Well, my latest Ryanair experience was last week. Was struggling to get to CPH (or get hotels rooms there) due to Eurovision traffic, and was out of London, so took a rather creative route of flying EMA-SXF then getting the sleeper train from there.

Started off well. Transport to airport was good, airport was cramped but remarkably efficient, didn't get into trouble with my carry-on, and they allow airport-purchased goods to be taken as an additional carry-on allowance at EMA.

I'd pre-purchased a seat assignment (1A) which gets you priority boarding thrown in. This was well run. The senior crew member did a good job of directing people to the correct seats, and also ensured that locker space was reserved for the front reserved rows. All very good. I was the only one in my row, and you get a great view up front and pretty much unlimited legroom. The aircraft was clean and decent.

So, we landed at SXF early and got that awful fanfare. Then the fun started. Naturally, disembarkation was from the air stairs. We stood waiting to leave, but then suddenly, the senior FA started shouting into the intercom. It seems the junior FA at the rear steps had let passengers off without the dispatcher's say-so. Cue frantic waving, and half a dozen passengers walking to a closed terminal. Lots of tutting.

Everything else was fine - passport control took seconds, we had stands that appeared to be attached to the terminal by a very temporary looking walkway, but that's no big surprise, and the station was a convenient 5-minute walk away. Was at Berlin Hbf less than an hour after touchdown.

So, a typical Ryanair experience for me - a pleasant surprise, followed by a reminder of what can happen when you're that cheap.