Beware of Visa issues and overbooking of special offers! (Ryanair)

Member Name: phelanm2

Product:	Ryanair
Date:	13/05/09 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap Cheap Cheap

Disadvantages: Queuing - lack of space

I have travelled with Ryanair for years as it is a cheap no frills way to get around. I really would only use it for short flights though.
I travelled to Ireland this weekend and I have one warning for anyone who may need a Visa checked.
It is now costing about £50 if you want to check a bag and check in at the airport so we booked online. They are extremely strict about only have one piece of hand luggage though.
I was with two Americans who actually ended up missing their flights because they were not told they needed to have a visa checked (they live in the UK at the moment). They were allowed all the way to the boarding gate before beingin told that they should have had their online boarding pass checked at the gate! In the end they missed the flight and ryanair took no responsilibility even though they never told them they required this stamp.

Another thing to watch are the Ryanair cheap flight offers. It seems that they allow a lot more people book than they can actually fit on the flight. I booked two flights to barcelona for £10 each. Two days later I received an email saying the flight was full but I could get my money back.

This happened in January and I am still waiting for a refund!!

Summary: Make sure you get Visa checked in advance if you check in online. Careful of cheap flight offers!