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How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

nathancunn.com

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Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#61

Post by isostatic »

dnh44 wrote: post #32
antihero wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fly to Europe regularly with Ryanair, it's been amazing in the amount of places I've been able to go with very little money. Most Europe flights are 1-3 hours. Just get pissed enough at the Stanstead Wetherspoons that you don't give a fuck! Another tip: If they put a yellow tag on your bag to make you check it in the hold, either quickly rip it off between the gate and the plane, or hold your bag so they don't see…

I didn't realise that Ryanair fly outside of Europe but I can see now that they do have a few locations such as Morocco and Israel. But do you actually mean Ryanair or do you mean Air Europa, whom Ryanair seems to be a reseller for (transatlantic flights)?

Those of us in the UK consider "flying to Europe" as being a flight from the UK to mainland Europe.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#62

Post by mugsie »

rusk wrote: post #22
mrarjen wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flights I had on Ryanair are merely 1 or max 2 hours long, (not taking the driving up and down the runways in account) and for this period of time some discomfort is perfectly fine.

the driving up and down the runways can be a significant factor. Ryanair think nothing of keeping their passengers on the tarmac for hours on end.

Ryanair actually care a lot about keeping people on the tarmac - it costs them money. Their financial model only works if the plane is in the air as much as possible.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#63

Post by nukeop »

neonhomer wrote: post #4

I don't understand the issue with paying to choose your seat on the budget airlines. My wife and I recently flew Spirit to and Southwest from our destination in the US. Even after adding bags and seat (we even paid for their big front seats) it was still cheaper than Southwest.

This is because you used to be able to sit wherever you liked once you boarded the plane, and only premium passengers could get a reserved place. Now they are reserving you a bad place beforehand, so you can't just sit wherever you like, and if you want to change that, you need to pay. What used to be free, is now being charged for, and there is little reason to do so other than "because they can" because it doesn't raise the operating costs.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#64

Post by koolba »

maccard wrote: post #36
neonhomer wrote: post #4

I don't understand the issue with paying to choose your seat on the budget airlines. My wife and I recently flew Spirit to and Southwest from our destination in the US. Even after adding bags and seat (we even paid for their big front seats) it was still cheaper than Southwest.

My issue with it is that it makes it difficult to compare the cost of a flight with a competitor. If i compare a BA flight with a United flight, I know that I'm going to get _roughly_ the same service. With a Ryanair vs BA comparison, I'm not actually sure what the difference is going to be, or how much it will cost me to make them equal.

> If i compare a BA flight with a United flight ...

Make sure you add $20/seat though. A few months back United switched to "Basic Economy" as their lowest option which again does not include carry-on bags (not just checked bags) or picking a seat. For an apples-to-apples you need to upgrade to at least regular economy to start comparing flights with United.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#65

Post by rocqua »

nathcun wrote: post #21
dmurray wrote: post #15

The article assumes that Ryanair always gives middle seats to the first passengers who check in and don't pay for middle seats. The eventual conclusion is that you should check in later to avoid getting the middle seat. I don't see why the R analysis and pretty visualizations are necessary for that. Sadly the article lacks evidence that this is the algorithm Ryanair uses. They could equally well hold back the middle…

You're right. I'm making an assumption of what Ryanair's system is based on the outrage people have at being deliberately assigned middle seats. Ryanair have admitted however that they prioritise window and aisle seats for paying passengers. My analysis took this to an extreme, which may not be the case. And I agree, an R analysis is unnecessary but I've been telling people this conclusion for ages and they don't see…

Ryan air might use a system where the probability of getting a middle seat is biased upwards, but not quite guaranteed. In that case, there has to be a critical point for the bias where it switches from "Better check in late" to "better check in early". Because with no bias (the first simulation) we have "better check in early" and with maximal bias (second simulation) we have "better check in late". I'd guess that this critical point depends on the proportion of pre-booked seats.

I wonder if Ryan air balanced the bias so it lies roughly at this critical point. This comes with the 'upside' of being more fair, as this system can't be gamed by changing your check-in time.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#67

Post by pif »

maccard wrote: post #36
neonhomer wrote: post #4

I don't understand the issue with paying to choose your seat on the budget airlines. My wife and I recently flew Spirit to and Southwest from our destination in the US. Even after adding bags and seat (we even paid for their big front seats) it was still cheaper than Southwest.

My issue with it is that it makes it difficult to compare the cost of a flight with a competitor. If i compare a BA flight with a United flight, I know that I'm going to get _roughly_ the same service. With a Ryanair vs BA comparison, I'm not actually sure what the difference is going to be, or how much it will cost me to make them equal.

Exactly the same issue I have with Ikea. I can never find the price of the exposed combination, e.g. for a wardrobe: I don't care what a door or a shelf cost: I need the price of the ensemble in order to compare with competition, and I expect this total price to be exposed in bold! With no easy comparison, no way I'll buy here!

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#68

Post by dazc »

validationerror wrote: post #51
mosselman wrote: post #31

Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. With which I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Leg space and general facilities are crappy and their handling of cancelled flights, etc is very poor. Whenever…

Or you could just... not make use of any of the extra options and enjoy the cheapest price possible. I spent a total of 8 EUR to travel from Germany to Bulgaria and back again two years ago with Ryanair. I fly with them whenever possible because they're by far the cheapest option available and I simply manage to not eat or drink something or go online for 2-3 hours, which really should be manageable for pretty much a…

I am often amazed at how many people just can't manage to go for 2-3 hours without stuffing their face.

Equally amazing too that people won't pay for a designated seat but will then spend 30 euros on drinks and snacks?

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#69

Post by isostatic »

maccard wrote: post #41
rusk wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the driving up and down the runways can be a significant factor. Ryanair think nothing of keeping their passengers on the tarmac for hours on end.

The same is true for other airlines. Anecdotal, but I've been stranded in airports/on planes far more often with other airlines than I have with ryanair.

I've taken about 500 flights in the last decade or so, I can count on one hand the number of delays of over 2 hours

* Moscow 2013 to Heathrow -- 4 more hours in the lounge, got €600 compensation.

* Heathrow 2014 to Bangkok, 5 more hours in the lounge -- got €600 compensation.

* Toronto 2017 -- delayed Delta flight to New York to catch a Virgin flight to Manchester so was downgraded and rerouted on KLM. No compensation as it was a U.S. airline. Lesson learned. (No lounge access either so cost me several beers)

I wasn't flying during the Volcano incident.

I do remember being delayed overnight with ryanair due to weather, but that was c. 2003. They wouldn't reroute me on the next morning flight to Anconna (rather than my original Forli flight -- only 50 miles away), so I had to buy a new ticket. It's attitudes like that which is the reason EU261 came in.

Re: How to avoid getting stuck with the middle seat on a Ryanair flight

#70

Post by nsbq71 »

jbb67 wrote: post #58
mosselman wrote: post #31

Ryanair is a horrible airline. If you add up random costs you are confronted with during the whole process of flying with them they aren't even that much cheaper. With which I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Leg space and general facilities are crappy and their handling of cancelled flights, etc is very poor. Whenever…

I don't know anyone who would fly on ryanair. If they were the only 'airline' flying somewhere I would consider that it's not possible to get to that place. As far as I'm concerned they only exist to spam up the flight listings

I wouldn't fly on anything other than Ryanair because every other airline is mad expensive. Yes, some things about it suck, but at least I can afford to fly, thanks to them.
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