“You must hate Ryanair!”

NO!!!

Believe it or not, we love Ryanair!

Honestly!

I used to live and work in London and travel back to Ireland to see my family when i could. This involved a huge coach trip from London to Fishguard, onto the Ferry in the middle of the night and then another coach from Rosslaire to Cork. Traveling used to take just under a day and you would arrive exhausted.

Flying was an option, but not for people like me who couldn’t drop at least £200 on a flight, that would have been a weeks earnings.

Then along came Michael O’Leary, relentless on his quest to make flying affordable. My annual trip home soon became a quick visit back for the weekend a few times a year. They had made it possible to grab a return flight for less than £30. There were rules, of course, but as long as i played the game the flight was cheap.

It amazes me that all these years later, flights are still cheap, and now they fly to so many places, some obscure, but all an adventure. I never would have discovered Baden Baden if it wasn’t for a 9.99 flight. It’s a stunning place.

So, in return for a cheap flight, i understand that

If i want to bring more than a tiny bag, i pay (although obviously that is why we invented products to stop you paying!)

They choose where i get to sit, if i want to choose then i pay.

If i want a drink or a snack, i pay.

Non-refundable means non-refundable.

If i mess up and need staff time to sort the issue, i pay.

In return, they will fly me around Europe safely, normally on time and often for less than a good meal.