Hi all,

I just can't decide so I have come to ask for advice. Any and all is appreciated.

We are a couple aged 50 traveling in mid-January from a city in Germany to an area in Spain. We will travel with one smaller carryon each plus one 20-21" roller suitcase. (For reference, we will not check anything for our international flights) Here's the comparison:

Ryanair - I figured on the 20kg checked luggage allowance for each of us, online check in and credit card admin fee. Flight comes to about $75 pp. The flight is non-stop and will get us on the ground 3 hours earlier. Total flight time is about 3:00.

Air Berlin - Flight is $105 pp and makes a one hour stop at PMI. Total flight time is about 4:50.

I am tempted to take the Ryanair flight, but I have never flown them and have concerns about luggage and possible cancellation. The price of the Ryanair flight has gone down by a few Euros in the past week or so.

By the way, the actual arrival cities are different, but for the purposes of this discussion, I would like to leave those issues out of the mix.

The money, obviously, is not a big issue. It's the flight time. This flight will come directly in the middle of a very short Europe trip - we have 4 nights in Germany prior to the flight and 4 nights in Spain after the flight.

So what would you do?
Thanks again,
H

It's quicker, it's cheaper, you read and understood about the luggage allowance and Air Berlin is more likely to cancel one of two flights than Ryanair is to cancel one.

Just remember that you'll need to have your passports checked BEFORE you drop yur bags off if you choose Ryanair as Ryanair is paranoid about non-EU passengers being refused entry to a country even though they are already "in" the country as a result of Schengen

I would suggest that you include the arrival cities in your calculation. Many discount airlines use rather remote facilities to save money, and you may spend more than your time and money savings getting to your true destination.

www.skyscanner.net good screening site with all your options.

airberlin.com big financial problems lots of complaints

now so ryanair.com better usually for me

they do tend to fly into rural airports not great

seats do not recline but leather and nice go for exits.

onebag.com pack lightly and go with them.

vueling.com does a lot in Spain might check them too.

insuremytrip.com wise Happy Travels!

Just a note that Air Berlin will be joining the Oneworld alliance next year, and are already partners with AA. That might make some difference, especially if you're already AA (or British Airways) frequent flyers.

I would also check prices on traditional carriers, who might offer more convenient airports. (You could easily eat up any savings by having to schlep from far away.)