Easyjet broke my bike!

hate to wade in here - but these examples pretty much outline the benefits of flying with a proper airline:

Outward Journey (w/easyjet): London Gatwick > Geneva £75 (plus £15 extra for hold luggage and for sports luggage- skis/boots)
Got to the airport 4 hours before my flight (got a lift from a mate) and tried to change flight to one of the 3 earlier flights, was told I needed to pay £50 to change, so declined..
Eventually got to the check in desk to find that the weight limit for my ski bag didn't even stretch to to the weight of one pair of skis and poles, plus my luggage was over the ridiculous 14kg limit. Ended up paying roughly £60 in excess luggage.
Was then subjected to 2.5 hours of neon easyjet livery, expensive and crap drinks/food and rude staff.

Return journey Geneva > London Gatwick (this time on Swiss Air). Cost £80 (with free sports luggage).
Again arrived early (6 hours - transfer mixup from Les Arcs) - went to the Swiss Air ticket office and enquired about changing my flight "Yes of course we can... No, there's no charge".. Checked in my luggage - they didn't even weigh my skis and because they have a proper hold luggage allowance I was well within it. No charge.
An hour later I was sitting on a nice plane, being served coffee and swiss chocolate by polite cabin staff.

So basically Easyjet was more expensive and really really really shit. Unless you get mega-early cheap flights then it's just a false economy as they'll always bleed money out of you at some other point.

And that's just Easyjet, don't even get me started on the Ryanair flight I got back from Dublin in November (not my choice - booked for me by work)

Well that's simply not true.
It used to be the case that only EU citizens could check in online , but to be fair that's most of their market.
But now anyone can, as long as they have their documents stamped.

Make up your mind.

Do you work for Ryanair or Easyjet?

Make up your mind.

Do you work for Ryanair or Easyjet?

You've blown his cover there—*double agent!

Make up your mind.

Do you work for Ryanair or Easyjet?

Ah that classic argument, someone doesn't agree with you, therefore they must be biased.

I have no personal interest in either company, I do not work for nor am I a shareholder in any airline, I'm just simply defending my point of view, which is that I prefer to use those two airlines to other airlines I have flown with like BA and Lufthansa.

Dan, after the Eurostar, Swiss air is the most enjoyable way to travel without going 1st class.

Don't ming Sleazy, fucking hate Ryan air and that smug cunt Michael Flatly that owns them and never want to give him any of my money*.

*I've been forced to fly with Ryan Air in July with my bike and it's costing me a fucking fortune, CUNTS!

if you lot love your bikes that much then you youl transport it in a proper bike box

I know a few people who work for ryanair - cabin crew and pilots and they all hate the company. Not only are they a crap airline but also bad employers!
I unfortunately have only ryanair flights available between my family and Poland.

Thinking about this.... it could be worse, they could have broken your heart... but then again... if it was me... it'd amount to the same thing.

Ah that classic argument, someone doesn't agree with you, therefore they must be biased.
I have no personal interest in either company, I do not work for nor am I a shareholder in any airline, I'm just simply defending my point of view, which is that I prefer to use those two airlines to other airlines I have flown with like BA and Lufthansa.

"I haven't got any reason not to fly with them, though it sounds like you have."

"Bingo"

You were the one that pressed me for answers as to why I didn't fly with Ryanair so stop thinking you are 'defending' anything. I'm not criticising anyone who flies budget airlines I'm saying I'm glad I don't have to (given my previous experience with them). Sheesh..

So which one do you work for?

*I've been forced to fly with Ryan Air in July with my bike and it's costing me a fucking fortune, CUNTS!

How can you be *forced *to fly Ryanair? Gun pointed at your head? Sounds unlikely.

I'm saying I'm glad I don't have to

And that's why I'm asking why. All I hear is that people hate ryanair, and don't want to fly with them, but I've yet to hear a reason behind that...

And that's why I'm asking why. All I hear is that people hate ryanair, and don't want to fly with them, but I've yet to hear a reason behind that...

Really? Yet to hear a reason?

http://www.ihateryanair.co.uk/
http://www.ryanaircampaign.org/
http://davefaq.com/Opinions/RyanAir-Sucks/
http://nobudgettravel.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/warning-ryanair-online-check-in/

How can you be *forced *to fly Ryanair? Gun pointed at your head? Sounds unlikely.

