low cost airlines, not no cost airlines

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 809
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My sister recently travelled from Scotland to France with Ryanair to visit us. She was with her 4 year old daughter and 7 month old son. When she arrived at Stanstead from Glasgow she was told that her flight - originally scheduled for 9.15am had flown at 6.50am and there wasn't another flight that day.

She ended up having to take a flight to Rodez and travel for 8 hours by train and taxi to reach us. The staff she dealt with at Ryanair were talking about France as if it was the same size as the UK - it's the biggest country in Europe - and offering her flights to ludicrous places. They didn't even know that Ryanair flew to Paris. And when anything was questioned they replied 'It's a low cost airline'.

No e-mail was sent informing her of any changes. The same thing happened on the return journey and she was left to sit at Stanstead for eight hours with two young children.

Ryanair is not our choice because it's cheap. We have had to use it because it's the only airline that flies into Pau from the UK.

My point is; why do Ryanair think 'Low Cost' is an excuse for any inconvenience to be accepted? It's not 'no cost', you're not doing us a favour. We are still paying and when you add airport taxes, train fares, taxi fares on to the cost of my sister's journey she'd have been cheaper flying 1st class with Air France.

Comments

  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
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    This is just an unfortunate side effect of these nasty low cost carriers.
  • Tumble weedTumble weed Posts: 8,200
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    I watched this video as part of my course the other week and was shocked by some of the things that were done and said like the fact that "you don't expect a life jacket to be under your seat for a £1 ticket" :eek: and the fact that even some of the most basic health and safety checks were missed just to get the plane up in the air as quick as possible.
    Also the fact you have to pay for things like ice etc - That's why I travel with BA!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,481
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    I've never yet had any problem with a low-cost carrier (touch wood). Been with easyjet, jet2 and even went long-haul low-cost with Oasis to Hong Kong a few months ago - £75 each way, a bargain!!

    I agree that you do expect a certain level of service even when it is low cost - you obviously need to be told of cancellations / time changes and expect safety to be a priority - bear in mind, though that they would not be allowed to fly into / out of UK airports if they did not meet very strict safety guidelines.
  • skp20040skp20040 Posts: 66,872
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    Of the bargain bucket airlines Ryanair is the worst for chopping and changing and not informing or helping the client.
  • DBCDBC Posts: 4,002
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    There was an article in the travel section of today's Times saying that only 1% of the money paid for the "charity" scratch cards sold by EasyJet actually goes to charity. The rest (minus the commission paid to staff for selling them) just goes to the airline.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,421
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    I agree that they should have told you of the change but they also say that you should check the departure time before you go as it can change so they have covered themselves anyway.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 809
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    raptorz wrote:
    I agree that they should have told you of the change but they also say that you should check the departure time before you go as it can change so they have covered themselves anyway.

    Yes that's right they do say that. But because my sister was travelling from Glasgow on a connecting flight she couldn't have made the 6.50am departure anyway.

    My problem is with the constant bleat of 'but it's a low cost airline'. Fine. But it's not a no cost airline. They should still provide a service and they don't.

    We'll take the extra miles and fly with Air France from now on.
  • tgsh2006tgsh2006 Posts: 537
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    To be fair did she reconfirm the flight say 24 hrs before checking in?
  • eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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    That's just typical of RYAN AIR they left my husband and I stranded in Spain and either having to wait 4 days at Girona airport for a flight or to travel half way across Spain for another flight 24 hours later. We had no directions, no compensation and the just address of the airport in Spanish. Without the help of some wonderful Spanish people we would not have made the flight. I would never use budget airlines with young children as I will never forget the chaos of stranded families with crying hungry children at Girona air[port.
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