Reply to: Ryanair leaves 89 passengers behind

[woody1]

BTW, there seems to be a general perception that, whilst they treat you like ****, they are the cheapest but is that really true?

Out of curiosity, I did compare prices from Bristol one time and, like for like, they were very similar to easyJet. Jet2 were slightly higher, and TUI were the most expensive*.

* but, as I mentioned earlier, you get more with TUI eg. use of skybridges rather than busses, more generous hand luggage allowance, reps at UK and overseas airports.

[Dorkeaux]

Its never more convenient though is it?

Swore I never would again, but last family holiday it was the only option. Was ok, except for the seats as uncomfortable as church pews and the 4 hour delay on the return leg.

Yeah, I meant "convenient" in the sense of the airports being closer or the alleged timing being better.

They had a thing whereby they would blast advertisements through the tannoy from boarding to takeoff.
I think they stopped that mostly, but I have noise-cancelling headphones on the whole time for Ryanair the few times I take them.

[NotAllThere]

Now you're really being a dick.

I do my best.

I hear Tenerife is nice at this time of year.

[woody1]

Probably delayed because they waited for people to get through passport control.

Now you're really being a dick.

[NotAllThere]

Its never more convenient though is it?

Swore I never would again, but last family holiday it was the only option. Was ok, except for the seats as uncomfortable as church pews and the 4 hour delay on the return leg.

Probably delayed because they waited for people to get through passport control.

[woody1]

It would be more convenient where we live because Ryanair are the only airline that flies internationally from our little local airport.

However, as people we know have discovered, because there's no competition, they charge a lot more making them not really low-cost.

Anyway, we wouldn't use them.

[willendure]

If I had a quid for every person who says "I'll never fly SqueezyJet/Ryanair/Wizz etc.." then quietly uses them when it's a little cheaper and/or more convienient I would be considerably more wealthy than I am now.

Its never more convenient though is it?

Swore I never would again, but last family holiday it was the only option. Was ok, except for the seats as uncomfortable as church pews and the 4 hour delay on the return leg.

[woody1]

Looks to me like the title of this thread should be "Lanzarote Airport ineptitude causes travellers to miss their flights".

True but personally I would avoid any airline which chose to leave half the passengers behind even if the airport was to blame.

Removing the luggage delayed the flight by an hour, which was almost certainly longer than if they'd just let the passengers on board. That is "not all there" rationale in my book.

[sadkingbilly]

There probably aren't many other EU airports where over half the passengers are from the UK. Brexit has really buggered them up.

most of them voted for it, too.
well, teach them to believe lying feckers like Farage then, eh??

[NotAllThere]

Looks to me like the title of this thread should be "Lanzarote Airport ineptitude causes travellers to miss their flights".

[woody1]

What you're saying is that Lanzarote enforce full border controls even on intra-Schengen flights? You shouldn't be using EES or getting a passport stamp if you are not entering or exiting Schengen.

Basically it's a mess. Everyone, no matter what flight they're on, ends up in a massive queue for border control. Airport officials go around calling out for EU passport holders to come forward so they can fast-track them.

There probably aren't many other EU airports where over half the passengers are from the UK. Brexit has really buggered them up.

Scheduled to start next year, they are redeveloping the entire airport at a cost of over €300m. There will then be 3 terminals, inter-island, Schengen and non-Schengen (ie. British*).

* well actually British and Irish, which the Irish might not be too happy about

[ladymuck]

One slight snag. Border control at Lanzarote make all non-EU passengers go through EES, no matter where they came from. Moreover, supposedly you only need to do facial scanning/finger printing once every 3 years, on entry at any Schengen border, but the EES system doesn't seem to be working properly. Several people on a Tripadvisor forum reported having to do it every time.

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The simpler solution is to just avoid Ryanair. Or better still fly with an airline like TUI which doesn't skimp on airport charges and has use of the skybridges, and seems to get preferential treatment at border control on the way out.

So.. having flown a lot within Schengen, I know that there is no border control on arrival or departure at any of the airports I've been through. Once I've entered Schengen, there is no requirement to present my passport to anyone other than a gate agent for the purposes of confirming I am the person named on the ticket. What you're saying is that Lanzarote enforce full border controls even on intra-Schengen flights? You shouldn't be using EES or getting a passport stamp if you are not entering or exiting Schengen.

[woody1]

Having looked at the airlines that fly to Lanzarote, I would choose to go indirectly and fly via a larger airport on mainland Europe, so you enter/exit Schengen at a location that better geared up for the process. Then it's easy peasy to leave the island as it's just security and go.

One slight snag. Border control at Lanzarote make all non-EU passengers go through EES, no matter where they came from. Moreover, supposedly you only need to do facial scanning/finger printing once every 3 years, on entry at any Schengen border, but the EES system doesn't seem to be working properly. Several people on a Tripadvisor forum reported having to do it every time.

-----

The simpler solution is to just avoid Ryanair. Or better still fly with an airline like TUI which doesn't skimp on airport charges and has use of the skybridges, and seems to get preferential treatment at border control on the way out.

[sadkingbilly]

alternatively, you could go via the rubber boat route

[ladymuck]

Having looked at the airlines that fly to Lanzarote, I would choose to go indirectly and fly via a larger airport on mainland Europe, so you enter/exit Schengen at a location that better geared up for the process. Then it's easy peasy to leave the island as it's just security and go.