Originally Posted by
craigthemif
Yes, Ryanair splits up parties if you don't pay for seats. Even when travelling with your children.
Is it mean? Definitely. Is it dumb to fly Ryanair nonetheless? Definitely...
However Ryanair has built a very profitable business off of people forgetting all of the downsides (or extra charges) when offered a cheap-looking flight or the only direct routing. This doesn't bother me because the competition helps keep fares lower on those airlines I do choose to fly with.
I also try to avoid Ryanair if there's a reasonable competitive alternative, but sometimes that doesn't exist. Ryanair can be extremely cheap and add-ons that you likely will need -- like a full-size carry-on or a checked bag -- are not outrageously priced. I will say that more customer-friendly policies -- like seating parties together when they can -- would make me more likely to choose them.