UPDATE - Looking For A Cheap Fare? (Ryanair)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Ryanair
Date:	30/03/01 (1108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very cheap.

Disadvantages: See opinion

UPDATE at end of the original opinion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ ~ Ryanair are an Irish company, started here in Dublin back in 1985 by Irish entrepreneur Dr. Tony Ryan.
There first ever route was a daily flight from Waterford airport to London Gatwick, using a tiny fifteen seater propeller aircraft.
Dr. Ryan wanted to fly from the capital Dublin, but the state carrier, Aer Lingus, along with the British company British Airways, had a monopoly on most of the UK routes at that time, which was guarded very jealously.

~ ~ What this monopoly meant for air travellers, off course, was that they invariably paid way over the odds for their flights, whether to the UK or anywhere else.
I remember one occasion in the early 1980’s when I had to get to Scotland and back very quickly. An old aunt had died, and I was under heavy business pressure.
Cheapest flight I could get was over £260 return from Aer Lingus, so I ended up taking the ferry and driving. I was nearly a basket case with the tiredness by the time I got home to Dublin!!!

~ ~ In 1986 Ryanair “broke” this monopoly situation forever, when they started scheduled flights from Dublin to London for the then unheard of price of only £94.99 return. Aer Lingus at the time were charging £209 for the same route.
Since that time the air fares between Dublin and the UK have dropped like a stone, and I’m sure many of you reading are only too aware of the great “bargain deals” that Ryanair now offer to anyone from the UK flying to Ireland. I’ve heard of return tickets for £9 !!!!!!
Every other carrier had to then come into line in order to survive, and the day of the cheap airfare had arrived.

~ ~ The service they offer the consumer is basic, and don’t expect too many fancy extras or frills. But their fleet of jets is new and modern, and they have never (to my knowledge) been involved in any accident.
The reason
the company is so successful is that they offer what most people on a short haul flight want. To get there cheaply and quickly.

~ ~ Many other companies have since started up and are cashing in on the low air fares bonanza.
But Ryanair are now firmly established as Europe’s largest economy carriers, and have expanded their operations all over the UK and the Continent, using the same low fares formula that proved so successful in breaking the monopoly in the Irish market to challenge extortionate air fares on many other routes.
They now cover most of the major countries in Europe, and are not content to sit on their laurels, but are continually trying to break into new areas and markets.

~ ~ If you have been living on another planet and are still unaware of the great bargains that can be had from this company, then I suggest that you check out their most comprehensive web site at www.Ryanair.com .
Ryanair are now a “ticketless” airline, and simply give you a booking reference over the Web, that you then quote on your arrival at check in at the airport.

~ ~ Fair play to Dr. Tony Ryan and his amazing vision for leading the way, and for helping to bring price of air travel within the reach of most ordinary people.

~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE 8/1/2002

~ ~ Since I wrote my original opinion in March, 2001, the sh*t has really hit the fan in the airline industry here in Ireland.
The National Carrier, Aer Lingus, got into severe financial difficulties, which were heightened by the terrorist act in new York on September, 11th. (A large proportion of their profit came from the USA market)
The Government approached the EU seeking permission to make a cash injection to "bail out" Aer Lingus, and were refused under the European fair competition legislation.
Ryanair were at the forefront of the protest, stating that if they could continue to make profit in the reduced market con
ditions, then why couldn't Aer Lingus achieve the same.
Ryanair are also pressing the Irish Government very hard to reduce even further the landing fees charged at Dublin Airport. So far they have managed to get some small concessions in this regard, but in reality, what they actually want to do is to commercially develop a second airport at Baldonnel on the south side of the city, which has a large runway capacity, but is currently only used by the Irish Air Force (which is practically non-existent!) and Government jets.
If they are ultimately successful in this venture, then look out for even cheaper fares than at present from this go ahead airline.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary: