You have not been scammed/ripped off by Ryanair if...

Just for newbies, I thought I'd put together this useful guide.

You have not been scammed or ripped off if....

1) You paid for online check-in.
2) You paid a card transaction fee.
3) You paid to put a bag in the hold.
4) You exceeded 15kg for your hold baggage and had to pay.
5) You exceeded 10kg for your hand baggage and had to pay.
6) You attempted to take more than 1 bag in total on board the plane as hand baggage and had to pay.
7) You had to pay taxes.
8) The flight cost you more than advertised promotional fares.
9) You paid for drinks on board.
10) You paid for food on board.
11) You didn't get anything 'free'.
12) The flight was full.
13) You couldn't sit with your family.
14) You paid for priority boarding.
15) You bought Ryanair scratchcards.
16) The plane was timetabled for longer than the flight took and therefore arrived early.
17) The plane went to a different airport than you expected because you didn't check the name of the airport.
18) The flight time/day changed and you were offered a full refund.
19) You had to pay to print your boarding pass at the airport.
20) You had to queue to put your bags into the hold despite checking in online. The two are not the same.
21) You arrived too late at the airport to check your bags in/print your boarding pass.
22) You arrived too late to pass through security.
23) Your travel documents are not valid.
24) If you were charged a flat amount for carrying an infant.
25) The roads were congested on the way to the airport.
26) The train was late.
27) You gave the wrong details of the passengers flying.
28) You forgot to supply a country with the required advance passenger information.
29) You didn't check in before arriving at the airport.
30) You booked the wrong flights.
31) You paid excess baggage charges.
32) You paid more than you would if you had flown by another carrier.
33) You clicked 'book' without reading the terms and conditions.
34) You paid to change a name on the booking.
35) You failed to inform Ryanair about a disability in advance.
36) You had to pay for a personal oxygen supply during the flight.
37) You couldn't fit your shopping purchases into your one piece of hand luggage permitted.
38) You didn't check the fees charged before booking.
39) You didn't check the fees on the website after selecting them.
40) You couldn't print the return boarding pass when on holiday.
41) You do not have a passport for every passenger travelling.
42) You had to pay extra for sports equipment to be carried.
43) Other people were quicker walking to the plane than you.
44) A bus is used to transport you to the plane and you boarded last as a result.
45) You're not allowed by Ryanair to change a flight that you've already checked in for.
46) You feel the charges are "disgusting", "immoral" or "illegal".
47) They stop flying to a destination where you bought a holiday house.
48) You booked through a third party site ("screenscraper") and were charged differently than on the Ryanair site.
49) You did not have onwards transportation from the airport organised and had to pay for a bus/taxi.
50) You had to pay 1 pound a minute to call Ryanair to do something that you could do on the website.
51) There was a queue for the toilet.
52) You didn't read this thread or search the forum before flying/asking questions.
53) You failed to take out adequate travel insurance to cover your trip.
54) You are charged taxes by the airport/city/country from where the flight departs/arrives.
55) You booked the wrong type of fare (child fare for an infant, infant fare for an adult, etc)
56) You didn't book an extra seat and yet wanted one.
57) Someone was sitting in the seat you wanted.
58) They didn't have the food/drink you wanted.
59) Someone told you a rumour about toilets being charged for.
60) You had to carry your baggage to the plane.
61) You had to queue for security.
62) You bought things airside.
63) You had your hand luggage weighed before getting on the plane and was caught with an overweight bag.
64) You 'assumed' something.
65) You thought that Ryanair would operate differently abroad with boarding passes for the return.
66) You can't buy a can of beer for the same price as in your local shop.
67) Ryanair didn't provide you with reminders in LARGE CAPS on their website to guide you.
68) The flight was cancelled due to bad weather.
69) You couldn't get a refund on your ticket.
70) You shouted at Ryanair's representatives and didn't get the desired result.
71) You failed to check in online in time.
72) The website didn't work for you so you couldn't book 1p flights.
73) Ryanair didn't offer 1p flights from your local airport.
74) You incurred parking and fuel charges because Ryanair didn't fly to your local airport.
75) You had to pay road tolls to get to the nearest airport which Ryanair serve.

Top Tips

1) Use a Visa Electron card for booking. If you do not have one, then Entropay is recommended by users of this forum.
2) Do not purchase travel insurance.
3) Do not buy priority boarding.
4) Do not take hold luggage unless absolutely impossible to avoid. If you do take hold baggage, 15kg is the limit per person.
5) When Ryanair says it's a limit, then it's a limit.
6) Arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight.
7) Yes, refreshments and food on board are expensive.
8) Hand luggage is restricted to a certain size and weight. Please check before travelling.
9) The Online check-in fee can be avoided by booking promotional fares. If they aren't available - then be flexible!
10) Make sure to print your boarding pass BEFORE arriving at the airport. Yes, Ryanair will charge you for this service.
11) Check your onwards travel arrangements.
12) If planning to stay in the airport overnight before a flight, check http://www.sleepinginairports.net first.
13) Aim to be at the gate no later than 30 minutes before the flight.
14) Allow 90 minutes as a bare minimum from joining the security queue to reaching the gate.
15) Ensure that all travel documentation is correct, including visas if required.
16a) If the website crashes upon booking, wait a couple of hours and then check your e-mail/Ryanair.com for your booking.
16b) You can check the status of your booking via https://www.bookryanair.com/SkySales...EN-GB&lc=EN-GB , option 3.
16c) Check your bank account. If money has been debited, then you have a reservation.
17) Always check flight times and dates with the other people travelling.
18) Double check every piece of information you supply to Ryanair, especially names.
19) Excess baggage is charged at 15 pounds/euro per kilogram.
20) Only one bag per person is permitted as hand luggage. This includes children, but not infants.
21) Weigh your luggage at home before going to the airport.
22) Read the terms and conditions carefully before booking.
23) Read the FAQ page on the site.
24) Hold baggage allowances are per person, not across the entire booking.
25) You cannot 'pool' baggage allowances - 15kg is the limit per person.
26) Baggage allowances also apply regardless of the amount of hold bags purchased.
27) If you have a disability, check Ryanair's policies before booking.
28) A handbag, laptop computer, rucksacks or indeed any item that can be used as a bag constitutes a piece of hand luggage.
29) Purchase travel insurance (not from Ryanair!) that covers cancellation/delays on the part of the airline.
30) Check where the airport actually is in relation to your actual destinations - do not rely on what Ryanair calls the airport.
31) Evidence suggests that Ryanair do not check clothes worn on the person - which can be removed after boarding.
32) Ryanair's additional fees can be found at - http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=CHARGES&view=email
33) Ryanair now requires every passenger flying (including children and infants) to have and carry a passport as identification.
34) If you are considering Priority Boarding, check to see if a bus is used to transport people to the aeroplane.
35) Ryanair will not allow you to change a flight that you've already checked in for.
36) Do not book through anyone except Ryanair themselves. Some third party websites are notorious for adding fictious fees.
37a) To call Ryanair for the cost of an international call, dial the number for 'Rest of World' found on their website.
37b) The international call checker on this website can drastically reduce the cost of this call.
38) The vast majority of queries and problems can be resolved through Ryanair.com.
39) Ryanair's policies on delays/cancellations/etc can be found at http://www.ryanair.com/site/FAQS/docs/EU261.pdf
40) It is usually cheaper to book a new flight than change the name or time of the flight.
41) If you're travelling on a non-EU passport, ensure that your documents are checked before proceeding to security.
42) If you're uncertain about any aspect of your return journey, ask at the arrival airport upon your arrival.
43) Remeber to check in for your return flight 4 hours before departure.
44) Ask on the forum before your trip if you aren't certain about something.
45) If you have paid for luggage, proceed to the 'bag drop' desks upon arrival at the airport.
46) Luggage labels are printed at the 'bag drop' desks.
47) If your computer fails to complete the booking process, try another computer.
48) If you do use another computer, make sure to check the status of your resevations first.

And our final top tip...

If all the above is too much for you, fly a different airline.

Anyone got anything else to add?

Thank you to pompeyrich, Pollycat, richardw, dmg24, lufcgirl, sturll, Leesa, Moonchild, mira666, benjus, harz99, MaxTheDog and anyone else that's helped put this guide together