A Ryanair flight is many things – but a premium travel experience is never one of them.
However, what happens when money is spent on travel on the Irish low-cost airline?
A travel expert filmed an intriguing attempt to take a £ 14 first class Ryanair flight by taking a limo to the airport, buying all sorts of extras, booking a seat next to him on the plane and drinking sodas. He described some of the trip as “a mess” and “close to a scam,” but parts of the trip have been vastly improved, he revealed.
Nicky Kelvin, director of The Points Guy UK, filmed an intriguing attempt to make a £ 14 Ryanair flight in first class. Step one – limousine to the airport (above)
The Escape Lounge cheered Nicky up after encountering “rude” security personnel
The experiment was carried out by Nicky Kelvin, head of The Points Guy UK, who set out on a trip to Madrid via London Stansted, putting on a smart suit and driving to the airport in an S-Class Mercedes with a company called “Wheely” drove. (£ 204).
He said: “The car arrived on time. It was incredibly comfortable with a professional, smartly dressed driver who set the temperature and radio volume to the required levels and provided Evian water. ‘
He had paid for fast track security at the airport (£ 7) but said the experience was “not top notch … with rude staff showing passengers around”.
The Escape Lounge (£ 22.99 or Priority Pass) cheered him up, however.
He described this as “not the most luxurious” but it was a place “to get away from the airport crowds with free food and drink and comfortable seating”.
After purchasing a travel pillow (£ 14.99) for extra comfort in the air, it was time to step on board.
Nicky bought a travel pillow for £ 14.99 to improve comfort in the air
And here the trip went wrong.
Nicky had paid for priority boarding (£ 20.85) but said, “The boarding process itself was a mess. Priority boarding was ignored and as soon as one had passed the boarding gate, all passengers had to wait about 15 minutes with luggage in tow on a stairwell before they were finally allowed to cross the tarmac to board the plane. “
On board, the experience improved again (mostly) – because Nicky had secured seat 1A in the front (£ 20), paid for the next seat to improve the space factor (£ 34.99) and ordered a glass of Prosecco (£.) . 6) and a hot beef lasagna (£ 5.10).
Nicky booked seat 1A and the seat next to him for that premium feeling
The prosecco on board. Unfortunately, says Nicky, it was served warm
Nicky’s beef lasagna was a winner – he described it as “delicious”
HOW TO UPDATE A RYANAIR FLIGHT
Step 1: transform yourself into something smarter
Step 2: get a chic ride to the airport (£ 204.60)
Step 3: Pay for the Fast Track Safety Lane (£ 7)
Step 4: Buy Lounge Access Before Your Flight (£ 22.99 each or use Priority Pass)
Step 5: buy yourself a comfortable travel pillow (€ 14.99)
Step 6: Priority Boarding (€ 20.85)
Step 7: Book seat 1A (£ 20)
Step 8: Book another ticket and reserve a free seat next to you (€ 34.99)
Step 9: Order Prosecco once on board (£ 6)
Step 10: get a quality meal (€ 5.10)
Source: The Points Guy UK for a trip from Stansted to Madrid.
He told MailOnline Travel: “Sitting in seat 1A with an empty seat next to me felt like I had the best seat on board. Being the first to be served, the first to get off the plane, and having pretty much unlimited legroom and space was a huge bonus. ‘
The Prosecco, on the other hand, is “about as chic as on board” and it is “warm and served in a plastic cup and therefore not so pleasant”. But the lasagna was “delicious”.
And the verdict?
We asked Nicky how his experience compares with, for example, paying for a business class trip with BA.
He said, “Some items were worth the money and some bordered on fraud.
“The luxury transport to the airport was a wonderful start to the trip, but of course you could take a luxury car with any airline.
“In some British Airways lounges you would have a better time in business class and also enjoy cold champagne and better food from Do & Co on board – although the lasagna was a winner for my taste.
“Paying for a front row seat and the vacant seat next to me, provided that it can be purchased at a reasonable price, has created real added value for me and I would definitely recommend this as an important way of enhancing the flight experience to improve significantly with Ryanair.
‘Also in British Airways’ European Business Class [“Club Europe”], except in the first row, you sit in the same seats as economy passengers, whereby the middle seat is automatically kept free.
“The preferred boarding option in my case was a waste of money and was not considered by the airline.
“Overall – it will depend on the price. If you want a truly premium experience, you probably won’t be able to compare the entire British Airways business class experience to a low-cost airline, and low-cost airlines like Ryanair will continue to be the first choice for those who are cost-driven. ‘
For more information on travel tips and tricks, log in The Points Guy UK. To see Nicky’s video in full, click here.