We are thinking of flying Rome to Paris with Ryan Air, (thanks to some info given by Steve James). How can they offer these flights sooooo cheaply (Euros 5.99!!! plus taxes)? Do all passengers have to flap their arms? Has anyone travelled with this airline, especially Rome to Paris. What was it like, etc., etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

We've flown Ryan Air our of Frankfurt-Hahn airport many times. No problem. It's just a no frills airline. There are many more than just RyanAir (German Wings, Easy Jet, HLX, Air Berlin, etc.) They have strict luggage weight restrictions and you MUST arrive well within departure or else they won't let you on the plane. I've heard a rumor that they're considering not allowing checked baggage - only lightweight carryons - probably so they can carry cargo and make some money!

Hope this helps! Go for it!

Sarah

It's not €5.99 plus tax. The lead offer (which might have been available when you posted your question, but probably isn't any more) is €5.99, to which are added tax and whatever service charges the company can dream up.

Go right through the booking process to see what the real cost is. But the airline's safety record is second to none, and its punctuality etc little different from any other European airline.

AT's - You can usually add € 15-20 to the advertised lead-in fare.

Only the first few seats are sold at that price, so the cheapest seats have probably gone now as Flanneruk says.

To get the best price with these budget airlines you have to book months in advance - the longer you wait, the more expensive it gets ...

Hope this helps ...

Steve

>Do all passengers have to flap their arms?<

You have let the cat out of the bag.

<Do all passengers have to flap their arms?>

You'll be given options. If you can dig 2 or 3 euros out of your pocket for a bottle of water, you can hold in your hand (on the aisle side), and it's perfectly acceptable to just flap one arm.

I have flown Ryanair five times, and I love them. Rotator cuff injury and all.

Best wishes,

Rex

You tend to get cheaper seats if you book early with Ryanair or EasyJet, but often the prices drop when there are sales too. However, it's usually wiser to book earlier anyway, because the sales are brief and unpredictable. There are lots of taxes and fees on "normal" airline fares also, but it seems people notice them less if the base fare is $500 than they do if the base fare is $5.

Both RyanAir and EasyJet offer very good services for usually good prices. Be aware they that often use secondary airports which can be an hour or more from the city center, but there are always good connections in with the city.

Do not worry about flying with this airline.

We flew Ryanair from Palermo to London. It was fine, the plane left Palermo and landed in London, what more could you expect? Be prepared because it REALLY is a "no-frills" airline. Paying for food wasn't so bad, but I was sick on the plane (6 weeks pregnant) and they didn't have throw up bags! I guess those are considered a frill! The other problem was that it flew into an airport about an hour out of London. This was our fault for not properly researching but a $200 cab ride later and we were in London anyway.

Baggage limits are something to consider too. I never come close to exceeding them, but it seems that someone in the check-in line always has a very heavy suitcase, and gets dinged accordingly. I think the fee for overweight baggage is about 5 Euros per kg. But most European carriers are somewhat stricter about luggage in any event.