£8.00 flights to USA!!

[flybynight]

Well if the British air display weather continues next year, a visit to a free stateside show looks even more inviting now! Book early....I guess?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7705169.stm

[eaglekepr]

I can put up with RyanAir for a one hour flight to the continent... not sure about transoceanic. Enough knock out pills and maybe I wouldn't mind being packed in like a sardine for hours!

[iveco]

For eight quid id sit in the boot

Id love to go to the States and this looks like a good oppotunity to get there

[DamienB]

From what I've seen when I've flown with them I wouldn't risk a flight with them from one end of the runway to the other, never mind trans-Atlantic!

[flybynight]

....and then I guess there are the usual add-ons and surcharges for
airfield taxes £300
online check in £25
seat choice £15
luggage £1.25 per kg
additional legroom £10 per inch
inflight catering - £tbc
use of toilet - £2.50 per flush
in flight entertainment - check for latest prices onboard
hire of lifejacket - £22 (double if it gets wet)
overhead storage compartment rental - £10 per hour

[Hellfire]

If their economy class is anything like Fly Globespan then I'd rather not. THE most boring flight ever, and that was just to Lanzarote. No in flight entertainment, and the in flight meal was a bag of Pretzels and cheese on a cracker.
Had me thinking how good all day breakfast was on the MR2.
Still can't knock it fo £8. Thats cheaper than a train to Newcastle for me! I'm just baffled by how they plan to make it work. Surely £8 won't see them make any sort of profit even if huge numbers of folk take on the offer.

[KarlADrage]

As flybynight has said, by the time you add on all of the things that Ryanair make you, this isn't going to be a particularly attractive deal, particularly when you consider the way you get treated!

As an example, I intend to spend a couple of weeks in Arizona in January. BA are currently £175 each way including taxes, so £350 in total. At the bottom of the information page it tells you that the taxes, fees and charges imposed by governments or other authorities and operators of airports totals £291.80 of the £350 price tag. So to fly BA, your flights basically cost £29.10 each way, and that's without having to pay extra to check a bag, for airport checkin etc.

[flyboy]

I can put up with RyanAir for a one hour flight to the continent... not sure about transoceanic. Enough knock out pills and maybe I wouldn't mind being packed in like a sardine for hours!

From what I've seen when I've flown with them I wouldn't risk a flight with them from one end of the runway to the other, never mind trans-Atlantic!

Can never understand this kind of knocking of Ryanair, I have flown all over Europe with them have never been delayed lovely cabin crews and there is the same room as any other airline.

....and then I guess there are the usual add-ons and surcharges for
airfield taxes £300
online check in £25
seat choice £15
luggage £1.25 per kg
additional legroom £10 per inch
inflight catering - £tbc
use of toilet - £2.50 per flush
in flight entertainment - check for latest prices onboard
hire of lifejacket - £22 (double if it gets wet)
overhead storage compartment rental - £10 per hour

From yesterday under new EU rules all airlines must publish the full cost of the ticket including tax no hidden extras can be charged to the customer.

I think they are brilliant and instead of knocking them we should be supporting all cheap airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet etc.

[TonyO]

No mention of this in this mornings financial results...

[KarlADrage]

I've flown Ryanair to two destinations this year. To Berlin we got there on time, coming home we were two hours delayed due to an ATC strike (completely out of FR's control), but then upon arrival at Stansted, we were parked on a remote stand and then had to wait 40 minutes for a bus to come to collect us. Not what you want at the end of an already 20 hour day.

Second time was to Gothenburg. Departed nearly an hour late, due to early morning fog and then arrived to find my luggage hadn't joined me on the flight. TBF it arrived at the hotel about 10 minutes after we did, but the stress and hassle involved made the first day of the trip far less enjoyable than it otherwise would've been.

[PHANTOM]

I suppose there are two ways of looking at this.
For a cheapo flight to the states this might be worth looking at.
But the reputation of RA and the costs bolted on may well mean this isnt as attractive as first appears.
A flight around Europe is one thing a transatlantic flight is something all together different.
Not sure i would go for it personally, my last trip i did business class with BA and have to say it was worth every penny.
Arrived totally refreshed raring to go, not sure an £8.00 cheapo would have the same effect somehow.
It will be interesting to see exactly how much one of these £8.00 flights will actually cost.

[Edicap]

Looks like its still quite a way off yet. This from the BBC news website...

The Irish airline has also confirmed it is working on a new service to the US.

However, chief executive Michael O'Leary told BBC News Ryanair would only launch transatlantic routes if it could secure cheap long-haul aircraft from rivals.

"We haven't managed that yet, but we are hoping that in the middle of this recession... that that opportunity might arise in the next 12 or 18 months," he said.

[Edicap]

I wonder what type they will go with...

The A340...


The 777...


Or maybe the A380


All from the wonderful http://www.cardatabase.net/modifiedairlinerphotos/

[Russ]

Any ideas what long haul aircraft they will buy and what airport(s) they'll fly from and to?


