Rate the discount airlines...Please

#9,
Ryanair staff friendly, thats a laugh!!! They will treat you like an animal if you have a problem.

Globespan, ok, tell that to the people of Knock who were waiting nearly a week for their plane! Click here

Monarch were so stingy when I went on them that they actively moved people from the empty emergency exit seats during the flight.

Easy Jet managed to charge us a few hundred quid more on the credit card. Took ages to sort out and still lost some money.

Sky Europe, never used them.

Have a look at http://www.airlinequality.com/index.htm, which has reviews of most airlines. This confirms my own view that Ryanair is the absolute pits in terms of customer 'service'. God help you if anything goes wrong on a Ryanair flight (and don't even think about complaining as they don't respond to complaints or even pick up the phone). Easyjet has a reputation for being more user-friendly, but as has been pointed out, the budget airlines have far fewer resources (eg spare planes) anyway, so if there are problems things can get very bad very quickly. Also Ryanair's destinations are not always what they seem - eg 'Paris' is not Paris at all. Check the airport location carefully. That said, when things go well - and they usually do - the budgets are fine. I actually find the crew on Easyjet more motivated than the average BA crew in terms of food and drink services. Sure you pay for the extras, but people who compain about outrageous prices clearly haven't had a meal or a drink in most airport teminals.

I went to Galway recently. Out with Ryan Air and back with Aer Lingus. Very little difference in price but massive difference in quality.

The transport links from Heathrow are much cheaper back into london (if you use busses or tube with an Oyster).

I agree with those that say the days of the no-frill are numbered.

a

#10 Dara, I'm sticking to my own experiences rather than repeating anecdotal evidence about other peoples'. I mean the flight crew were friendliest, not the ground staff who are just contractors at Aberdeen.

Last year I had to go from Scotland to a function in Co. Clare, get to Kaiserslautern to see a World Cup match, my two sons had to join me there, then we all travelled back to Scotland. I drove to Prestwick, left car, flew to Shannon, went to function, flew to Hahn, meanwhile sons caught train to Prestwick (half price because of Ryanair ticket) flew to Hahn and after the match we all flew back to Prestwick , picked up the car and drove home.

This sort of thing was just unthinkable before Ryanair started getting into regional airports.
The whole journey, for three of us, was less than £300, because we booked well ahead.
All flights were on time or early.

Otherwise I use Ryanair for Aberdeen Dublin regularly and have no complaints at all.
We also use them to get our Irish employees to and from jobs and have had no problems at all over the last three years.
All the problems we have had have been when using major airlines through busy airports like LHR

OK, bs aside, in all seriousness I fully agree with #11. Ryanair are great until something goes wrong, then god help you (and your supposed legal rights).

They don't have a customer service department. The saving is passed on to you. With our employees we treat Ryanair tickets as throwaways and always have a plan B. However we have never had to use it yet.

"With our employees we treat Ryanair tickets as throwaways and always have a plan B"

Well lucky old you. How many other passengers on the average Ryanair flight are able to do that, do you think? #15 you make some good points but you seem to have a romantic view of this airline. Any savings they make go to their profits as well as to the customers. And no matter how cheap the flight, if it doesn't get you there/loses your luggage/changes times at the last minute, and then gives you no comeback whatsoever, it's a rip-off. I hate the idea, espoused so cheerfully by Michael O'Leary that you 'get what you pay for'. It sounds reasonable, but what it really means is that those in this world with less money should expect to be treated badly and not complain. A horrible way of running a business.

I said it would get interesting...

Just booked return flight on Flybe from Leeds/Bradford to Belfast City. Cost of seat £0.00 (yes zero) each way, cost of tickets including tax and charge for credit card £54.96 now you go figure who is making the most money out of this deal... and I doubt a penny of it will be spent wisely by Messrs Brown, Darling et al.

#15 - You're right, this is the best way to deal with them if you can, but if it's your prime method of going on your once a year holiday, it's a completely different matter indeed. Although I have to say that I've used your "throwaway" plan myself - for e.g. the other week bought a return ticket B'ham to Zurich and a single Stuttgart to B'ham just so I had the flexibility as I wasn't sure how my business trip was going to pan out. Eventually flew back via Zurich but only lost about £45 which I thought was worth it for the added flexibility it gave me.

#16 - Yes, not a good way to run a business, but "you pay your money and take your choice".

Bottom line: I'm still a big fan of the low cost carriers but I've only had good experiences with them, they force the "old guard" to lower their prices and they fly to places that 10 years ago would have cost you a fortune to get to.

Nerb, that was my experience. I have gone on them many times too. In Dublin, the ground crew are Ryanair staff, not contractors. I still say that they are far better than Easyjet though.

#11, sometimes, not going to the main city airport is an advantage. You tend to get out of the airport alot quicker and can still make time savings. Some people claim going to Beauvais was faster than CDG when it was just the Dublin flights going to it. Having said that, I waltzed through CDG with no problems. Going to Campiano in Rome is alot nearer than