RYANAIR

At last it's all coming out how Ryanair run their business and how O'Bleary continues with his arrogance and bullying tactics..  It's all about rush rush rush, and cutting corners, turn around in 25 mins - loads of pressure on pilots.  It's obvious they put profits over safety plain and simple.   70% of pilots on contract phew!  88.8% of pilots said they didn't have an open and transparent safety culture within the company.  If so many pilots are expressing concerns re safety this has to be a concern to passengers surely.  Looks to me like a pilot now is considered barely more than cabin crew.  Was a time when pilots were seen as the consumate professionals they are, now thanx to this company and their attitudes this is all being eroded.  Watch CH4 Dispatches on demand which was shown last week.

Here we go again with the Ryanair bashing. Or as I have stated many times in the past FREE advertising for them. The programme last week went on about 3 flights that had to make an emergency fuel landing at Valencia airport. What they did not state was that all three planes had circled Madrid, their original destination, but also Valencia for at least 60 minutes and one over 90 minutes. One of the flights had come from Germany where the flight time was about 60 to 90 minutes and then had about the same amount of flight time before they asked for emergency landing. How much fuel should they carry? Every flight exceeds the MINIMUM fuel as set out by the manufacturer and the E.U. aviation authority. The C4 programme was so biased and as stated above and at the official enquiry totally untrue that it casts doubt on any other 'facts' raised by it.

You are complaining about the way they rush their turn round to 25 minutes. Well we all have a choice... pay more for your flights and get the 'old fashioned' service or go for the cheapest deal and get what you pay for. By the way don't give me the excuse that Ryanair are the only flights that take me from my nearest airport to my destination as this is just laziness on you behalf because everyone can go to a 'larger' airport at either end. I know this would mean a longer journey, cost more etc. but the choice is yours.

We all know that Ryanair have cut all possible corners so that they can offer CHEAP FARES. By being successful at what they do they eventually make profits for their shareholders. If they didn't then investors would not invest in them and all businesses would flounder on day 1 if there was no possibility of profits.

Finally we all have a choice to fly Ryanair or someone else. Personally out of choice I will NOT fly Ryanair and am willing to pay a little more for civility and comfort but that is my choice. If you are amongst the minority who strongly object to Ryanair then vote with your feet/money

There was also a time when pilots had full control and responsability for flying a plane but now planes practically fly themselves and the pilots probably do even less than train drivers. I don't think Ryanair is alone in the way it sees pilots. They are not highly paid or highly respected anywhere anymore. Whilst Ryanair continue to have an excellent safety record, I wouldn't have any issues flying with them regarding my safety. People are continually throwing dirt at them and it's getting a little boring.

They're cheap and nasty, like Mercadona. If you can afford to fly with another airline, you have no reason to criticise Ryanair. If you can't, accept that you get what you pay for and that you will almost certainly arrive at your destination safe and sound, like everyone else who flies with them.

We all have a choice and mine is where possible to use full service airlines. Prefer to pay the extra and be looked after.

Never tavelled with Ryan but can recomend BA who made my recent and first flight ever to UK vey comfortable. And what a joy T5 was at LHR after the horrors of Lisborn.

Rossetti

I have never flown Ryanair, nor would I.  I prefer to fly a better class of airline and one that puts customers safety and comfort first.  Of course profit is a major part of a successful business but  i am not of the opinion that  all businesses would flounder as you put it, if there was no possibility of profits.  It's a matter of degree how much profit you want to make and at what cost to the customer.  In any event imho now that they seem to have the monopoly in Europe, all air passengers and their staff will continue to suffer in the future if they do not start to listen and put people before profits.

For the life of me I cannot even begin to understand the hostility generated by arguably the world’s most successful airline generates. The misinformation (as indicated by another poster) and stupidity in some of the comments is breathtaking. All airlines fly by rules independently made by the appropriate qualified authorities.

