes. In some cases it may be favorable for regulations.

As Jersey isn't in the EU, the company may be free of some EU regulations. Mostly dealing with finance. Most of the world's largest banks have offices there.