Ryanair Debit card charge grumble

omelette451

garethjv wrote: »

Try flying to Constanta with any other airline! True, Ryanair are actually providing an immense service by opening up this otherwise inaccessible destination, but I'm not actually interested in free or £1 flights, I'd just rather deal with a more honest company.

You can fly to Constanta via Budapest on Malev, but if I were going there I'd fly to Bucharest on Wizzair (also BA, Tarom, plus others indirect) and catch a train, which takes four hours (and runs 5 times a day - see db.de/en for times).

I'm not suggesting things aren't much easier now, but as I said in my last post I think there are few if any routes that can't be accessed by other means if you don't like Ryanair. As for honesty, I think displaying all its various fees (and the means to avoid them) is in fact very honest as it gives people more choice as to whether to pay them. Ryanair is always the first victim of any attack on low-cost airlines by the media or the European Commission, which, along with O'Leary's famous bluntness, makes it the most honest airline around.

garethjv

omelette451 wrote: »

You can fly to Constanta via Budapest on Malev, but if I were going there I'd fly to Bucharest on Wizzair (also BA, Tarom, plus others indirect) and catch a train, which takes four hours (and runs 5 times a day - see db.de/en for times).

I'm not suggesting things aren't much easier now, but as I said in my last post I think there are few if any routes that can't be accessed by other means if you don't like Ryanair. As for honesty, I think displaying all its various fees (and the means to avoid them) is in fact very honest as it gives people more choice as to whether to pay them. Ryanair is always the first victim of any attack on low-cost airlines by the media or the European Commission, which, along with O'Leary's famous bluntness, makes it the most honest airline around.

Just looked at the Malev site and can't find Constanta listed as a destination from Budapest. Not at this time of the year anyway (there are lots of options in the summer which stop out of season)

Have done the Wizzair trek before. It takes 23 hours there and 24 hours return. Not fun at all!

The main problem is that you need to go down south to London to fly there. That's not good if you're a long way from London!

Thanks for the advice though.

Your argument in support of Ryanair though is weak. The other low cost airlines do not play the same dirty tricks so why do they resort to it? It can't be worth the PR damage.

exel1966

garethjv wrote: »

Just looked at the Malev site and can't find Constanta listed as a destination from Budapest. Not at this time of the year anyway (there are lots of options in the summer which stop out of season)

Have done the Wizzair trek before. It takes 23 hours there and 24 hours return. Not fun at all!

The main problem is that you need to go down south to London to fly there. That's not good if you're a long way from London!

Thanks for the advice though.

Your argument in support of Ryanair though is weak. The other low cost airlines do not play the same dirty tricks so why do they resort to it? It can't be worth the PR damage.

I believe your argument is even weaker ! All lo-cost operators charge debit/credit card fees. Even major carriers charge fees ! Some have lower debit card fees, but then higher credit card fees. Some don't differentiate between debit/credit and charge the same. Some only permit credit cards unless booking more than 10 days in advance. Some debit card fees are higher than Ryanairs and make Ryanairs look cheap !
Dirty tricks all round then is it ?

TFD_2

exel1966 wrote: »

I believe your argument is even weaker ! All lo-cost operators charge debit/credit card fees. Even major carriers charge fees ! Some have lower debit card fees, but then higher credit card fees. Some don't differentiate between debit/credit and charge the same. Some only permit credit cards unless booking more than 10 days in advance. Some debit card fees are higher than Ryanairs and make Ryanairs look cheap !
Dirty tricks all round then is it ?

This is the most ridiculous thread I've seen yet on here.

Ryanair charge £5+ for a transaction that will cost them 10p to process. Charging the fee PER FLIGHT is particularly harsh as it is still one payment they process.

If you book return flights for a family of 5, this is £50 for a 10p real cost.

I understand that companies make a mark-up on products - I am in business myself, but card handling is not Ryanair's business - selling flights is.

This is a sneaky way to have cheap headline prices and take an extra £5 off everybody who books (and YES I KNOW you can use an electron card with no fee, but most people don't have one, and why should people have to go to the hassle of opening up an additional bank account to get around the system?)