No airline, Ryanair included, can be flexible on those requirements. As far as I am aware no Ryanair airliner has ever suffered a fatality. They publish the facts that are independently researched. Its safety record is second to none. Yet, it flies to far more destinations, carries more passengers and travel more miles than less safe airlines.

I have been using them for years, and of course know many others who do so without complaint.  As has been said countless times before, you cannot proceed with your booking unless you agree and sign that you have read the rules. I concede I have bent the rules in my favour a number of times but have always experience pleasant service.

Lastly but not least, it is the world’s most successful airline for one reason only; passengers use the airline. Excuse me, don’t you believe in foot-democracy.

Sadly, the mob instinct, once it has the blood of its prey up its flared nostrils, will never allow reason to interfere with integrity. It seems to me that many critics are getting on their bedside knees to pray that the airline has a disaster. Oh, how they will whoop for joy and punch the Air in sanctimonious hypocrisy.

What I don't understand is why you would start a discussion criticising a company you have never used and would never use. If you've never used them, you are not really in a position to talk about them.

I've used Ryanair several times and as my expectations of them are low, I have never been disappointed nor have I ever had a problem with them. I've never driven a Dacia so I'm not going to start telling people how crap and badly made they are. And that's the way it should be.

Totally agree Boboal. BA give you baggage allowance, seat allocation, that seems to be the only difference I can see. Both lots of staff smile when I get on. Depending on where we are going we use the best airline for what we need!

Flying Ryan Air next week and i know what to expect. Once I get to my seat and flights airborne ,  I put on my music , turn up the volume and tilt my hat forward and try to sleep until we land (ignoring all the heavy sell) that goes on on all low cost flights . Same applies to Easy Jet, Jet2 and any other low cost providers. If they hadnt been such a thing as low cost air services i wouldnt have purchased in Spain . so long may it continue.  I can go to Spain hire a car for a week and get 2 return flights for £400

Cost me £307 for 2 adults return Leeds to Murcia in school holidays ..... great, thanks Ryan Air . Coulnt get to London on the train for that .  Its like McDonalds, if it wasnt so popular you wouldnt see them everywhere.  regards safety the record speaks for itself and they move millions of people every year. In fact RYAN AIR CARRIED 76 MILLION passengers last year .... well done Mr Walsh

The presenter didn't fly Ryanair either, but that didn't deter him from investigating the bad practices of the company; which is what I am interested in.  For that reason I can have an opinion based on exposure of company documentation that has been exposed.   We don't all have to get our knickers in an argumentative twist do we?

Is Foxilady Michael O´`Leary in drag?Every time she initiates her Ryanair-bashing threads -the most recent being the "Rudeair" thread of a  some months ago - she brings out an avalanche of support  of the airline which would have  the great man,M O,Leary, purring with satisfaction!She has stated now that she has never flown with the airline-she previously stated that she encountered  a perceived lack of respect for her exalted status- in fact horror of horrors "Rudeness"-about 10 years ago -which caused her to resolve never to use the airline again.Her right, of course,but I would respectfully suggest that  people on this forum  are serious people about serious business and are not greatly interested in personal vendettas but in accessing information about about serious issues

The current safety issues ,to my mind,have their genesis in the strong-arm tactics used by Ryanair  against Spanish airport authorities last year,which infuriated the Spanish government(the word "chantaje"-blackmail -being freely used)The issues in relation to the Valentia  flights presented the Spanish government with an opportunity for massive retaliation and probably somewhat to their surprise they discovered that they had  had struck a nerve,that the massive well-resourced airline which  had shrugged off any number of criticisms regarding  treatment of staff and customers was alarmed ,perhaps even panic-stricken by the allegation that they were cutting corners  in relation to safety to save costs-not because the allegation was true,but beacuse it was potentially  credible-the most dim-witted passenger can grasp the argument as presented by the airlines detractors.The Spanish government sent over a top-level delegation which was satisfied  that tha airline complied with all  relevant safety regualations and Ryanair softened its cough noticeably with regard to its Spanish operations but the coalition of interests dedicated to the weakening and if possible destruction of the airline had noted the vulnerability and was waiting to strike  when an opportunity presented itself

