Please help this flying novice!

littlewren

Please bear with me as I know nothing about booking a flight. I have only been abroad once in my life, 14 years ago, and my Dad sorted everything as he was paying for the holiday.

So....I understand absolutely nothing about booking a flight and I have to book one for towards the end of this year.

I will be going to Knock in Ireland, from London/Luton, so will have to fly Ryanair. I looked on their site, checked the prices, just to get an idea of what I would be paying and started to go through as if I was going to book. When it came to the page that asked about bags - 15kg or 20kg - I was stumped *embarrassed.* Does this mean for the suitcase that will be in the hold? I don't even know if I have to pay for my flight bag but then will I have to pay the £40 or £60 for my suitcase too, is this right? I don't want to click '0' and then find I haven't allowed for my suitcase!

Any other tips too would be most welcome.

Many thanks in advance,

Carrie

cactusdust

Okay, let me explain this one for you.. please hold. You get a free hand luggage allowance on Ryanair. This cabin bag must not weigh more than 10kg or exceed 55cm in LENGTH x 40cm in WIDTH x 20cm in DEPTH.

i.e, this means any suitcase you wish to be placed inside the hold (with a more generous weight and size allowance) you pay for.

SaveTheEuro

It's worth getting hold of a Pre Pay Mastercard. That way you'll avoid paying a charge of £12 for using a credit or debit card when you complete your booking.

Bear in mind that there is more to pay even after you have completed the Ryanair booking. On your return journey Ireland West (Knock) airport will charge you 10 euros before allowing you through security to catch your flight.

littlewren

Thankyou for your replies. I can't believe just how much the price of the ticket is pushed up once you add baggage and the other extras - admin charges etc. I thought Ryanair was supposed to be a cheapie airline? The price of my return flight will be over £100 on some days! My daughter is flying to France for a fraction of the cost with Easyjet!

dmg24

littlewren wrote: »

Thankyou for your replies. I can't believe just how much the price of the ticket is pushed up once you add baggage and the other extras - admin charges etc. I thought Ryanair was supposed to be a cheapie airline? The price of my return flight will be over £100 on some days! My daughter is flying to France for a fraction of the cost with Easyjet!

Supply and demand - the busier the route, the higher the cost. You cannot validly compare two different routes!

littlewren

Thanks dmg24, that makes sense.

Another query: while looking for flights, I see that some prices include taxes and push the price way up and other flights state 'no taxes.' I haven't a clue why this is! (I told you I knew nothing about flying! lol)

SaveTheEuro

littlewren wrote: »

Thanks dmg24, that makes sense.

Another query: while looking for flights, I see that some prices include taxes and push the price way up and other flights state 'no taxes.' I haven't a clue why this is! (I told you I knew nothing about flying! lol)

Not sure any of us do, it's just the way Ryanair works. Just concentrate on the "total price" figure. Once you have the "total price" you'll know it is possible to fly for this figure so long as you use a pre-pay Mastercard (avoiding £12 debit and credit card fees) and don't buy any extras such as priority boarding. This "total price" includes small carry-on luggage and assistance if you have mobility problems; you will have to pay more if you want to put a suitcase in the hold.

There are other things you can do to keep costs down. If you can't fit all your clothes in small carry-on luggage there's nothing to stop you wearing as many jumpers as you wish and stuffing your coat pockets. Many take their own food because prices on board are high.

Beware that although the authorities in the UK and Ireland allow freedom of movement (no passport needed) it's a different story on Ryanair. Take a passport. And you also need to print out your boarding card online. If you turn up at the airport without it they'll charge you £40.

Cupcake_Ems

littlewren wrote: »

Thanks dmg24, that makes sense.

Another query: while looking for flights, I see that some prices include taxes and push the price way up and other flights state 'no taxes.' I haven't a clue why this is! (I told you I knew nothing about flying! lol)

Yeah, they all have to charge tax, but only some (Easyjet and the non-budget airlines) quote it in the original price. :eek: Can't avoid this one, but some airports have cheaper taxes, so the flight is cheaper overall (Luton, Stansted, etc).

I went to Rome last summer and was looking at budget airlines but, by the time I factored in transport to and from the airport, checked luggage (or going with hand luggage and buying sunscreen on the other side!), etc, it ended up being cheaper to fly from Gatwick on BA! May be worth checking to see if that turns out to be a cheaper option!