Study abroad tip #456: Approach budget airlines with caution


Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

I don’t think you can really call yourself a study abroad student (in Europe, that is) unless you’ve known some of the horrors of flying budget airlines, particularly the kingpin of them all – Ryanair.

Last weekend, I was formally indoctrinated into study abroad lifestyle when I checked in (online, of course, to avoid the 70 euro in-person check-in fee at the airport) for a flight from Madrid to Dublin. With budget airlines, you might save on the initial ticket fee, but you can easily make up the difference in extra charges. Luckily my round-trip flight went without many major glitches – but still an experience to say the least.

I left my apartment with ample time. Friends had warned me that it was important to get to the gate early so that I could be one of the first to board since there is no order. “Be an aggressive East Coaster,” one friend advised me regarding Ryanair’s nonsensical boarding process that allows everyone to board at once, regardless of seat position.

Luckily, I still got to the gate with plenty of time to spare. I secured my place towards the front of the line, and avoided any issues with unavailable cabin space or being told I needed to check my bag. I wasn’t about to check my belongings if it wasn’t necessary. I didn’t want to risk the possibility of lost baggage.

We took a shuttle to the plane and some genius decided it was a good idea to board passengers from the front and back ends of the plane simultaneously, with no regard to seating location. I squeezed by dozens of other passengers to get to my seat at the rear of the plane although I had boarded from the front, and I squished down into my seat. For once I was thankful for my short legs allowed me to maximize the limited space between seats. My friend on the same flight, who is over six feet tall, didn’t have the same luxury.

For more than two hours, I sat straight up in my seat, which did not recline and had minimal cushion, and ate the sandwich my host mom had packed the night before to avoid the cost of food and beverage on the flight. No complimentary sodas here.

Finally, we landed in Dublin. I exited the airport and breathed a sigh of relief. My first Ryanair flight went without major hitches.

Three days later I returned to the airport, hoping my flight back to Madrid would be as much of a breeze. With practically no line at security I was through in no time, and just had to wait for the gate to be announced – which was about the same time final boarding call was meant to be. As soon as I got the gate number I briskly walked through the airport and secured my spot in the boarding line. After about 20 minutes of waiting (already a slight delay) I got to the desk and encountered a grumpy Ryanair employee bearing bad news.

“Where’s your stamp?” he asked, pointing at my boarding pass.

It was only then that I saw, in extremely fine print, the board pass stated all non-EU residents were required to receive a stamp at the check-in desk before going through security. (Ryanair is the only airline I know of that makes you do this.) He just about was ready to make me go back to the front of the airport to get the stamp, which would have surely made me miss the flight, but just then, another employee with a much nicer disposition told me she could simply sign my boarding pass for me and let me on the flight. So, crisis averted and I got back to Madrid safe and sound.

Stay tuned for my upcoming trip on Wizz Air (yes, that’s a real airline, and yes, I also checked their safety ratings because as much as I’d love to just “wizz” over to Budapest, I also want to get there in one piece). This one might top Ryanair though — they even charge you for carry-on overhead compartment luggage.