Priority boarding scam

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MarkF
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Postby MarkF » Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:48 pm

frank wrote: 'We had to pay extra to take hold luggage and extra to guarantee seats together. When you are travelling as a family the last thing you want is to be separated.'
That's simply not true Frank, I am 45 with three young children and the last thing I want is to sit next to my kids for three hours. :lol:

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Postby frank » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:42 am

That's understandable, so you long as you don't park them in the seats next to me! :D
Mark F, I'm with you, I've been championing the low cost airlines here for ages. As I said, it was a quote taken from another site. It's never been cheaper! :D
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Wicksey
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Postby Wicksey » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:12 pm

My 'low cost' flight for late January, which I booked months ago, is still 122€ with all the add-ons, which isn't particularly cheap. As I say, I can't avoid the baggage charge even though it is hand-luggage size, due to the current restrictions.

MarkF
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Postby MarkF » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:13 pm

frank wrote:Mark F, I'm with you, I've been championing the low cost airlines here for ages. As I said, it was a quote taken from another site. It's never been cheaper! :D
Yes Frank, they are a great facility. They can be a hassle at times when booking and working out add-ons and baggage allowances etc But I have yet to be disappointed with the prices I've paid or the service I've received from Ryanair, Easyjet or Jet2 and prior to that I used Debonair (remember them) from Luton. Yes, I've been delayed, yes, I've been in the mad scamble for seats but it's not a tragedy, things happen, it all depends on whether you are a half full or half empty glass person IMO.

The low cost carriers are a god send for people like me with a few sprogs and I'd rather sit next to them than some sour faced scrooge whining about the trivialities of priority boarding, what a nightmare flight that would be :lol:

MarkF
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Postby MarkF » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:19 pm

Wicksey wrote:My 'low cost' flight for late January, which I booked months ago, is still 122€ with all the add-ons, which isn't particularly cheap. As I say, I can't avoid the baggage charge even though it is hand-luggage size, due to the current restrictions.
What? Sounds cheap to me I've just paid £40 to travel a 30 mile return trip on the train! :roll:

Please explain how 122 measly euros for an international flight is not cheap. Oh, and tell me the price that you would be happy with and how that price would make the flight viable.

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Postby sheilap » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:05 pm

just checked train from London to Edinburgh £132 :? flight price £43 :D flights for me all the time

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Postby frank » Sun Dec 09, 2007 3:40 pm

MarkF wrote: I've been in the mad scamble for seats but it's not a tragedy, things happen, it all depends on whether you are a half full or half empty glass person IMO.
My only option is BmiBaby, and I'm pleased to say they do allocated seats, so no mad scramble! :D We normally ask for 2 aisle seats(but not really fussy where we sit) and only once have we failed to get them. And out of dozens of flights, I can only remember one real delay of about an hour. A few 20 minutes late taking off etc, but nothing serious. Only one real problem, flying out of Málaga, the plane was overweight, so they decided to leave one of our cases behind. Inconvenient, but we were reunited with the case a couple of days later.
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Wicksey
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Postby Wicksey » Sun Dec 09, 2007 3:43 pm

MarkF wrote:
Wicksey wrote: What? Sounds cheap to me I've just paid £40 to travel a 30 mile return trip on the train! :roll:
Ahhhhh yes .......... but that's English prices :roll: . I live here in euroland and many of my friends who travel back to the UK on a regular basis seem to be able to get flights for a lot less than me. I do remember, before I lived here, there was little more than one flight a week in the winter from Stansted and that it was really expensive. Of course the low cost flights are cheaper than they've ever been , but some companies still seem to be misleading in their advertising. Surprisingly, BA have started doing some low cost fares, and I like their site as you immediately see the total cost of the flight you're interested in. I have found them comparable to Easyjet on some ocassions.

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Postby MarkF » Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:18 pm

frank wrote:Only one real problem, flying out of Málaga, the plane was overweight, so they decided to leave one of our cases behind.
:shock: What was in your case Frank? :lol:

Wicksey, your 122 euro flight is bloody cheap, a veritable bargain in fact. Let's try euroland prices for you :roll:, I paid 40 euros on a train, Gijon to Santander and thought that was an amazing deal so 122 euros for an international flight....... you don't know how lucky you are. :wink:

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Wicksey
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Postby Wicksey » Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:33 pm

MarkF you can't really compare flights prices to train fares - just look at how cheap you can fly to the USA. As Sheilap says, the trains fares are proportionally more even within the UK. I'm only saying that I know of plenty of friends who seem to get their flights for 50 pounds return or less from the UK to Spain ..... that's all :?

BTW Frank, I'm flying BMibaby "the airline with tiny fares" - I hope they don't turf off my case as I've only got one and I'm only there for a couple of days :wink: :lol: :lol:

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Postby MarkF » Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:28 pm

This is what you said:-
Wicksey wrote:My 'low cost' flight for late January, which I booked months ago, is still 122€ with all the add-ons, which isn't particularly cheap.
122 euros (£85?) is very, very cheap for the product that you are purchasing and what somebody has paid is not the point. :?

