Ryanair Making it Even Harder to Avoid Card Fees
Sep 13, 2011, 12:57 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: LGW, LHR, CGN
Posts: 118
Ryanair Making it Even Harder to Avoid Card Fees
Just had this land in my inbox:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/new...r-card-charges
I must admit I've not flown Ryanair for a fair while (I've found that on the routes I usually use, traditional airlines work out just as cheap once all the fees have been added on). Stuff like this is making them even less attractive
Ryanair, already the king of added fees, is about to change its rules to make it even harder for customers to book flights at its advertised price.
It currently charges customers £6 per person each way (£48 for a family of four return) just for the priviledge of paying.
It only gets away with this not counting as a compulsory part of the price as prepaid Mastercard customers can pay for free. But from 1 November, only those who pay with its own new plastic will get away charge-free.
It currently charges customers £6 per person each way (£48 for a family of four return) just for the priviledge of paying.
It only gets away with this not counting as a compulsory part of the price as prepaid Mastercard customers can pay for free. But from 1 November, only those who pay with its own new plastic will get away charge-free.
I must admit I've not flown Ryanair for a fair while (I've found that on the routes I usually use, traditional airlines work out just as cheap once all the fees have been added on). Stuff like this is making them even less attractive
Sep 14, 2011, 3:55 am
#2
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Piedmont, Italy; Cheshire, UK
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 389
On occasion (but not always) they can represent good value - but this is the very last straw!
I used to use them a lot (20 return flights or so a year) but have voted with my feet and haven't flown with them for over two years.
I will never fly Ryanair again - ever!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I used to use them a lot (20 return flights or so a year) but have voted with my feet and haven't flown with them for over two years.
I will never fly Ryanair again - ever!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Sep 14, 2011, 8:23 am
#4
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
I think it's the idea that you can fly for a few pence, and if your plans change you can just throw away the ticket and not lose any money.
Of course the catch is that if you don't know/follow the rules you can get royally shafted
And no, I have not flown Air Greyhound either
EmailKid
Of course the catch is that if you don't know/follow the rules you can get royally shafted
And no, I have not flown Air Greyhound either
EmailKid
Sep 14, 2011, 9:51 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
Worth noting this is only really relevant to those who are UK-based, as it applies to Ryanair flights out of the UK (including return flights). For those based elsewhere in Europe, then by using any Mastercard Prepaid card they can continue to avoid the absurd payment card surcharges (for the time being at least!).
For those (UK based or not) who never had a Mastercard Prepaid card in the first place, then there's no change here - you already get hit with the "administration fee" (£6 or €6) for card payments on a per-passenger, per-flight basis.
Rather, it's just a change in the 'free' payment method for flights originating from the UK (the 'free' payment method is changing from any Mastercard Prepaid card, to only being Ryanair's new own-brand Mastercard Prepaid card).
The UK's Office of Fair Trading (a quango) recently recommended to the government that they change the law in order to ban surcharges for debit card payments -however the government hasn't committed to this yet, and Ryanair might be able to avoid such a law anyway by dint of being an Irish (rather than UK) company.
They're often cheaper than other airlines, sometimes by a significant margin, even when taking into account the absurd payment card surcharges (for using a non-'free' payment method). That's the appeal.
Baggage fees might erode this price advantage - but lots of Europeans have got used to travelling with just hand luggage thus avoiding these fees - the majority of passengers on Ryanair flights will only be taking hand luggage with them (though this will differ between summer and winter of course).
Ryanair aren't quite in the business of offering flights for a few pence these days though - the rolling special offer fares are now more in the region of £10 / €15.
For those (UK based or not) who never had a Mastercard Prepaid card in the first place, then there's no change here - you already get hit with the "administration fee" (£6 or €6) for card payments on a per-passenger, per-flight basis.
Rather, it's just a change in the 'free' payment method for flights originating from the UK (the 'free' payment method is changing from any Mastercard Prepaid card, to only being Ryanair's new own-brand Mastercard Prepaid card).
The UK's Office of Fair Trading (a quango) recently recommended to the government that they change the law in order to ban surcharges for debit card payments -however the government hasn't committed to this yet, and Ryanair might be able to avoid such a law anyway by dint of being an Irish (rather than UK) company.
Baggage fees might erode this price advantage - but lots of Europeans have got used to travelling with just hand luggage thus avoiding these fees - the majority of passengers on Ryanair flights will only be taking hand luggage with them (though this will differ between summer and winter of course).
Ryanair aren't quite in the business of offering flights for a few pence these days though - the rolling special offer fares are now more in the region of £10 / €15.
Sep 14, 2011, 2:22 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: BAEC Blue
Posts: 9
As long as Ryanair is much cheaper and I don't have to change planes
Yes I don't mind the Ryanair ways as long as the overall charge is much cheaper than the legacy carriers. My next trip is under £70 on Ryanair. A well known legacy carrier wanted over £200 (that included being routed via LHR
).
).
Sep 15, 2011, 6:00 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Loftus Road UK
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; BA GGL; Virgin Gold; United Silver; Hilton Dia; IHG Spire; Marriott Tit; Hertz PC
Posts: 337
They're often cheaper than other airlines, sometimes by a significant margin, even when taking into account the absurd payment card surcharges (for using a non-'free' payment method). That's the appeal.
Baggage fees might erode this price advantage - but lots of Europeans have got used to travelling with just hand luggage thus avoiding these fees - the majority of passengers on Ryanair flights will only be taking hand luggage with them (though this will differ between summer and winter of course).
Ryanair aren't quite in the business of offering flights for a few pence these days though - the rolling special offer fares are now more in the region of £10 / €15.
Baggage fees might erode this price advantage - but lots of Europeans have got used to travelling with just hand luggage thus avoiding these fees - the majority of passengers on Ryanair flights will only be taking hand luggage with them (though this will differ between summer and winter of course).
Ryanair aren't quite in the business of offering flights for a few pence these days though - the rolling special offer fares are now more in the region of £10 / €15.
Sep 16, 2011, 2:12 am
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,605
Worth noting this is only really relevant to those who are UK-based, as it applies to Ryanair flights out of the UK (including return flights). For those based elsewhere in Europe, then by using any Mastercard Prepaid card they can continue to avoid the absurd payment card surcharges (for the time being at least!).
Sep 16, 2011, 2:39 am
#9
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Piedmont, Italy; Cheshire, UK
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 389
Sep 16, 2011, 3:54 am
#10
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,605
Sep 16, 2011, 5:06 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Loftus Road UK
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; BA GGL; Virgin Gold; United Silver; Hilton Dia; IHG Spire; Marriott Tit; Hertz PC
Posts: 337
Sep 16, 2011, 3:04 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Aeroplan Former E
Posts: 1,022
+1 - if you are fortunate to have a choice of airlines, then do the maths for not just the flight / extras costs, but also the costs / time of getting to and from your departure & destination airports - this can work both ways depending where you live and where you're going on to.