Ryanair check-in roulette.

[Mottie]

Anyone played it? I’m going on a flight leaving at 8.25am on Wednesday. I could check in a week before the flight as long as I paid for a seat. I can check in for free and be allocated a free seat (usually a middle seat) from 8.25am tomorrow morning. I have heard that if I hold my nerve and keep checking the seat allocations, all the middle seats will start to be allocated tomorrow morning as people check in for free. Then, when all the middle seats are gone, I can check in for free and be allocated a 'premium' seat. I'm told the longer you wait, the better the possibility of being allocated a £30 aisle seat with extra legroom. Cut off time for checking in is 2 hours before the flight. Miss that and it’s £55 at the airport. That’ll be fun!

Anyone on here tried this?

 

[carmanmemoranda]

As long as you're prepared to sit where they allocate you then it's no real risk.

Personally I won't use them, they don't usually end up much cheaper than others and don't go to the "better" airport locations. Plus if you take family then the check in system is designed to make you pay more than the expected prices

But play there game. The worst that can happen as long as you book in on time is a bad seat. But you can have a good seat and be next to a pain anyway.

 

[yorksbuilder]

Yes I did it in August, worked well, got extra legroom seats free both times, one right at the front, one at the row 14 emergency exit.
Checked in about 6 hours before the flight
as you say its a roulette, but with most Ryanair pax being skinflints, they are not booking the premium seats which slightly increases the later free check-ins getting a better seat. good luck!

 

[Koolpc]

I always book a wing seat, outside!

 

[Mottie]

Personally I won't use them, they don't usually end up much cheaper than others and don't go to the "better" airport locations.

£56 return and not at silly o'clock to Malaga from Stansted. I don’t want to pay up to another £60 to book seats or £40 each way for 2 pieces of carry on luggage. I’m getting on a motorbike at the other end so I’m travelling light. We all are but all the others have bottled it and booked seats.

I’m trying to play them at their own game.

 

[securespark]

I always thought Ryanair was a ripoff all round, but we went with our lads and a girlfriend of the eldest to Spain and it was uneventful both ways.

 

[Deleted member 325366]

We had an early ish morning flight to Alicante a few weeks back. Booked our seats “4 of us” and we had the misfortune to be sat with about 20 geordies off their heads!! The beer trolley only made it to us once.

It’s pot luck as above. I’ll take the evening flights from now on.

 

[blup]

Book the emergency exit seat

 

[Brigadier]

If you're that bothered, fly with a different carrier.

RyanAir is what it is.

 

[Mottie]

I’ve had more cancellations, rip-offs and trouble with British Airways over the last 5 years than I’ve ever had with Ryanair.

 

[Brigadier]

Must be you then

 

[Mottie]

Bah! My bottle has just gone. Brought on by constant nagging from Mrs Mottie and Miss Mottie. Just booked priority boarding, 2 cabin bags and aisle seats at the front of the plane. Time to unpack my minimalist under seat bag, repack into a larger overhead one plus chuck a few more bits in there. Another £73 onto a £56 flight. Still, £131 return to Spain with priority boarding, good aisle seats and 2 carry in bags is not too terrible. If I’d booked just the basic flights alone today, that would have cost £151.

 

[motorbiking]

Do you sell many speedy boarding? Yes we've sold one to every passenger on this flight.

 

[Mottie]

Do you sell many speedy boarding? Yes we've sold one to every passenger on this flight.

lol. I think they only let 98% of passengers buy it. Anyway, speedy boarding came bundled with the carry on case.

 

[Mottie]

Should have held my nerve. Got a whole bloody row to myself!