Gettin’ Carried Away

Back in 2006, when I studied abroad in London, one of the main things I wanted to do was to travel to other countries in the UK and Europe. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Ryanair, but back then, I was so happy I did. I flew to Dublin, Barcelona and Venice three separate times for a total of… maybe… $250 or less. I thought it was the cheapest, most effective way to travel around that part of the country. However, I’m not sure I will use their services again.

Ryanair reps do not seem nice

An Irish blogger/web developer named Jason Roe wrote a post about a bug he found on the Ryanair website. His discovery was met with angry responses from several “Ryanair Staff” members calling him a liar, a thief and a whole slew of inappropriate things. Maybe some of these staff members are only this ruthless because they are hiding behind anonymity in the blogosphere. However, if they are like this in person, I’d hate to come face to face with any of them if I had an issue with the airline.

You can only check in online

Ryanair claims that 75% of their customers use the online check-in anyway. So by the end of the year, the airline is hoping to close all its check-in desks at all airports. But what happens if I forget to check in online? Will I be denied boarding? I hope Ryanair allows for mistakes like this.

You may have pay to use the lavatory on the aircraft

Excuse me for being honest, but this is the dumbest thing I ever heard. I know that the Irish carrier wants to be able to offer its customers the most affordable flights. And this means having to cut costs in some areas and implement costs in others. But seriously? Paying a pound to use the facilities? I think Ryanair should leave the pay toilets where they belong… on the city streets of Europe.

Have you used Ryanair before?

Would you use Ryanair again… in spite of these potential changes and the rudeness of its staff?