Exactly. There's more than one, just like Stansted.Please do, which in this thread means discussing easyJet and Ryanair.

Not even a debate- Easyjet!

We just used Easyjet a couple of weeks ago for Paris-Orly to Venice then Venice to Rome-FCO during our spring break trip to Europe. Easyjet offered very cheap fares compared to the majors on these routes, even when adding in the baggage fees and credit card fee to the Easyjet base fare.

Check-in starts two hours before departure. Not a moment before. And there's no advantage to checking in early other than to avoid the long lines that can form.

You get one carry-on bag with size restrictions but it isn't subject to weight restrictions. If you can lift it up into the overhead you can travel with it. The one carry-on rule was strictly enforced during Paris and Venice boarding.

While it is open seating on Easyjet, just like Southwest Airlines, that's where the comparison ends. Easyjet boarding is a free-for-all (unless you purchase the priority boarding option which, as others have mentioned, only really works at stations where you board through jetways - Paris Orly, yes. Venice, you take a bus. Rome FCO, you take a bus.) However at both VCE and FCO we did board and deplane through the front and rear doors of the aircraft. And on the VCE-FCO route we ended up boarding last on a full flight and all three of us still got either an aisle or window seat (albeit widely seperated but so what).

Oh yeah, the seats. Seat pitch is about 12 inches (just kidding, but it is likely the smallest I've ever sat in on an Airbus). And the seats do not recline.

On-board staff was friendly enough. Everything is buy-on-board; absolutely nothing is comped, not even water. Again, that's OK as I knew that going in.

No charge to use the head.

I'd use Easyjet again if I needed a low fare within Europe and the flight wasn't more than 90 minutes or so. They got us safely where we needed to go at a reasonable rate with no surprise fees (everything is spelled out on the website).

EasyJet every time - we avoid Ryanair if at all possible!:eek:

Easyjet. I end up getting suckered into a 40 euro round trip SVQ-HHN every year with RyanAir and hate myself when I get off the flight.

I wish everybody would stop slamming Ryan Air. I have two RyanAir flights booked for this summer and it's not helping to read everybody trashing this airline. What about the folks who have flights with RyanAir in the future? Isn't this being mean? How about some NICE RyanAir commentary? There's gotta be SOMETHING nice about RyanAir customer service. The way people make it sound, it's almost like I should expect to be horrified when I fly RyanAir this summer. Say something nice about RyanAir for a change. Surely, SOMEBODY has something positive to say about RyanAir customer treatment....

For the fleet the number of takeoffs = number of landings. Sleep well :)

No there isn't. If O'Leary could find some way to charge for it you'd get customer service. As even he hasn't managed that (yet) it's a case of "never mind the quality, feel the width"

All my Ryanair flights have been totally non-eventful. No excitement with passengers, crew, pilots, landing, luggage, or anything.

Thanks Silver Fox & WillTravel---you two have shown compassion for my upcoming experience with RyanAir. I don't want to, on that day, board the RyanAir flight with my head down in a depressed state of mind, expecting to fly on a nightmare. I would do the same for you. Incidentally, would anyone say that RyanAir is a notch up from Spirit Airlines?

I have never heard of Spit Airlines but they are better than RyanAir. :D

That's Spirit Airlines, and they are pretty bad. A fellow co-worker flew with them, and after his trip report the boss banned them as a carrier for our company FOREVER :eek:

These would be the folks who want to start charging for carry on luggage.

EmailKid

SHHHHHHHHH!!! Don't give MOL ideas!!

Seriously, one of the most stressful parts of flying Ryanair is the boarding scrum, but I can honestly say hand on heart, that the pilots are very competent and the aircraft in good technical working order.

I know, I was being a little naughty ;)

Probably on par with Spirit. One piece of advice, make sure your carry on fits within the exact dimensions listed, as well as your check in. They make passengers remove items from their luggage to meet the 15 kg requirement (one person was at 15.5, and they still made her remove items). Then when one goes to the gate they gate check dimensions and weight--making people check in those items. 20 euros per kilo over, bro, 20 euros per kilo over. On board the constant announcements for food and lottery tickets and whatnot is enough to drive one bonkers. Bring your NC headphones!