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Working around Ryanair's stupid baggage polices

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
rayscoops wrote:
thefatcontroller, agreed, i just find Ryanair expensive because they do not fly from anywhere near me and the baggage and booking feesadd up to quite a lot. hand luggage only flights and you can get an exceptional bargain Very Happy ,


When did Bristol become "not anywhere near" Swansea? It is your second closest airport, and I don't think Easyjet fly from Cardiff either Puzzled Puzzled

We flew Ryanair BRS- Bergamo for our September Dolmites holiday.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
alex_heney wrote:
thefatcontroller wrote:
rayscoops, alex_heney, Its simple if you think they are stupid and don't like them then don't fly with them Confused


I never have for ski trips, although I have used them for "normal" holidays.

I probably won't use them for a ski trip so long as tey have those luggage restrictions, because I would find it very difficult to fit within them.
Yep, I agree. Ryanair make it especially difficult for all snowsport enthuiasts to get their gear out to resort. At least Easyjet seem to be more helpful and a little bit more flexible in their application of 'the rules'. Scheduled airlines are generally better all round and sometimes as cheap...
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
thefatcontroller wrote:
Julieanne wrote:
alex_heney wrote:


To be truly a skiers airline, they shoudl have baggage allowance on ski flights that reflects the requirements for skiing, rather than just going to airports convenient for ski resorts.


I think that is so true. Smile


So someone who goes skiing and hires should subsidise the costs of those that fly with their own skis and boots? Don't like the cost then fly with someone else. Toofy Grin


It isn't about the cost. I don't object to paying extra to take my skis (as is the case now with most airlines).

It is about the weight restrictions.

On a ski holiday, regardless of whether you have your own equipment, you need far more clothes than will be the case on most non-ski holidays. A 15Kg allowance just isn't enough, and nor is their "additional" allowane if you pay for ski carriage.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
alex_heney, last time i looked Ryanair did not fly to anywhere i wanted to go on a ski holiday from either Bristol or Cardiff, but i would be happy to be proved wrong Very Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
thefatcontroller wrote:
rayscoops, alex_heney, Its simple if you think they are stupid and don't like them then don't fly with them Confused


Yes it's that simple. Ryanair have lost my business on many occasions (at times this has been up to a dozen seats per trip) due primarily to their baggage policy. Still, as long as they fill the seats it's no skin off their nose. They don't seem to doing too badly do they.

I agree with alex_heney though, to go under the label "skiers airline" (or whatever) means they have to appeal to all types of skier, those that carry equipment and those who do not. With a £60 roundtrip cost for taking a pair of skis, they fail miserably here.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
alex_heney wrote:
It is about the weight restrictions.

On a ski holiday, regardless of whether you have your own equipment, you need far more clothes than will be the case on most non-ski holidays. A 15Kg allowance just isn't enough, and nor is their "additional" allowane if you pay for ski carriage.


I find weight restrictions prefectly adequate and if you don't then they are more than happy for you to take more and pay for it. Its your call, they are not saying you can't, they are saying exactly what you can do and then pay for whatever else. As before, if you don't like it go with someone else and stop moaning about them. We drove this year as we dislike flying and taking young 3 kids through an airport is hell. Lots of choice out there.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
rayscoops wrote:
alex_heney, last time i looked Ryanair did not fly to anywhere i wanted to go on a ski holiday from either Bristol or Cardiff, but i would be happy to be proved wrong Very Happy


Obviously, it depends on where you want to ski, but from BRS they fly to Bergamo (Good for Western Dolomites, Just OK for Eastern Dolomites), Turin (Good for Milky Way etc.), Grenoble (OK for most of French Alps), Pau or Girona for the Pyrennees.

There isn't really anywhere useful for Austria, or for Switzerland.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
thefatcontroller wrote:
alex_heney wrote:
It is about the weight restrictions.

On a ski holiday, regardless of whether you have your own equipment, you need far more clothes than will be the case on most non-ski holidays. A 15Kg allowance just isn't enough, and nor is their "additional" allowane if you pay for ski carriage.


I find weight restrictions prefectly adequate and if you don't then they are more than happy for you to take more and pay for it.


They aren't "more than happy" at all, and charge an exorbitant fee to try and prevent it. If they were "more than happy", they would allow you to pre-book additional weight, and would not charge you more per kio than your entire first bag charge (which allows up to 15Kg).

I'm surprised you finr 15Kg "perfectly adequate", although I suppose if you are traveling with three kids, their stuff will weigh less, so you can mix the stuff among the cases to load balance it.

Quote:

Its your call, they are not saying you can't, they are saying exactly what you can do and then pay for whatever else. As before, if you don't like it go with someone else and stop moaning about them. We drove this year as we dislike flying and taking young 3 kids through an airport is hell. Lots of choice out there.


Like I said, I don't travel with them, partly because I usually take ski hlidays via a TO, and partly because of the restrictions.

