It seems FTers don't generally use Ryanair very often, if at all. Just for information: 134 sectors so far this year, of which 26 with Ryanair and (for comparison) 43 with bmi, 10 with BA. I also spent two years commuting weekly from PIK to STN with FR.

Ryanair are: reliable & cheap. They are not: a full-service airline.

Up to, say, 75~90 minutes I would prefer FR to BA or BD. Why?

1. Price. Don't sweat the small stuff of how they charge - look at the real price. At least nine times out of ten, it will be cheaper to fly FR
2. Food. I don't want a small, foil tin of slop put in front of me called "traditional breakfast", I don't need a nasty sandwich. I like to just buy what I fancy eating - a sarnie, a choccy bar, whatever. I don't mind being stiffed on the price because I saved on the ticket price. £100 is a lot of money for BA or BD food (and that's in economy)
3. Reliability. FR are VERY reliable (mainly because they don't use busy airports like LHR?)
4. Seating. For £3 I get priority boarding. That gets me an aisle seat at or very near the front of the plane

Perhaps it's just confidence - I don't need an ageing trolly-dolly simpering at me to feel worthwhile