T & S Hippy

If its a works thingy.

Swissair are pretty decent, by and large. And they fly to City, which is a huge bonus. And they looked after me when my flight was cancelled. And they took my De Rosa from Geneva to London without any damage.

When EasyJet delayed me for >4 hours, and I suggested to the chap at the desk that we ought to be issued with compensation vouchers for the delay, he tried to convince me that the extra work for them to issue the vouchers would make the flight even later.

BA used to be great & would take my massive BWH bike safe at no charge. No idea what they're like now, though.

I'm not sure what the point was, now. Anyways: airlines. They're all basically evil and useless and the experience is always grim because it invariably involves an airport. And planet-raping. I'm just bitter because I spend more time in airports than on a bike these days. Bah.

T & S Hippy
If its a works thingy.

T&S?

Really? Yet to hear a reason?

http://www.ihateryanair.co.uk/
http://www.ryanaircampaign.org/
http://davefaq.com/Opinions/RyanAir-Sucks/
http://nobudgettravel.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/warning-ryanair-online-check-in/

There are always nutcases with a chip on their shoulder who have nothing better to do then complain about minor problems.

I'm not saying people don't have problems with them, but I have flown enough times without major issues that it surprises me at the negative attitude people seem to have, which is why I ask them about it. That's why I was interested in finding out your personal reason for not flying with them.

Still, even with the negative attitude they managed to become the biggest airline in the world in terms of passenger numbers, so they can't be that bad.

You're not getting it are you? Because you don't have a problem doesn't mean no one does.

Yes, bigger is better. Case in point.. McDonalds. Oh wait..

I forgot my paperwork for a ryanair flight to Berlin, no problem I think will use the Internet stations at stansted and reprint, fucking hell the printer is not working no panic I will call the number on the machine for help if the printer is not working oh shit it doesn't open until 30 minutes after my flight will have left. so at about 5:30am I go to the desk and explain all this to the person on the desk and she smirks and says that is going to cost £80 quid to replace your boarding pass, I explain that I have tried to print off but the printer is not working she says that has nothing to do with us either pay the £80 quid or don't fly. So I pay my £80 call her a cunt and vow to myself they will never get another penny of my fucking money.

You're not getting it are you? Because you don't have a problem doesn't mean no one does.

Yes, bigger is better. Case in point.. McDonalds. Oh wait..

I've got no problem with McDonalds either, but that's another issue.

And I am getting it, you have said that plenty of other people have problems with them, I get that, but that's not what I am asking, I am asking what problems you have had...

I have a problem handing over money to complete fucks.

On 2 recent trips to Marrakech and Venice the difference in price between Easyjet and BA was quite literally pennies. The real difference though was the far more user friendly flight times with BA and the inclusive food and drinks actually made them cheaper.
Also just returned from Agadir having flown with Ryanair. We booked the break 4 days before we travelled and these were the only seats we could find. £600 for 2 of us to be treated like cattle! The return flight being 4 hours long and arriving at midnight with all the cabin lights permanently left on, presumably so there was no chance of nodding off and avoiding the non stop sales pitches of drinks, food, scratch cards, more drink, duty free, more scratch cards, ad nauseum...

I have flown with Ryanair once before and will never do so again by choice.

Oh, and BA cancelled a flight on us a few years back and put us up in the Miami Hilton. I also had a bag trashed on a BA / Iberia connecting flight. The bag was a £10 market job. A courier delivered me a new £100 holdall a couple of days later and I received a cheque to cover the lost Leatherman promptly too.

T&S?

Travel and Subsistence

Ah, ok. We travel first class....

trains.

Stupid lack of international clients!

How can you be *forced *to fly Ryanair? Gun pointed at your head? Sounds unlikely.

Maybe forced is a touch strong. I'm going on a training camp with 30 others and the nearest Airport is on that is serviced by Ryan poxy air, if I fly to the next nearest I'll pay through the nose to get to the hotel as opposed to getting picked up by the hotel for free and the flights don't marry up with the Ryan air ones that everyone else is taking.
I did look long and hard at any other alternatives and there were none other that were viable. It has been 4 years since I last flew with Ryan air and that was forced through work and 5 since I gave them any of my own money.

@ OP.

To make you feel a bit better, I've booked a Cyclefit session in your absence.