I don't see why that means I can't moan about them though. If they channge, then I might go with them.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
alex_heney, I have never headed to the Dolomites, Milkyway or Pyrennese and to be honest the Ryanair flights are not top of my list becasue the times of flights and transfers never seem to work at the Italian airports (flight getting in later than last bus to resorts!) , so far I have prefered Austria/Switz or other parts of France. I did not know Ryanair fly to Grenoble form Bristol? Easyjet do though and I use them

As it happens I am trying to get to Salzburg and Ryanair were an interesting £60 ticket (with taxes) that became an uninteresting £150 with the add-ons Shocked like bags and payment method and check-in - all those things that are not really a necessity wink, but what is annoying is that i had to put all my info into the computer before they would give me an 'all-in' price
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I use Ryanair frequently. In fact, I am going to Bardonecchia for a week in February and I am flying Ryanair.

I have a rectangular "stroller" which I use as check-in luggage. I put my ski boots in it and sort of "build" clothes around the boots, then it gets checked-in and goes in the hold. I then have another bag on wheels (which meets the dimensions of their cabin baggage) - I then fill this with clothes. 15kg in the hold and 10kg in the cabin baggage = 25kg in total.


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Wed 14-01-09 10:45; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Lufthansa never used to charge ski carriage out of Edinburgh to Frankfurt, but do now. But if you have an all in one board, boots and luggage bag they (last year anyway) accepted that as your free hold baggage.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Monarch (we flew with them this Christmas) have a 20kg bag allowance (as many bags as you like, providing they are within the dimensions, so boot bags OK), but if you want to take skis you pay £22.50 extra and that bag is allowed to weigh 13kg - which is only enough for my skis + my wife's boots, or her skis + my boots rolling eyes
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
rayscoops,
Quote:

As it happens I am trying to get to Salzburg and Ryanair were an interesting £60 ticket (with taxes) that became an uninteresting £150 with the add-ons like bags and payment method and check-in - all those things that are not really a necessity

Indeed. They are thieves. When Thomsonfly changed our flight to Salzburg a week next Sat, we looked at all the options. Found a Ryanair flight from Stansted to Salzburg, free outbound, 1.49 return, that turned into £180 each with all the bags etc.

Only time I will ever consider them is for a short break where I can take all I need in the hand luggage, and not get shafted for bags and, laughingly, to check in.

I thought the OFT were stopping all this and making them advertise the actual price? Puzzled
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
So, just to clarify has anyone taken their bootbag as hand luggage this winter on Ryan Air with no problems.

I have taken my boot bag as hand luggage for the last four years or so with no problems, so don't want to get caught out this year.

I guess the easy remedy is to put them in your hold luggage and put clothes in a suitable piece of hand luggage.

Just for the record both Easyjet and Ryanair have proven reliable airlines everytime I have used them, with no delay (albeit last flight of the day) being longer than an hour.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Charlatanefc, an almost identical flight (times) with BA from Gatwick is £130 with all the bells and whistles and you need a sherpa to actually get your bags to desk to check in the full allowance Very Happy
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
rayscoops, we did look at a Gatwick option but as it involved most of the group driving down past the likes of Luton, Stanstead, Manc, Doncaster, Brum etc etc we ruled it out. Plus the drive from Liverpool to Gatwick (or rather the return journey at the end of the trip) isn't the most enjoyable part of a holiday.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
its not that hard to stay under - i manage it a couple of times a year, complete with ski boots in main bag. If you are a little over stay near your bag and lean it up on your knee as it goes through - easy to take at least 3-4kilos off it's registered weight that way, get the next one in your group on sharpish and they never notice, especially if you keep up the chat as you go...

Loving ryanair - quickcheckin, cheap, convienient airport (stansted/salzburg/friedrichshafen) and LEGROOM in the seats... I have decided it's best to laugh at the things that have the gall to call extras though - check-in is one that always makes me laugh as it's near inpossible to avoid ime. yes yes, suprisingly i _would_ like to board my plane thank-you...

aj xx
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
FenlandSkier, the drive for me from Swansea is not top of my list, but I have a mate flying in from Singapore so I have to be a tad flexible in the circumstances, otherwise I would fly Bristol - Innsbruck and jump on the train with a few beers for company and meet up at the resort Very Happy
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Charlatanefc wrote:

I thought the OFT were stopping all this and making them advertise the actual price? Puzzled


Not possible. You cannot expect them to show as part of the initial prices anything which is genuinely optional.

What they do now have to do is include all "non-optional" items in the initial price.

Which leaves them quite a lot of "wriggle room".

All baggage charges are "optional" because you can travel with just hand luggage. The airport check in charge is optional, even though you have no choice about checking in there if you have any hold luggage. The charge for paying by card is "optional" because they have one card type (Electron) which doesn't incur it.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

The charge for paying by card is "optional" because they have one card type (Electron) which doesn't incur it.

Who the hell has one of these cards? I dont, I use to but it has been changed by the bank as i found out when i when to book my flight to salzburg over the weekend. When the transaction didnt go through I looked carefully at my card and its now called a visa debit. When I looked at my old card it was a visa electron. I think they have been phased out and hardley a soul still has one! As a cosequence with the card charge my fare was doubled! From £10 return to £20 return ....but still a bargain....roll on march 11 in saalbach!!!!(or radstaat!)
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