They're brave for trying it that's for sure. Just look what happened to Oasis Hong Kong!

[flyboy]

Any ideas what long haul aircraft they will buy and what airport(s) they'll fly from and to?


They're brave for trying it that's for sure. Just look what happened to Oasis Hong Kong!

Michael O Leary said on Sky News that they would operate from Stanstead and Dublin, he also said it would be a new airline and they need to purchase 50 to 60 aircraft to make it work. Also said only four airlines will survive this recession British Airways, Ryanair, Lufthansa and Air France, he was proved right when he said a few months back that a number of budget airlines would collapse.

A recession gets rid of crappy, loss-making airlines and it means we can buy aircraft more cheaply.

Quote Michael O Leary Today on Sky News
A recession gets rid of crappy, loss-making airlines and it means we can buy aircraft more cheaply.

[UA935]

This is Ryanair we are talking about remeber.

They advertise numerous destinations but actually fly to a city/airport or different country some 50 or more miles away from the advertised "actual location".

They are now advertising flights to the USA for £8 but where are they actually going to?

Ryanair probably classes Lakenheath and Mildenhall as the USA so your £8 will get you 4 minutes flight time from Stansted to one of these parts of the USA

[raiford]

that A380 looks rather nice actually, apparently the transatlantic plans of Ryanair are on hold now because of the huge financial loss they have suffered, according to BBC news, they are now waiting until things improve, could be a long wait!

[ghanaflyer]

The mind boggles with some people sometimes. Granted taxes not included but they would be the same for any airline. £8 offer and it just brings out moaners about food and legroom. So a choice, go to USA for £8 and take your own food (or buy it on board so the whole thing comes to £20)....or don't go and stay rooted to your keyboard for another year.

[FJ Photography]

Can never understand this kind of knocking of Ryanair, I have flown all over Europe with them have never been delayed lovely cabin crews and there is the same room as any other airline.

Interesting.

I fly a lot every year, saving where I can by booking with the less expensive airlines, but I have yet to fly with an airline other than Ryanair whose seats do not recline, who have no tray-tables, and who do not have pouches or coat hooks on the seat in front of you.

As for how much room you get, we'll have to wait and see how many people O'Leary wants to cram in. But I would put money (lots of it) on him offering less leg room that most other carriers.

I think that Ryanair has its place, and I am more than happy - like EK - to take advantage of their service (knowing full well what to expect) when I can. But I would not spend 9+ hours in a garish yellow sardine can being bombarded by annoying scratch card and credit card adverts over the speakers at regular intervals. No way.

I think it's difficult to grade the politeness of cabin crew because they vary tremendously, and I have had bad experiences on every airline I have flown with, other than Virgin (which has been, without exception, brilliant).

From yesterday under new EU rules all airlines must publish the full cost of the ticket including tax no hidden extras can be charged to the customer.

Indeed. Did you notice that the announcement was made *before* the deadline? Call me a cynic...

I think they are brilliant and instead of knocking them we should be supporting all cheap airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet etc.

I think it's less a case of knocking, and more a case of stating the obvious - something that Ryanair has a propensity to avoid doing.

The reality of every single flight I have taken with them is that the total cost has never looked even remotely like the advertised cost. By contrast, I cannot say I have had the same experience with US low fares airlines (such as SWA, Alaska Air etc.)

So, should people be highly suspicious that Ryanair could get them across the pond (with luggage for two weeks, tax paid, airport check in thrown in, online payment included, and the ability to select a seat) for £8.00?, Hell yes!

As for who I choose to support, I will support any provider or service company that treats me as a) intellectually equal, and b) as a valued customer. I have never been given the impression that either applies by O'Leary's bunch; whereas the low cost airlines in the US seem to do a much, much better job on all counts. In fact, I would go as far as saying that Alaska Air provided Virgin-like service and comfort, at Ryanair-like prices (and I mean total Ryanair prices, not the ones they advertise).

[Jetnoise]

FJ wrote

fly a lot every year, saving where I can by booking with the less expensive airlines, but I have yet to fly with an airline other than Ryanair whose seats do not recline, who have no tray-tables, and who do not have pouches or coat hooks on the seat in front of you.

This, to me, is one advantage of RA - who needs reclining seats for a two-three hour flight? There is nothing more anoying than squeezing in to a 28" - 30" pitch seat and then the numpty in front flings their seat back as soon as the seatbelt light goes out! Even worse, they wait until you have a drink or meal on the tray-table and then do it!

I do reserve judgement on RA's ability to operate trans-atlantic flights with the same minimal service though, I can't see them undercutting BA by such a margin as to make it attractive.

Cheers,
Ralph

[FJ Photography]

Ralph

I have a recurring back problem that stems from an old 'drink related' injury, and I like to recline to alleviate the pain that comes from sitting still for more than an hour or so. Clearly, I am one of those numptys who likes to recline my seat in your face just as your drink arrives!

[eaglekepr]

I would go as far as saying that Alaska Air provided Virgin-like service and comfort,

Didn't know that Virgin distributed religious paraphernalia on their flights