Ryanair vs. easyJet Booking

[S Viemeister]

Michael wrote:
> Ian F. wrote:
>> "BartC" <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote in message
>> news:zN40m.46434$OO7.45710@text.news.virginmedia.c om...
>>
>>> Have just booked a flight with easyJet after years of using only Ryanair
>>> (for European trips).
>>
>> easyJet is 1,000 times superior to Ryanair. You are well-treated by
>> pleasant, efficient staff rather than kicked around by rude incompetents.
>>
>> Do go for the speedy boarding option, though. Worth every penny, I
>> reckon.
>>
>> Ian
> I've used both and Easyjet is indeed the less irritating experience
> overall.
>

A friend is considering using Aer Arann - any opinions on their service?

[S Viemeister]

Michael wrote:
> S Viemeister wrote:
>> A friend is considering using Aer Arann - any opinions on their service?

> Haven't used them. But if you're flying to the Arann Islands, you don't
> have much choice!
>
Well, the trip in question was Dublin-Inverness.

> Besides, I have a principle of trying anything once.
>
Hmmm...

[BartC]

"congokid" <congokid@congokid.com> wrote in message
news:8NXgklGz$fQKFwFx@congokid.*************...
> In article <zN40m.46434$OO7.45710@text.news.virginmedia.com >, BartC
> <bartc@freeuk.com> writes
>
>>And I have to say it was a pleasure compared with Ryanair. The outward and
>>return flights were both £43, and the total fare, without hold baggage,
>>was
>>£86! The only extra was a £3 debit card fee.
>
> Well, I've just with booked Easyjet and paid the 3UKP debit fee - but they
> were asking 13UKP extra for any credit card payment - and that's after you
> calculate the flight price which clearly states 'includes ALL taxes and
> fees'.

I seem to remember the credit card fees were about half that (but I can't
find a way of checking without making a dummy booking under a false name).
Maybe the credit card fees are per passenger and the debit card is per
booking?

> They're all a rip off these days, especially if you miss out on the
> cheaper seats which seem to be scarcer than ever.

At least both these airlines tell you the fees before you pay. Unlike, say,
Brittany Ferries, where the most dominant thing on the screen just before
you click Submit is what you think is the total, eg. £100 [in 2006].

After you click Submit, this changes to £103.

You go back to the previous page (alas too late now to actually change
anything), and at the opposite end of the page, in a tiny font, is a link
'credit card fees', and sure enough clicking that tells you they will charge
you £3.

--
Bart

[BartC]

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> wrote in message
news:1j1tqid.1f7sxy8tbhou8N%d4g4h4**********.uk...
> BartC <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote:
>
>> Have just booked a flight with easyJet after years of using only Ryanair
>> (for European trips).

> Get an electron card which avoids the charges on both airlines.

The charges are more of a nuisance than anything; if I travel 6 times a year
with Ryanair then it'll cost me £60. With easyJet, it'll cost me £18.

The headaches of finding a supplier of electron cards (as they seem to be
rather elusive), applying for one, possibly being refused, and the extra
maintenance and extra id theft risks associated with another card I don't
really need, would be even more of a nuisance.

Surely the airlines should simply apply a fee that bears some relation to
the actual transaction cost, even if the basic fares have to increase,
instead of expecting everyone to apply for and carry an extra card just for
this purpose.

(A few months back I tried to apply for a Nationwide card to avoid foreign
cash withdrawal charges. After filling out the form with all my personal
details, I got a screen saying I'd been refused the card. What a slap in the
face! Now I have to face the same prospect with Electon?! Of course I have
only used credit cards for 25 years...

But, the point is, why do I have to carry electron and nationwide cards
everywhere, just to avoid rip-off charges with the other cards. There
shouldn't be any rip-off charges!)

--
Bart

[BartC]

"tim...." <tims_new_home**********.uk> wrote in message
news:7af4q4F1u6j0kU1@mid.***************...
>
> "BartC" <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote in message
> news:ZMs0m.46979$OO7.14049@text.news.virginmedia.c om...

>> (A few months back I tried to apply for a Nationwide card to avoid
>> foreign cash withdrawal charges. After filling out the form with all my
>> personal details, I got a screen saying I'd been refused the card.
>
> So was I. As, at the time, I had a savings account with them with a large
> five figure sum in it the assistant saw how stupid this rejection was and
> overruled it. I suspected that I got rejected because I didn't check the
> "move my standing orders to this account" box and the system thought that
> I had only applied for the account to get "free" foreign transactions and
> wasn't going to use it for anything else.