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Postby Grouser » Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:15 pm

Have to agree that the flights are a bargain whether you scramble for a seat or not, and for a short flight it doesn't bother me that much, though I still like to gawp out of the window. Most of our flights are with BMIbaby who allocate seats, so the situation doesn't occur. I don't really understand the thinking behind non allocation of seats though. What is the point? If it is just a hidden charge, option to make a bit more, give illusion of choice, it seems a tad pathetic. Just charge everybody a quid or so more and add that line of code. I'm sure it won't make any difference to sales.
Grouser

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karandjon
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Postby karandjon » Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:22 pm

Did anyone book any of the ryanair flights, when they were on offer a few weeks ago?
They were doing either 20GBP return (inc taxes) from UK, or €20 return (inc taxes) from Spain
This was for flights up to 31mar08

I checked some random dates and there were plenty going for those prices, and to be honest, at that price, what more do you want, then the flight itself? :lol:
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Postby wendyakemp » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:47 pm

I booked some of these for early march, its a great price but still doesn't beat the ones in july that were 1p each way with no taxes or fees,not even card fees, my hands were shaking as I booked and couldn't believe my eyes when they came out on my statement at 4p total.

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karandjon
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Postby karandjon » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:03 pm

I never saw those ones Wendy! Were they Ryanair? Did you get an email advising you beforehand? What a fantastic find!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Postby wendyakemp » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:28 pm

Yes, they were Ryanair and no, I didn't get an email. I'm on the list and don't seem to get many, my mum who has only booked once get loads but I only get the ones about bingo etc so I know i'm still on the list. I wonder if the people who use them a lot don't get as many.I have found that these good offers sometimes come up on a tuesday or thursday morning and only last a couple of hours, they then turn in to the #10 each way or whatever, in fact one day when I saw them it changed as I was searching, I thought I was seeing things as they went up in a second and the flashing front page changed as well.

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Postby anewlife » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:42 am

I've just looked at the Ryanair site and they have seats for 20€ or £20 return GRX/LPL in January. When I went to book, there was the 'usual' extras like checked baggage fee/airport fee of 18€, yet when I looked on the FAQ, there was no mention of an airport fee, just a checked baggage fee of 12€, so how did they get it to 18€???? 1 person, 1 checked baggage and before anyone says that I should do the hand luggage only, I can't because the clothes and liquid stuff I buy in the UK wouldn't go through security and the weight allowance!!

However, we should count ourselves lucky as many years ago when I worked in the travel industry, you were not allowed to buy a one way charter flight to Spain, Greece or wherever - it had to be a return. I know these days that these flights are classed as 'scheduled' flights, but in the early 90's, scheduled flights were only 'long haul' or domestic flights with BA and such. I suppose we are becoming a greedy nation wanting cheap flights all the time...

The other thing that I would like to know is that if children under 14 cannot travel alone, then why, if they are split from their parents/guardians/adults they are travelling with on the flight because they have not booked priority boarding, the airline does not seem to be bothered? If I am sat at the front of the plane and my son is sat at the back because those are the only seats available, then surely he would be classed as an unaccompanied minor? And who's to say that the person he is sat next to is not a loony??? No wise cracks please about 'you should have paid for priority boarding'. Why?? What if you are late checking in because of traffic problems and you end up at the back of the queue? I think Ryanair should revert back to checking in passengers with children under 14 first, without a priority check in charge. IF, and I say IF, something happened to that child during the flight, then who would be held responsible - the airline or the adult they were travelling with sat at the other end of the plane?

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Postby peteroldracer » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:30 am

anewlife wrote:who would be held responsible - the airline or the adult they were travelling with sat at the other end of the plane?
The parent of course - they should have trained the little *beep* over the years to behave, using rolled-up newspapers and sweeties! :evil:
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Postby Campo Kenny » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:45 am

anewlife wrote: I think Ryanair should revert back to checking in passengers with children under 14 first
:roll: No doubt eldery passengers would claim the same perk too, as would disabled people and people travelling with disabled people.
I also reckon fat people would jump on the bandwagon as well, and minority groups and assylum seekers would also claim this right under the lefty discriination laws. People with allergies would probably also have a dabble so as not to be left out

This would leave guys like me and the OH who arrive with 3 hours to spare languishing at the back of the queue whilst every Tom, *beep* and Harry breezed past us with a gloat on their faces :twisted:

Sod that, if there are no alocated seats then it's each man for himself I'd assume.............or at least thats what I'd expect if I flew on one of these airlines.

I just pay a few bob more (although often less) and make sure I know where I'm sitting :idea:

Kenny

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Postby fizzbang » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:24 pm

*Sighs*, I suppose I am going to have to accept it..no more mr nice guy on these flights...time to use my 6ft frame to it's max..If I have to suffer squashed seating..then I am going to take a few down on route..old, kids and infirm..you better be wearing body armour on 21st Dec, cos you are going to be eating tarmac when we begin the charge. :evil:


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