MSE News: Ryanair 'sticks two fingers up at passengers' with new card fees

Bob_the_Saver

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

You are assuming that the next batch of tickets you buy will be less than 50 quid.
What is the minimum top up allowed by Ryanair and how instant is it?
Beware of accidentally going a quid overdrawn.
[I'm not a regular user of Ryanair, but I would guess that most transactions are for more than only 2 tickets . I have a friend whose wife is from mainland Europe, their trips to her homeland are almost always into three figures for the 4 tickets]

I've got 8 Ryanair flights in the next 3 weeks, all were under a tenner, typical prices for me. The cheapest was £6 all in.

I can't go overdrawn with my pre-paid card.

NFH

Maybe everyone booking a Ryanair flight should get the new card, top up by the minimum £150, pay for the flight, and then cancel the card and get a refund within the initial cooling off period. This would leave the customer with no additional fees to pay and cost Ryanair a lot in admin. Maybe Ryanair would then realise that it's more efficient for them to allow debit cards as a free payment method, which after all only cost them 20p per transaction to accept.

shirlsky

I am disappointed that RyanAir is changing their fee payment options again. The new card seems to charge for using it whereas my Escape card does not. I know there is an introductory period where there are no transactions fees but the minimum load is quite high. Not everyone can afford to have amounts of money sitting on a card just to buy RyanAir flights.

I fly with RA a lot. It is almost always the cheapest option. Sometimes easyJet are cheaper. I must be easily pleased as the scrum for seats does not bother me. I am usually asleep or listening to my mp3 player so the scratch card and electronic cigarette selling does not bother me. As long as I can get to A to B in one piece and at a best possible price then I am an happy.

Looks like I will have another card to add to my collection

ic

palmretreat wrote: »

With the new Ryanair pre-paid card lauched Oct 4th - READ THE SMALL PRINT on their new card page - you can only top up £100 each time and the said '£6.00' saving per flight IS CHARGED on the onset, but REFUNDED in VOUCHERS. Vouchers means Ryan Air vouchers that have to be spent to the full as NO REFUND is given - eg. Flight costing £20.99 you would have to cash in the nearest to that in vouchers - £25 and LOSS £4.01. So who's been fleeced here - us again. This card is not what it seems, READ the VOUCHER details on their home page. :mad:

Where is this page for the card you're talking about? As far as I can see its just the press release here that describes the card: http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/ryanair-launches-branded-prepaid-mastercard. Here they say there is a one-off £6 fee charged for getting the card in the first place, which is refunded as a voucher (granted, it'll probably take a while to turn up). Any flights subsequently bought using the new card then won't get charged the £6 each way admin fee. So presumably, you'll be able to buy the card, and then use it and the £6 voucher you get to buy a flight - and effectively not be charged anything extra for doing so.

They've just confused matters by making all the different fees and vouchers each be £6.

Jet48

I've travelled Ryanair many times and whilst I do feel its like boarding a cattle truck have no complaints about their service and flights being on time. I have jumped through the hoops as many other people have first with electron card and then with prr paid card. On the routes I travel most they don't tend to offer the really cheap deals and difference between choosing to travel with them and other airlines is negligble. The other airlines offer pre allocated seats,decent meals onboard at modest prices & cheaper hold luggage. In the main Ryanair prices and extras have gradually crept up in comparison to other airlines and this latest move is a step to far. I for one will be voting with my feet in future and not travel with Ryanair. I only hope that many more people do this so that Ryanair ends this farce with their fare prices.

antenna

Jet48 wrote: »

I've travelled Ryanair many times and whilst I do feel its like boarding a cattle truck have no complaints about their service and flights being on time. I have jumped through the hoops as many other people have first with electron card and then with prr paid card. On the routes I travel most they don't tend to offer the really cheap deals and difference between choosing to travel with them and other airlines is negligble. The other airlines offer pre allocated seats,decent meals onboard at modest prices & cheaper hold luggage. In the main Ryanair prices and extras have gradually crept up in comparison to other airlines and this latest move is a step to far. I for one will be voting with my feet in future and not travel with Ryanair. I only hope that many more people do this so that Ryanair ends this farce with their fare prices.

Principles my @rse.....when reality bites with other airlines prices...........you will soon be back.......unless you have more money than sense?

gowgowuk

shirlsky wrote: »

I must be easily pleased as the scrum for seats does not bother me.

I have to say I never understood this need for people to stand queuing for as long as half an hour in advance before the actual boarding. For people wanting to sit together fair enough, but there's also a lot of single travelers.... I usually stay on my seat, reading my book, until there's no queue anymore, then I board and I find a seat usually very very near the door, therefore I'm one of the first one out of the plane at the arrival... So, overall, it's even faster then with an allocated seat airline...

Louisdf

gowgowuk wrote: »

I have to say I never understood this need for people to stand queuing for as long as half an hour in advance before the actual boarding. For people wanting to sit together fair enough, but there's also a lot of single travelers.... I usually stay on my seat, reading my book, until there's no queue anymore, then I board and I find a seat usually very very near the door, therefore I'm one of the first one out of the plane at the arrival... So, overall, it's even faster then with an allocated seat airline...

I am one of those people for a very simple reason. With Ryanair, almost everyone takes the maximum cabin luggage as possible. So, the space in overhead lockers is quickly taken up. If there is no space near to you, you will either have to put it in a locker 20 seats behind you or put it under your seat. If it won't fit, a Cabin crew member will take it off you and put it in the hold. If the bag/contents are damaged or stolen, you will not be covered by your travel insurance as valuables and electronics are supposed to be carried in hand baggage. And we all know that Ryanair will NOT offer a dime in compensation! So I would rather queue for 20-30 minutes then get my laptop smashed in the hold, and risk the prospect of arriving without any clothes.

gowgowuk

Louisdf wrote: »

I am one of those people for a very simple reason. With Ryanair, almost everyone takes the maximum cabin luggage as possible. So, the space in overhead lockers is quickly taken up. If there is no space near to you, you will either have to put it in a locker 20 seats behind you or put it under your seat. If it won't fit, a Cabin crew member will take it off you and put it in the hold. If the bag/contents are damaged or stolen, you will not be covered by your travel insurance as valuables and electronics are supposed to be carried in hand baggage. And we all know that Ryanair will NOT offer a dime in compensation! So I would rather queue for 20-30 minutes then get my laptop smashed in the hold, and risk the prospect of arriving without any clothes.

ah ok. Fair enough! Personally, I always manage to put my bag under the seat in front of me (even with a laptop in it) , but I have fairly short legs!

Louisdf

See this report from a very dissatisfied customer here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/aug/08/ryanair-luggage-check-in-theft

Ryanair won't give a damn.