It should be noted that Ryanair has issued  proceedings for defamation against the TV company in question and it would appear unwise for any individual to repeat any allegations made in the programme.No doubt the court proceedings will in due course help to clarify the issues and I suspect that the Ryanair side  cannot  wait to cross-examine the Ryanair pilots Group-a most interesting if shadowy group whose website I have examined closely.The issues involved may well be complex,the Ryanair argument that they comply with all required safety requirements possibly being countered by the TV companies  argument that they were making legitimate and appropriately qualified comment on an issue of public importance

The current position as it affects air travellers is clear.Ryanair has an unblemished safety record´-not a single passenger  has died in an incident involving in a Ryanair aircraft in 29 years.Ryanair has  complied with all relevant safety requirements at all times and has indicated that it will of course continue to do so.

My suggestion,in short-,lets wait to see what the court proceedings reveal and suspend judgment interim

allegations have already been aired; therefore legally it is not unwise to repeat them.  No tengo más que decir.

So it appears that despite Foxilady's claims on this thread that she has never flown Ryanair and never would, she actually has flown with them and didn't like it. I'm not sure we can trust a person who can't even tell the truth. Not surprising that, 'no tiene nada mas que decir'. Maybe it's better kept that way.

Horses for courses.  For me, Ryanair is very convenient (Málaga to Bournemouth) and very cheap (usually about €60-70 return if booked well in advance).  I only take hand-luggage and I don't care where I sit.  Ryanair provides an adequate service at a good price.  No problem.

Once I see this "Lady's" avatar, I know the thread is as good as dead, so I just ignore it. Shame as this used to be a great place now it see less and less usefull traffic.IMHO

"allegations have already been aired; therefore legally it is not unwise to repeat them."

"allegations have already been aired; therefore legally it is not unwise to repeat them."

As Ryanair have already instigated legal proceedings against the broadcaster I would have thought it would be very unwise to repeat the unfounded allegations unless the writer wishes to become a joint defendant in the case.

Totally agree with steone you pay your money and takes your chances you certainly get what you pay for. I have flown with Ryanair and yes they rush about etc but never had a late departure/arrival yet.

The old Ryanair chestnut reappears. What is it with expats in Spain with too much time in one hand and a glass of booze in the other? If you have decided to not like RA then simply ignore them! They have a 29 year accident free record and that is even more amazing when you consider how many flights per day they run compared to other more established airlines! They simply run (as advertised) a tight ship. They have to be incredibly cost conscious in order to pass the low prices on. How dumb does someone have to be to not understand that?

As said - if you dont like them - use someone else and be prepared to pay more. I use them and play totally by their rules. My core objective is to get to Spain reasonably comfortably and efficiently. They have never failed to deliver for me. the people who moan are the ones who can't be bothered to read RA's rules before they fly.

How many times do you see the half-cut muppets at the gate on their knees trying to stuff a straw donkey, 400 Benson and Hedges and a 2 litre bottle of Sangria into thier hold bag. They then have the audacity to moan about 'rules' when their flight has cost them less than the cost of a box of their cancer sticks of choice in the UK! If you want a good laugh and also want to despair at the same time about the typical Brit on a plane, then sit down early and watch the idiots boarding and moaning about anything they can dream up.

I find that the moaners are inevitably the 'hankies on head' brits who, even after being in Spain for years, can't manage any more vocabulary than 'cerveza' 'vino' 'la cuenta'. It amuses me that even with such a pathetic grasp of the language, they consider the use of these phrases makes them a natural linguist too.

Anyway well done RA - keep up the good work and ignore the dumb brits who just dont understand business principles - and who probably cant read either.