Honestly, I don’t know why there is so much hatred towards Ryanair.
You can’t beat the unbelievably cheap airplane tickets. My flight from Edinburgh, Scotland to Munich, Germany costs me £100 round trip. And if I had booked the week before, it probably would have been £60 round trip. That’s crazy cheap!
I had been set up to believe that they have insanely strict guidelines and regulations, but in all honesty, they don’t. Yes I couldn’t bring my blowtorch on board, or bring any weapons aboard, but what airline does?
I was told they herd you into a plane like cattle and treat you horribly, but the flight attendants and rest of the crew were really nice. We also arrived 10 mins earlier then expected which was a bonus.
They state that 90% of their flights arrive on time, which (according to them) make them the #1 airline that has the best on-time record.
I had a two-hour plane ride and slept the whole way with music playing, so I’m unsure how the plane ride actually was. They have advertisements all over the plane and advertise any and every product possible almost every 5 mins (or like it seemed). They will try to get you to buy their £5 water as well as expensive cigarettes (even though you can’t smoke on a plane); so just plug in your music and block them out.
All in all, I survived my first Ryanair experience and I didn’t have any problems. Being a student, anything that can save me money, including airplane tickets that you can often get for even £16, will have no issues with me.
The only tips I can give when flying with Ryanair for the first time is pack light (like just bring a backpack or rucksack), because checking bags can be costly. Make sure you check-in online 7 days to 4 hours before departure and print off your ticket on your computer. Get in line at the gate as soon as you can because most seats are not reserved and you can choose where you want to sit on the plane. There is no terminal that you go down that is connected to a plane (which I’m use too); instead you will make your way outside and board the plane like your a prime minister or some royal individual. Don’t buy anything on the plane; get your drinks, food or reading material at the shops in the airport.
If you don’t want to be treated somewhat like cattle (which I personally don’t think you do) then I would advise you to go with another airline (maybe Easyjet? It’s also decent pricing), but if you want to go somewhere in Europe for a weekend or week and able to pack everything you may need in a backpack, then save a few hundred pounds and go with Ryanair!
If you can even book ahead early, you may even get cheap tickets beyond your wildest imagination.
~Ryan
Ryan Thomas Woods is the voice behind Out With Ryan. He’s an LGBTQ+ Activist & Travel writer for this website and many other publications. He was recently voted 2018’s Travel Influencer of Year in Canada and dedicated the award to all LGBTQ+ travelers making the world a better & safer space for our community, as he strives to do on his website & social platforms.
