May
2008
Because exported Guinness just isn’t the same
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This morning my wife and I are going to Dublin for two days. Santander–Dublin is one of the cheap routes provided by one of the leading “budget” airlines in Europe, Ryanair. Their web designer should be shot. What is it about selling things at a discount price that requires having a wacky waving inflatible arm flailing tube man on the roof? Gross.
Our flights cost 0.00€. Really. When we started the checkout process we owed nothing.
But then came the “taxes, fees, & charges”: 79.88€. Actually those must just be “fees & charges”, because, even with socialist Europe and its exorbitant VATs, I’m pretty sure that any percentage of 0€ is going to be zero.
But wait! We’re not done with the checkout process yet. How many bags will you be checking? That’s an additional fee for each bag. We’re going for such a short time that we chose zero checked bags.
How would you like to pay? Oooh, a credit card? That’ll be 8€ more. Debit card? 6€ more. I can’t remember what the free payment method was, but it seemed pretty rare and awkward to me. We paid with a debit card.
So in the end, our “free” round trip cost is 85.88€ in total (for both of us). Budget airlines have always confounded me. How can you take me and one carryon from Spain to Ireland for less than 22€ and make any kind of profit? I just don’t get it.
Back in a couple days…
Erik R.
Complaining, News, Travel
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I’m always baffled by that €22 question, too. Even when the cheap Ryanair flight ends up getting nickle-and-dimed up to so much higher than billed, it’s still too low to seem possible that a profit is being turned anywhere.
Have you heard the rumor that they plan to make all their flights free and make money by offering in-flight gambling? No idea how much truth there is to that one.
The free payment method no doubt involved chickens and goats. Or maybe seashells.
Just checking in from one of the two 20″ iMacs in the hotel lobby. Good day yesterday. Raining today.
Plenty of pics later, of course.
I think all public services should be free and paid for by people with gambling habits. That’d be awesome. No taxes, more lottery.
Lucky you! That’s the kind of thing you can do when you don’t have kids. And all the money you save can be used to buy lots of beer. Enjoy!
Ryanair are frequently in the news here for breaking the law with their ads. This is a classic example http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/one-in-three-people-buying–flights-online-is-ripped-off-825410.html