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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

#71

Post by Guest9812398 »

I've taken a number of Ryanair flights this year. Assigning the middle seats to non-paying passengers backfires sometimes.

I booked tickets with my girlfriend. Almost 50% of the seats were still available (this was a month before the flight), but all the middle seats were taken. We wanted to pay for seats beside each other, but that wasn't possible, because they gave away all the middle seats. When there are three seats on each side of the aisle, that means no two seats are available beside each other. So, we didn't pay, we just took the random seats, and then asked people to switch after we boarded. We probably could have paid for a window and aisle seat, then asked the middle person to happily switch, but if we're paying for seats, we shouldn't have to do that.

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

#72

Post by gambiting »

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 flew out of Warsaw Modlin in February this year with Ryanair - the weather outside was around -20C, and they made everyone stand outside in front of the plane, while they tagged every single piece of hand luggage to put it in the hold, because of course now you have to pay extra to bring your hand luggage on board - I couldn't feel my hands after 15 minutes of waiting.

I'd love to vow to never use them again after this, but unfortunately they are the only airline flying anywhere near where I want to be most of the time.

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

#73

Post by distances »

koolba wrote: post #60
distances wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm of the opposite opinion. I have yet to incur any extra costs whatsoever -- checking in can be done mobile, bring your own sandwich, etc. I don't mind random seating either, I'll have enough time to spend with my travel buddies at the destination. The leg space is a bit tight, but I love the fact that the chairs can't be lowered. On other airlines I frequently have to ask the person in front of me to keep their se…

> On other airlines I frequently have to ask the person in front of me to keep their seat upright. Do they ever say "No"?

> Do they ever say "No"?

Not once this far! I'm if course asking politely and explaining that I'm a bit short of leg space here.

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

#74

Post by gberger »

fwdpropaganda wrote: post #43
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…

> 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. Withwhich I mean expensive meals/drinks, costs for suitcases, costs for checking in at the airport when you didn't have access to internet, etc. Complete BS. Cost of expensive meals and cost for suitcases aren't "random costs". They are entirely predictab…

I think he means arbitrary and unconventional, not random.

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

#75

Post by isostatic »

lumisota wrote: post #17
gargravarr wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>How to avoid getting the middle seat on Ryanair flights Fly BA instead.

BA has a similar seating policy with its cheapest fares (pay to reserve, or have one allocated at random), and has lower seat pitch than Ryanair.

Yes, BA have gone downhill dramatically in the last few years -- I used to be a top level frequent flyer with them

I've got a flight coming up next week with them to Nairobi, on a tired old 747, which I'm not looking forward to. In years past I'd paid a fortune for such a flight, now unless BA is at least £400 return cheaper than someone like Lufthansa, I won't fly them.

I did fly BA in January (again to Nairobi), was amazed how empty the plane was.

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

#76

Post by rusk »

mugsie wrote: post #62
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.

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.

That is not true, as numerous documented cases will attest.

They get charged for using the gate, once they are on the tarmac "waiting for a window" they don't suffer additional costs.

It's not that they decide to "park the plane on the tarmac" it's that the interaction of various airport operational procedures make this the chepest option in certain scenarios, which is what they'll choose every time. Passengers bedamned.

In fairness though, I think though they've decided not to pursue this particular type of "cost saving" more recently.

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

#77

Post by gambiting »

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

For a lot of places in Europe, there is no other option. Ryanair has conquered connections to all smaller airports, where normally you'd need to change in Amsterdam/London/Frankfurt first, and they fly for 1/10th of the price most of the time. Yes, I hate them too, but if the options are a 2h flight with Ryanair for £30 or two 2h flights with BA for £300(or 2h flight + 5h train) then Ryanair wins 100% of the time.

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

#78

Post by dazc »

leonk wrote: post #24

Little trick that I do when travelling as a couple: Get one randomly allocated seat, and then pay for the other one next to it (or as close by as possible).

You can't do that with some airlines though since random seats are allocated at check-in, not when you book.

It seems like an obvious loophole I would have expected other airlines to have spotted?

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

#79

Post by wastedhours »

mrarjen wrote: post #14
KozmoNau7 wrote: post #2

Step 1: Don't fly on Ryanair. Just don't.

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 longest delays I've had on Ryanair have been the shortest flights, not sure if it's just that short routes have more points for operational issues, or they just prioritise longer ones.

Recently my flight to EDI didn't leave until it was due to arrive, an hour waiting at the gate itself with no staff to update on anything (the price you pay for barebones staff on no-frills

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

#80

Post by dmurray »

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

They are Europe's biggest airline by passenger trips, by quite a margin. I know one person who won't fly with them, but I don't believe you could inhabit such a rarefied bubble that everyone you know can and will avoid Ryanair every time.
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