When it comes to budget airlines, Ireland-based Ryanair is the European torchbearer. It’s the largest airline by passenger numbers in Europe and third largest globally (after American Airlines and Delta), carrying 183.7 million passengers in their most recent fiscal year.
The network spans 224 airports across 36 countries, almost entirely in Europe with an extensive Morocco operation including 12 airports and a base in Tangier.
The size and scale of Ryanair isn’t what it’s most famous for, however. It has a reputation among many as one of the worst flying experiences, and a lot of people I know simply refuse to fly with them. On a recent trip from London Stansted to Cologne, I heard a Ryanair gate agent call a passenger a liar when she argued that she’d already paid to take her guitar on board. The airline is infamous for trying to sneak in surplus charges at every turn, for unforgiving customer service and for a bare-bones approach to passenger comfort.
But if you need to fly in Europe, no other carrier can compare with the reach or prices of Ryanair. I fly with it monthly at a minimum and have learned that if you know what to expect and how to navigate its sneaky pricing and quirks, there are few airlines anywhere that offer such incredible value.
Fares and classes
Ryanair is 100% budget with no classes other than economy. Fares are more complex though. On first look, Ryanair offers four fare classes, although there are actually six: Basic, Regular, Plus, Family Plus, Flexi Plus, and Time Saver.
The fleet consists almost entirely of Boeing 737 airplanes (in various models but with much the same configuration) for short to medium haul operations, though the group does operate 26 Airbus A320s among its 641 aircraft. Its longest flight runs from Warsaw to Tenerife, a 2,543-mile journey taking a shade under six hours.
Most routes are short to medium-haul flights. A popular (and some say fitting) bit of trivia: the average length of Ryanair flights used to be 666 miles, the Devil’s number, though it’s now grown to 780 miles.
A word of warning when choosing your fare: Ryanair has a laser focus on cabin baggage dimensions. It’s always a lottery whether you’ll get singled out at the gate to have your bag unceremoniously wedged into one of its bag size checkers. If there’s any question, expect to have your bag sent to the hold and pay a large fee for the privilege. Your best bet is to stick rigidly to the dimensions stated. On the other hand, I’ve never seen anyone’s large carry-on bags weighed to see if they conform to the 22 lb (10kg) limit.
Basic fare
The cheapest fare is also the only one you’ll see when you search for a flight with Ryanair (a common trick to lure you in and tempt you into spending more on upgrades). It includes one small 16in x 12in x 8in (40cm x 30cm x 20cm) cabin bag, like a briefcase or small rucksack, that must be stored under the seat where your feet will also need to go, and nothing else.
Ryanair randomly allocates standard seats when check-in opens 24 hours before your flight. You must check in online or you’ll pay a fee to check in at the airport. You can add upgrades during booking, each with its own fee. I’ve never minded this approach though, as it lets you tailor your experience and only pay for the things you want.
Regular fare
The next fare up adds one large cabin bag up to 22 lb (10kg) and measuring up to 21.5in x 16in x 8in (55cm x 40cm x 20cm), plus the option to choose your standard seat. It also throws in priority boarding, which means you get first access to the airplane. Beware, priority boarding is one of the real traps among the paid services Ryanair offers.
The minimum-service Ryanair approach extends to boarding too. Priority boarding means you go through the gate first. Invariably though, Ryanair is keen to clear the gate as early as possible to avoid airport late fees, even if the plane isn’t ready for boarding.
Gate crew shuffle passengers past the gate into the gangway (or more often stairwell) to wait there instead.
Usually cramped, with no seating and no air con or heating, all your priority pass gets you is a longer wait in less than ideal conditions. As seats are now allocated rather than a first-come first-served free-for-all, there’s no real benefit to boarding first. I always board as close to last as possible, you spend less time on board and get the chance to peruse potential unbooked seating options should you have the dreaded middle seat.
Plus fare
Plus is a bit of a mix of Basic and Regular fares. You get the small cabin bag allowance and the option to choose your standard seat, but no priority boarding (which is no bad thing). In place of a second 22 lb (10kg) cabin bag, you can instead check in a 44 lb (20kg) bag, which is useful if you’re not a light packer. It’s the only single-traveler fare that includes checked luggage in the price.
Flexi Plus fare
The premium fare comes at a steep premium. It includes a small and large cabin bag, priority boarding, seat reservation (including extra legroom seats), flight changes without admin costs, and fast track through airport security. I’ve never seen the need to book a Flexi Plus ticket as most of these benefits don’t feel worth the extra cost.
Family Plus fare
Family Plus is available for up to six passengers in one booking, as long as one of them is a child or teen. It typically replaces the Flexi Plus option when your booking meets this criteria.
It includes one small cabin bag for each passenger and one 10kg check-in bag per group member (not a large cabin bag), plus a 44 lb (20kg) check-in ‘family’ bag, and free seat reservations for children under 12, although you’ll have to pay for adult seats.
Which fare is best?
In my experience, the Basic Ryanair fare is best. Since I don’t see any value in priority boarding or airport check-in, I don’t think it’s worth paying for these features by default. I also never check bags with Ryanair anymore, as the wait to collect them is often torturous. Instead, you can book a Basic fare and add a large cabin bag for less than the price of a Regular fare.
As flights are typically only a couple of hours, I seldom think it’s worth paying extra for an aisle, window or extra legroom seat. If you do book a window seat, make sure it’s not the dreaded 11A. The subject of countless memes, 11A is the window seat without a window on the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 fleet. A quirk of design means this section of the fuselage houses part of the air-conditioning system, and the Ryanair layout ignores that in favor of more seats. Note that on their newer Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft, the windowless seat has shifted to 12A due to the high-density configuration. To be safe, avoid these seats when reserving.
On board – seats, legroom and facilities
Economy class is exactly that, the bare minimum. Ryanair pares everything down to keep prices low. There’s no Wi-Fi, seat charging points, magazine (except in the app), blankets, cushions or anything complimentary. The speed of turnaround between flights often means the cabin doesn’t look or feel very clean either.
Seats are narrow at 16 inches and offer 30 inches of legroom, which is pretty standard for most budget European airlines. They’re also thin, hard and don’t recline, but are entirely bearable for a few hours.
In-flight service includes light meals, snacks and drinks. Prices are at a premium but the food is from established brands, so the quality is fine. There’s an inflight magazine onboard that lists items for purchase, though you can also check the app in advance where pre-ordering is available on some routes. It’s not uncommon to find many things have sold out, and don’t expect ice for your drinks!
Despite having heard some horror stories, my experiences of Ryanair cabin crew have been entirely positive (not so much the ground crew though). Multinational and mostly young, they’re typically efficient, friendly and very adept at handling less-than-satisfied passengers and rowdy groups, two mainstays of the typical Ryanair clientele
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
