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

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

#121

Post by TrickyRick »

plantain wrote: post #114
mannykannot wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes - this seems to support that claim: https://conversation.which.co.uk/travel-leisure/flight-airli... This also mentions that EasyJet claims to limit its overbooking to about 1%. You are probably aware that overbooking has become a problem in the US - I don't know whether European airlines are allowed to do it to the same extent.

The compensation for being bumped is defined in consumer law in the EU, and it's very punitive - ~300 euros minimum.

Yeah, thanks to 261/2004 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_Compensation_Regulation...) airlines generally have incentive to make sure people get to their destination ASAP. Although it's kind of a prisoner's dilemma at the gate when they ask for volunteers to take a later flight, if someone agrees to compensation which is less than the regulated amount the airline will of course take that.

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

#122

Post by gadders »

KozmoNau7 wrote: post #117
gadders wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got upgraded on a BA flight once because the person behind me said he was too tall for me to recline my seat. I'm not sure where this idea came from that tall people can stop people from reclining their seat. If I've paid for a reclining seat, I'm going to recline it if I choose to.

Just be a bit polite and mindful of the person behind you. They may have something on their table. It doesn't hurt to just ask if you're going to hit anything. And believe it or not, some people actually have long legs, and physically cannot fit if you recline your seat. Should they optimally have gotten a seat with more leg room? Sure! But that isn't always possible.

But why should the person in front be the one that experiences the issue? The tall person still gets to recline their seat.

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

#123

Post by kalleboo »

gadders wrote: post #95
rusk wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and behind a person who reclined their seat. Jam your knees in there. There are certain periods of long haul flights where you need to recline but the inconvenience to your fellow passenger should never be necessary on shorter ones. Speaking as a tall guy as well, one of the things I do actually like about Ryanair is their seats don't recline.

I got upgraded on a BA flight once because the person behind me said he was too tall for me to recline my seat. I'm not sure where this idea came from that tall people can stop people from reclining their seat. If I've paid for a reclining seat, I'm going to recline it if I choose to.

> I'm not sure where this idea came from that tall people can stop people from reclining their seat

Physics. If my legs are there, your seat can't be.

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

#124

Post by gsnedders »

koolba wrote: post #64
maccard wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

BA short-haul's base fares are hand-luggage only and assigned seat only; I believe they're going to expand this to some of their ex-Gatwick long-haul flights (in competition with Norwegian).

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

#125

Post by KozmoNau7 »

gadders wrote: post #122
KozmoNau7 wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just be a bit polite and mindful of the person behind you. They may have something on their table. It doesn't hurt to just ask if you're going to hit anything. And believe it or not, some people actually have long legs, and physically cannot fit if you recline your seat. Should they optimally have gotten a seat with more leg room? Sure! But that isn't always possible.

But why should the person in front be the one that experiences the issue? The tall person still gets to recline their seat.

Because that's just their luck, being seated in front of a really tall person. Maybe that sucks a bit, but those are the odds, you only choose your own seat. Next time they may be seated in front of a really short person, who knows?

The point is that you should have a bit of common courtesy towards other people, and it goes both ways.

Just blithely jamming your seat as far back as it'll go, just because you can and because you feel entitled to do so whenever you want, is a real shitheel ego move.

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

#126

Post by mannykannot »

TrickyRick wrote: post #121
plantain wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The compensation for being bumped is defined in consumer law in the EU, and it's very punitive - ~300 euros minimum.

Yeah, thanks to 261/2004 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_Compensation_Regulation... ) airlines generally have incentive to make sure people get to their destination ASAP. Although it's kind of a prisoner's dilemma at the gate when they ask for volunteers to take a later flight, if someone agrees to compensation which is less than the regulated amount the airline will of course take that.

At least if someone volunteers for less, no-one can claim to have been unfairly treated. I would argue that this is so even if the volunteer was unaware that the regulated amount was higher.

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

#127

Post by magduf »

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…

It sounds like you're complaining that extras that are standard on competing airlines are charged separately on RyanAir. It's only horrible to you because you insist on having those things: in-flight meals, checked luggage, etc.

For people who don't want any food in-flight, and who can carry all their stuff in their carry-on luggage, it sounds like a good deal to me.

As for leg room, according to another comment here, the seats on RyanAir do not recline. As another tall guy, I'd rather have that than another inch of legroom. Legroom isn't that great when the person in front of you reclines their seat into your personal space.

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

#128

Post by ryan-c »

rusk wrote: post #82
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.

Southwest is an interesting comparison actually. Aren't they a budget airline that prides themselves on being friendly as well?

Southwest (I fly with them a lot) isn't a "budget" airline in the sense that Allegiant or Spirit are.

They don't do assigned seating at all - you pick an available seat when you board. Boarding position is generally assigned based on when you check in, though you can pay extra to board earlier. They include two checked bags per person and standard carry-on allowances in the price of the ticket. No "gotcha" fees.

One similarity is that there are a lot of larger airports that they don't service, instead using other nearby airports.

They're inexpensive if you book well in advance, but last minute fares can be very expensive.

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

#129

Post by rusk »

isostatic wrote: post #93
rusk wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and behind a person who reclined their seat. Jam your knees in there. There are certain periods of long haul flights where you need to recline but the inconvenience to your fellow passenger should never be necessary on shorter ones. Speaking as a tall guy as well, one of the things I do actually like about Ryanair is their seats don't recline.

On most airlines, the seat is made to recline. If you don't like this, book a seat with more leg room, or book on a plane which doesn't have reclining seat.

I habitually do, when the option is available.

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

#130

Post by rusk »

gadders wrote: post #95
rusk wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and behind a person who reclined their seat. Jam your knees in there. There are certain periods of long haul flights where you need to recline but the inconvenience to your fellow passenger should never be necessary on shorter ones. Speaking as a tall guy as well, one of the things I do actually like about Ryanair is their seats don't recline.

I got upgraded on a BA flight once because the person behind me said he was too tall for me to recline my seat. I'm not sure where this idea came from that tall people can stop people from reclining their seat. If I've paid for a reclining seat, I'm going to recline it if I choose to.

It's no so much an "idea" as a physical reality.
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