And you know, Ryanair isn't that bad! I fork out the £3 per sector for Priority boarding, then make a beeline for 2E.
Chances are if the flight isn't heaving nobody will sit next to me, and if they do, I just move to the aisle/window. Kinda feels like a private cabin as Ryanair have a policy of not putting anyone in rows 3-4 (anyone know why?) The FA's are overworked but if you smile and banter, generally they're quite friendly. Plus as long as I know my plans in advance, I usually only pay a tenner for a flight EDI-PSA.