Low Fare European Airlines
 

I am planning on booking our Inter-European travel using the low fare carriers in Europe like Easy Jet.

I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with booking these flights from the USA and if they have had problems with these airlines.

I have heard from friends that Ryan Air can be hopeless at times leaving you stranded and not caring to much about it.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with Easy Jet or other low fare airlines in Europe ?

Thanks everyone.
Chris

I'd be curious about these reports of "stranding" by RyanAir. Stranded where? At the airport, right? They don't take people out into cornfields, as far as I know.

They make it clear - - they are a point-to-point airline; they offer NO _connecting_ flights and their six "hubs" are hubs only in the sense that flights depart/arrive to/from multiple destinations there.

Because they offer such low fares, it's accept those terms or don't buy from them. Think of it like an opera house, with a lot of different auditoriums, and every seat can be sold once and only once. If one concert runs late, and you don't make it to see the second concert, well then you have to go the next night in some cases, or at least the next performance - - and yes, you will have to pay the going rate to purchase that seat since the seat you originally purchased sat empty. And yes, the programs are extra, and yes, the refreshments are extra, and yes the coat check is extra.

That's my perspective - - as a very satisfied Ryanair customer.

Best wishes,

Rex

Chris-

Here are a few recent threads about:
RyanAir
EasyJet
Buying tickets from the US

Short answer is: Most people were pleased with the budget airlines and they did not have problems buying the tickets.

RyanAir:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34483939

Easyjet:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34474463

Buying tickets from US:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34470145

We flew from Milan to Paris last September on EasyJet for a whopping $24 each, made our reservations at home on the computer, and had no problems whatsoever. The flight was on-time and comfortable. Would definitely use them again!

YK:

Thank you so much for posting the threads on Easy Jet and Ryan. They were a tremendous help.

I am not familiar with EU airline laws so dont know for sure what your rights are if a flight is cancelled. My flying experience ( and problems ) have always been USA based and I have never had a problem as I was always accomodated if a flight got cancelled which has happened numerous times.

Recently a client of mine who flies weekly out of the UK had a flight from Milan back to the UK on Ryan air and the flight got cancelled and they simply left her hanging. She along with a couple oither passengers rented a car and drove to another airport to get a flight back home.

I enjoy the low fare airlines and the level of service they offer but would not enjoy being stranded in a strange country.

I will surely book Easy Jet for my travels this fall as it looks like a great way to save money. Thanks for everyones input and advice.

Chris

Ryanair recommends that passengers get travel insurance (and sells insurance for UK and Ireland-based customers). My understanding (although I haven't looked into it) is that this insurance would cover expenses related to a delay or cancellation.

People on this side of the pond cannot buy Ryanair's insurance, but we do have other insurance options that might be worth considering as part of a total protection plan for our European trips. It's something to look into should you be worried.

My philosophy so far has been like this:
I will only book low-cost flights where I am not desperately pressed for time to catch the next flight (leave at least an overnight).
I will investigate other, inconvenient methods of transport I can use if worst comes to worst (long bus rides, etc.)
And I also do have insurance.

So far, in my limited experience, I'm extremely happy with Ryanair.

My husband lived in England for the past 2 consecutive summers and we used Go (now owned by British Airways) and Ryan Air with no problems whatsoever. On a different travel forum I had read several negative reports re: Ryan Air and was concerned but those concerns never materialized. I would not hesitate to use either.

I have been flying Ryanair for years with little problem. The only time it was difficult was when on flight was late and I had to make it to my other Ryanair connection. If I did not make it it was my tough luck and I would have to buy a new flight. Luckily I made it. Much of the press about them seems exaggerated. Its cheap and cheerful and gets you there for a lot less.

Go was bought by EasyJet about a year ago. I believe it's fully integated into the EasyJet system by now.