Why Ryanair still gives good value

Ryanair's latest fee hikes are likely to leave customers more disgruntled than ever. However, there are still some cases where this budget airline is best...

Budget airlines have been pushing the boundaries of cheap travel for years. But while 1p fares and freebies provide good publicity, some airlines have been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Budget bad boy Michael O'Leary has received particular notoriety for his publicity stunts and brazenness, and during his latest announcement, the Ryanair boss recently suggested the airline may start charging a pound for flyers needing to 'spend a penny' on board.

In addition, Ryanair's latest fee shake-up means from 1st May, the airline will charge all travellers a £5 web check-in fee - regardless of whether they have hold luggage or not.

Airport check in fees have gone up to £10 per one way flight, and will double to £20 from 1st May. That's an extra £40 (on any return flight) just to check-in one bag at the airport.

What's more, the airline plans to scrap check-in desks altogether from 1st October in favour of a 100% web operation. Anyone wishing to check in a bag after this date will have to use the airport bag drop desks.

But despite all the controversy and headlines, how does Ryanair shape up when it comes down to the numbers?

Ryanair vs. easyJet

Competitor easyJet has a quiet ride in the press recently. Though it also charges baggage and debit/credit handling fees, it hasn't had quite the same amount of flak as its Irish rival.

Why is this - and how do the two airlines compare?

Here's a breakdown of the costs of a return flight to three top destinations in Europe, checking in one bag at the airport and paying by debit card:

Search was conducted 19th March 2009. Prices subject to change.

Despite the expensive extras, Ryanair still comes top in terms of price for two out of the three destinations I looked at.

But the Barcelona fare is a good example of why Ryanair gets so much flak than from its customers. At first glance, Ryanair's fare of £61.43 looks almost £20 cheaper than the easyJet fare of £80.91. But by the time you add on the unavoidable £40 check-in fee, plus the £9.50 charge for paying by debit card, you see that travelling by Ryanair actually costs £15 more than travelling by easyJet. Unless you know about these fees beforehand, you cannot compare the prices accurately.

Of course, if you only have hand luggage, flying with Ryanair becomes much cheaper, because you shave £40 off the price by ditching that hold luggage and checking in online.

A question of payment

The other controversial charge both Ryanair and easyJet levy is card payment fees (as shown in the table above). However, both airlines don't charge any extra fees if you pay by Visa Electron.

So how can you get your hands on one of these babies?

Of the major banks, only Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Abbey issue Visa Electron cards. Even then, these cards are generally only available to those starting out in the credit world, or people with a more chequered credit record.

Plus, you may only be able to replace your existing Visa card with the Electron, which not all retailers accept, or open a specific bank account, both causing you more hassle along the way.

Still, if you fly regularly, it may be worth asking if you can have a Visa Electron card alongside your existing card - it could save you a small fortune in the long run.

Then again, as Visa Electron is not a credit card, you're not protected under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. So if either company went bust, you'd find it more difficult to reclaim the cost of your flight (as many Zoom passengers found to their peril last year). While easyJet and Ryanair seem to me extremely unlikely to go bust, are you prepared to take this risk to save yourself a few quid?

Location, location, location

Another important thing to bear in mind is location. Budget airlines often operate from and fly to more rural airports in order to save on costs, though this also varies between airlines.

While easyJet flies into Barcelona International Airport (BCN), the closet you'll get with Ryanair is Girona, located approximately 90 kms outside Barcelona.

So, while you may save money on flights, you'll probably need to fork out extra for getting to the city centre - or in some cases getting into the city itself, so make sure you take this into consideration before booking.

Punctuality is key

One good thing about Ryanair I have found on my travels is it tends to be more punctual than easyJet.

According to Flightontime, Ryanair comes top of seven budget airlines in terms of punctuality, with only 3.2% of flights more than an hour late, compared to 6.6% of easyJet flights. While punctuality may have nothing to do with price, I for one would pay more for reliability - yet another thing worth bearing in mind.

So, the case for and against Ryanair is clear. For journeys where you only carry hand luggage, and are prepared to organise your journey from A to B wholly online (Ryanair lets you check in up to two weeks in advance, meaning you could print boarding cards for both legs before you leave), Ryanair's promotional fares may still make it cheaper.

If, on the other hand you're planning a longer trip or a family getaway, you may want to look at alternatives, not just easyJet. Otherwise you could see that £5 promotional fare quickly spiral over £50...

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