Airline Charges Rip Off Discussion

alanrowell

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

Well it looks like Martin [STRIKE]moneysavingexpert[/STRIKE] "Lord Of The Wings" Lewis has taken the advice and dropped the Rip Off claims.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/lifestyle/442417/Martin-Lewis-Lord-of-the-Wings-How-to-avoid-hidden-costs-of-budget-airlines.html

Airlines get away with this nonsense as charges DON'T apply when paying on Electron cards, a RARE type of bank account card.

???

Chester85

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

.....
Well it looks like Martin [STRIKE]moneysavingexpert[/STRIKE] "Lord Of The Wings" Lewis has taken the advice and dropped the Rip Off claims.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/lifestyle/442417/Martin-Lewis-Lord-of-the-Wings-How-to-avoid-hidden-costs-of-budget-airlines.html

Was Martin denied boarding by Ryanair at one point? Rather one sided vitrolic attacks at times. Alas, it must be infuriating when Ryanair's excessively overactive PR department don't even deem to acknowledge him :rotfl:

robroyal_2

I have flown with all three (£6 return to Edinburgh) 'rip-off' airlines and have been ripped-off with..

Lyanair (out of Bournemouth)
Sleasyjet (out of Luton)
Flybenite (out of Southampton)

..and there aint a fag-paper's width difference between the three of 'em!

Even the check-in staff at the airports look terribly embarrassed when you ask them *why* the airline doesn't put the *real* charges up front in their 'cheap-cheap' advertising stunts?

I don't know, but I wouldn't mind betting that it's probably just as cheap (or maybe even cheaper) to fly with British Airways, Virgin, or some of the regular, well established airlines, and probably get a much better service.

Ps: Lyaniar says it is considering charging £1 for passengers to use the loo whilst in-flight! Don't believe a word of it. Lyanair sends this controversial news to the media from time to time for one reason and one reason only - FREE publicity! :rotfl:

Sbarkia

it's probably just as cheap (or maybe even cheaper) to fly with British Airways, Virgin, or some of the regular, well established airlines, and probably get a much better service.

Actually no, in the majority of cases it isn't. I go to Denmark a couple of times a year. I can get to my nearest airport (Stansted) in an hour, free with my bus pass and fly with Ryanair to Billund (the nearest airport to my final destination) for varying prices (the cheapest so far 2p return and the dearest nearly £60, both including all charges) or travel up Gatwick by train and pay over £100 to fly with another airline, most of which don't fly to Billund.

That said, airlines should be forced to include all compulsory charges in the lead price. I admit I haven't read through all the previous pages, but I don't know any way to avoid the charge for booking in on line except to keep checking for when they include it, as in my latest £1 e/w booking, where the only extra was the debit card fee. I can accept the baggage charges (I only take hand baggage) and even that they are technically if not ethically able to charge for paying with a debit/credit card, but checking-in is hardly an optional extra.

JimmyTheWig

A very sensible summary from Sbarkia, I'd say.

There are ways to avoid the card charges which are fairly easy. I went the Entropay way and it worked with no problems. Sounds like it might save you £17 a year. Or, if you're happy and don't want the extra hassle, then leave it as it is!

cobblersmark

Ok, so how do you avoid paying the £10 to check in online with Ryanair now? It is either pay that or pay to check in at the desk.

In other words, you have to pay extra to get on the bloody plane. This is an unaviodable charge that Ryanair (and others) are making and surely is classed as a rip off.

richardw

cobblersmark wrote: »

Ok, so how do you avoid paying the £10 to check in online with Ryanair now?

It is £5 per sector, so £10 for a return trip.
You look for 'Promotional fares', sometimes these can be a bit hidden so a thorough search is required. 'Promotional fares' include free online check in.

MrSmartprice

alanrowell wrote: »

Airlines get away with this nonsense as charges DON'T apply when paying on Electron cards, a RARE type of bank account card.

???

I understand that about one in three Ryanair bookings are on Electron cards now. For Martin to state that it is a 'rare' card is a complete nonsense. As I have posted previously, it is easy to get hold of one, and you do not need to pay to load money into it. I use Abbey as it's the one I happen to have, but Halifax is the easiest to get hold of.

Martin does himself no credit by associating himself with inaccurate reporting. The NOTW needs little encouragement to spout this drivel, I'm sure.;)

Chester85 wrote: »

Was Martin denied boarding by Ryanair at one point? Rather one sided vitrolic attacks at times. Alas, it must be infuriating when Ryanair's excessively overactive PR department don't even deem to acknowledge him :rotfl:

I also stated before that you need to choose battles with O'Leary carefully. He humiliated Watchdog's Nicky Campbell because he got his facts wrong. The campaign should be that all unavoidable charges should be shown in the headline price, as otherwise it is an offence under s20 of the Consumer Protection Act.

To try to get optional charges (such as Electron) included is not appropriate, and certainly not Moneysaving. So what is the point?

I have wondered why there seems to be such a 'downer' on an airline which seems to fit in with moneysaving principles. It has certainly saved me plenty. Is there something we need to be told?

welshmen

My daughter arrive at Ryanair check in at Stansted and her boarding pas which she printed at home would not print so they asked her for £40 yes forty pound to reprint her pass.
The family before her were charged £160 to print four baording passes.
Amember of Stnsrted staff told her to go to the Raddison hotel outside and they would print the pass for £10, they said they gets loads of Ryanair passeners some in tears asking for the passes to be reprinted.

YOU HAVE TO PRINT YOUR BAORDING PASS 4 HOURS BEFORE YOU FLY OR THEY WILL CHASRGE YOU £40 PER BAORDING PASS THEY WILL ALSO CHASRGE YOU £40 IF YOUR BOARDING PASS YOU HAVE PRINTED WILL NOT GO THROUGH THEIR SCANNER.

BMIBABY
Charge £15 to book with a credit card £11 with a debit.

BMIBABY
Will also charge you £5 if you dont supply them with your passport details 3 hours before flying even on a flight from Cardiff to Edinburgh so beware.

01792 526218

FannyHill

Why are passport details required for an internal flight ?

What's next "what colour of underpants will you be wearing for the flight" ?