I also had considerable cash assets, though not in Nationwide, but there's
no box on the form for this! But it does ask for Job: none (I have private
means), Owner-occupier or Tenant: tenant (because I'd sold a couple of
houses just before the crash, but no box for that either!) and so on.

But I suspect they prefer individuals who aren't so wealthy where they will
make more money. And in fact I /did/ want the card solely for foreign
transactions, although would probably used it for other things too. Sod
them.

Now I just take cash, in sterling, to places that will change it without
profiteering, or pay the card charges in other places. The extra yearly cost
is not huge. The weak pound is a bigger factor now.

--
Bart

[BartC]

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> wrote in message
news:1j1tw1u.17ua207sojqdjN%d4g4h4**********.uk...
> BartC <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote:
>
>> "David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> wrote in message
>> news:1j1tqid.1f7sxy8tbhou8N%d4g4h4**********.uk...
>> > BartC <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Have just booked a flight with easyJet after years of using only
>> >> Ryanair
>> >> (for European trips).
>>
>> > Get an electron card which avoids the charges on both airlines.
>>
>> The charges are more of a nuisance than anything; if I travel 6 times a
>> year
>> with Ryanair then it'll cost me £60. With easyJet, it'll cost me £18.
>>
>> The headaches of finding a supplier of electron cards (as they seem to be
>> rather elusive), applying for one, possibly being refused, and the extra
>> maintenance and extra id theft risks associated with another card I don't
>> really need, would be even more of a nuisance.
>
> It took me a couple of minutes to apply for a simple halifax account
> online and I got the card in the post a week later. I often travel with
> my partner, so that doubles the savings.

This is for an electron card, or a card with no foreign withdrawal fee? I
couldn't find mention of either on the Halifax website.

--
bart

[BartC]

"BartC" <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote in message
news:3nu0m.47048$OO7.32769@text.news.virginmedia.c om...
>
> "David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> wrote in message
> news:1j1tw1u.17ua207sojqdjN%d4g4h4**********.uk...
>> BartC <bartc@freeuk.com> wrote:
>>
>>> "David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> wrote in
>>> message
>>> news:1j1tqid.1f7sxy8tbhou8N%d4g4h4**********.uk...

>>> > Get an electron card which avoids the charges on both airlines.

>>> The headaches of finding a supplier of electron cards (as they seem to
>>> be
>>> rather elusive),

>> It took me a couple of minutes to apply for a simple halifax account
>> online and I got the card in the post a week later. I often travel with
>> my partner, so that doubles the savings.
>
> This is for an electron card, or a card with no foreign withdrawal fee? I
> couldn't find mention of either on the Halifax website.

OK, I did a search and the product is called 'easycash'. I filled in an
application and it least it had the decency not to reject me straight away;
I will hear by mail instead...

[Mike Lane]

tim.... wrote on Jun 24, 2009:

> I suspected that I got rejected because I didn't check the
> "move my standing orders to this account" box and the system thought that I
> had only applied for the account to get "free" foreign transactions and
> wasn't going to use it for anything else.

Probably. I seem to remember that when they first announced their account
with 'free' foreign transactions I was told that to get full facilities -
i.e. credit/debit card and check book I would have to open the account as my
main current account and make regular payments into it. I applied anyway and
got all of these with no conditions at all. I only now use it for foreign
transactions and when travelling abroad.

--
Mike Lane
UK North Yorkshire

[JohnT]

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> wrote in message
news:1j1tzar.28eoffpgyajiN%d4g4h4**********.uk...
> Martin <me@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:47:24 +0100, d4g4h4**********.uk (David Horne,
>> _the_
>> chancellor (*)) wrote:
>>
>> >congokid <congokid@congokid.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> In article <1j1tqid.1f7sxy8tbhou8N%d4g4h4**********.uk>, "David Horne,
>> >> _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g4h4**********.uk> writes
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >Get an electron
>> >> >card which avoids the charges on both airlines.
>> >>
>> >> I have a Visa Debit card - would that be accepted do you think?
>> >
>> >No- only Visa electron.
>>
>> Those who issued Visa Electron cards seem to be replacing them with Visa
>> Debit
>> cards.
>
> You can still easily get one from Halifax.
>

Give us all the details (card number, expiry, CVV etc; so that we can all
use it?
--
JohnT