Just returned from my sojourn in Qatar which involved a flight with one of the myriad “budget” airlines that have sprung up around the World and here in the Middle East (although to be honest there was not much sign of a budget in the cost of the ticket today…).
We almost invariably fly Emirates when travelling to Europe and UK and with that comes a steep price (particularly since Covid) but also a good service, frequent flights and crucially when you are over 6ft, decent seat pitches.
Having spent the Summer with my knees around my ears while trying to cram myself into a Ryanair seat it was interesting to compare the Ryanair budget price offering with Fly Dubai (my carrier today). There really was no comparison. My flight was expensive (but quite last minute as I wanted to get an earlier flight) but I did not have to pay more to have a bag in the hold and I was not charged to put my carry on bag in the overhead locker. I was also able to sit down without my knees pressed hard against the back of the seat in front of me so altogether a more pleasant experience.
This then leads me to wonder whether Tony O’Leary (or whoever runs Ryanair these days) is indeed a genius as he seems to have managed to persuade travellers (including me) to pay substantially more than budget prices (based on my experience for the last two Summers) for what is a really unpleasant experience particularly when compared to its equivalent out here.
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