I don't think they will get away with it forever as it is sneaky and gets a lot of people angry.

If Ryanair need this additional £5 to be a viable business then !!!!!! put it on the flights!

exel1966

TFD wrote: »

This is the most ridiculous thread I've seen yet on here.

I don't think they will get away with it forever as it is sneaky and gets a lot of people angry.

Why ridiculous, unlike many posts here it's ALL FACT !

It certainley doesn't get many of the 45-50million people who fly with them annually very angry though does it ?

TFD_2

exel1966 wrote: »

Why ridiculous, unlike many posts here it's ALL FACT !

It certainley doesn't get many of the 45-50million people who fly with them annually very angry though does it ?

People defending Ryanair's dubious hidden fees is ridiculous to me. I've never met anybody who thinks it's fair!

And why do you not think the 45-50m people are angry about it? I personally use Ryanair (reluctantly), for both personal and business use, as for certain destinations they're the easiest option.

I've got no problem paying the total charge Ryanair want to take from me, just the way they package it.

exel1966

Come on, step into reality for a while ! Human nature tells me that when people are angry about something, they usually do something about it.

Like yourself and the 45-50m people you're only really interested in the bottom line price. Thats' why you still continue to use them even though you're so vociferous about knocking them.

It is quite hypocrytical and smacks of not following what you believe in. To me it's like the green protesetors we see lobbying against airport expansion, yet these are some of the same people who use air travel as a means of transport.

TFD_2

exel1966 wrote: »

Come on, step into reality for a while ! Human nature tells me that when people are angry about something, they usually do something about it.

Like yourself and the 45-50m people you're only really interested in the bottom line price. Thats' why you still continue to use them even though you're so vociferous about knocking them.

It is quite hypocrytical and smacks of not following what you believe in. To me it's like the green protesetors we see lobbying against airport expansion, yet these are some of the same people who use air travel as a means of transport.

Rubbish. There's a lot of companies who's ethics I have issues with. But I'm not going to cut my nose off to spite my face! When I travel to Austria and Netherlands on business, Ryanair fly to airports close to where I need to be so it suits me. I also have friends developing property in Slovenia, and Ryanair were the only airline to fly to Maribor. So yes it suits me. To boycot Ryanair cos they're crooks would be causing me more inconvenience than them.

HOWEVER I would prefer they just quoted an honest inclusive fair and only charged for truly optional add-ons.

If I could fly with an alternative airline for sensible money to convenient destinations I will. Often flying to Germany, BA or Lufthansa are convenient so I will use them, and there is no comparison between the service received.

omelette451

garethjv wrote: »

Just looked at the Malev site and can't find Constanta listed as a destination from Budapest. Not at this time of the year anyway (there are lots of options in the summer which stop out of season)

Yes, I've just checked and it is indeed a seasonal route. I knew about it in summer but assumed it was all year.

The main problem is that you need to go down south to London to fly there. That's not good if you're a long way from London!

I agree entirely. Wizzair used to fly Liverpool-Bucharest but packed up because of poor load factors so now the only northern option is via a continental hub or London. I'd still probably do that though, but then I tend to be inclined to make time for interesting train journeys while others might be in more of a hurry. Whatever fits.

exel1966

TFD wrote: »

Rubbish. There's a lot of companies who's ethics I have issues with. But I'm not going to cut my nose off to spite my face! When I travel to Austria and Netherlands on business, Ryanair fly to airports close to where I need to be so it suits me. I also have friends developing property in Slovenia, and Ryanair were the only airline to fly to Maribor. So yes it suits me. To boycot Ryanair cos they're crooks would be causing me more inconvenience than them.

HOWEVER I would prefer they just quoted an honest inclusive fair and only charged for truly optional add-ons.

If I could fly with an alternative airline for sensible money to convenient destinations I will. Often flying to Germany, BA or Lufthansa are convenient so I will use them, and there is no comparison between the service received.

You contradict yourself in every post. Your beliefs are only as big as your wallet !

I don't know many people who support something that clearly agitates them so much !