What it's like to fly with Ryanair: Travelling in Europe

If you're new to London and planning to travel around Europe, you'll likely come across Ryanair, one of the most popular low-cost airlines in Europe. Ryanair offers affordable flights to various destinations across the continent, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious travellers. But what is it really like to fly with Ryanair? Here's what you need to know before booking your next flight.

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Who are Ryanair

Founded in 1984, Ryanair are an Irish budget-airline that have flights all across Europe. With a fleet of over 460 Boeing 737 aircraft, you won't have to look far to find their blue, white and yellow Ryanair planes. They operate over 1,800 flights daily across 40 countries.

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Booking flights

Searching for flights 🔍

You can search for the best Ryanair flights for your travels on Ryanair's website/app or compare flights with other airlines on Skyscanner.

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Purchasing flights 💷

Booking flights isn't as simple of a process as it should be. Once you have found the flight you wish to book, you will then be presented with a multitude of additional extras that Ryanair will try and sell you during the process, such as; seat allocation, luggage and priority boarding as well as third party hotel accommodation, rental cars and travel insurance.

Additionally, be sure to pay close attention to the prices when booking as prices aren't straightforward. There is a base flight price, and then additional prices on top of the base fare should you want to add baggage or priority boarding.

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Check-In

Online check-in 👍

Ryanair offers online check-in, which is available up to 24-48 hours before your flight. You can check-in online using the website or through the app.

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Airport check-in 👎

Make sure check-in and download or print your boarding pass before arriving at the airport, if you forget to check in ahead of arriving at the airport, this will result in an additional fee of £55.

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Visa check 🖐

If you're living in the UK on a visa, Ryanair will make you complete a visa check as soon as you arrive at the airport. This happens at the baggage drop area and adds an additional 15-30mins to your journey. Ryanair is the only budget airline to do this visa check.

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Boarding

Strict departure times ⏱

Ryanair don't wait around for you if boarding time has passed. With so many flights operating, it's crucial that Ryanair leaves on time, even if you aren't on board. Once your gate is shown at the airport, don't mess around, departure times are strict.

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Ground boarding via buses or pedestrian crossings 🚎

When catching a Ryanair flight you'll be boarding via the tarmac. Ryanair flights don't use boarding walkways, they use buses or pedestrian crossings to get you to the plane and then a staircase.

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Priority boarding 🏃

If you don't want to wait, you can purchase priority boarding to board the flight before other passengers. Purchasing priority boarding will also allow you to bring an additional small bag.

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In-Flight Experience

Ryanair is a no-frills airline, so don't expect any complimentary snacks or drinks on your flight. However, you can purchase food and drinks onboard, and the prices are generally reasonable. The seats are also quite basic, but they are comfortable enough for short flights. If you want to ensure you have a specific seat, you'll need to pay an additional fee.

Pros of flying with Ryanair

Ryanair has become Europe's most popular budget airline due to these positive factors.

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Flights are cheap 🤑

If you’ve heard of Ryanair, you probably heard of them because their flights are so cheap. This is true. For £13 you can fly from London to Dublin. On most routes, Ryanair will be the cheapest ticket.

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Loads of travel routes 🚏

Flying to over 200 destinations in 40 countries, Ryanair is sure to get you where you need to go.
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Good safety record 👷

Ryanair's safety record is very high, AirlineRatings has given them a 7/7 rating. Like other major airlines, Ryanair is subject to strict safety regulations and oversight by aviation authorities.

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Cons of flying with Ryanair

If the incredibly low fare prices seem too good to be true, there are some real cons about the experience of flying with Ryanair.

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Visa checks and no app boarding passes 🛂

For those living in London on a visa, you need to do a visa check before flying with Ryanair and passing through security at the airport. Ryanair is the only budget airline that does this. While the visa check only takes a couple of minutes, you will need to queue up adding on average 30mins of wait time at the airport before you fly. At the visa check the Ryanair staff will print you a boarding pass, but it means you can’t get a digital boarding pass or use the app.

You can’t sit with your friends unless you pay extra 🙁

If you’re travelling with friends or your partner under the same booking, Ryanair will randomly assign your seats across the plane splitting you up. If you want to sit together, this will come at an extra cost.

Baggage is more expensive than other budget airlines 🧳

If you’re looking to fly with an additional bag (checked or a small cabin bag) it will cost more with Ryanair than other airlines. If you're choosing between airlines based on price, be sure to asses both the price of the ticket and baggage as although Ryaniar tickets are cheaper baggage is the most expensive of the budget airlines.

General anxiety about unexpected charges 😬

If staff decide your carry on bag doesn’t fit, Ryanair charge you £60. If you’ve missed checking in online, Ryanair will charge you £55. All these additional charges can give travellers anxiety about extra costs they might have to pay when flying with Ryanair.

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