A Brief History of Ryanair

Ryanair – formally Ryanair Holdings plc - was founded in 1985 in the beautiful Republic of Ireland.

‍The current CEO is Michael O’Leary who has served with Ryanair since 1994.

From very humble beginnings, operating just a single route from Waterford in south east Ireland to London Gatwick in July 1985, Ryanair’s flights have expanded to make it one of the largest airlines in Europe today.

Going toe-to-toe with some of the larger airlines in the late 80’s, the fighting spirit of this new company meant it was able to secure better aircraft, establish new routes throughout the UK and test the waters of the European market.

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Did you know: Ryanair is one of Europe's greenest airlines!

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Despite setbacks, economic disruptions and continued competition, over the next 15 years Ryanair went from strength to strength showing remarkable resilience and demonstrating that a low cost/high-rate service was the model that attracted the modern traveller.

The 2000’s have seen a similar path as they tapped into the online market early with the official Ryanair website, expanded its routes to many destinations in Europe and launched charitable initiatives to give back to communities and groups.

The airline served over 148 million customers in 2019/20 according to Statistica.

With many impressive records under their belt, Ryanair Holdings plc (now including the Buzz, Malta Air and Lauda brands) seem to be going full-steam ahead, boasting Co2 reduction, new bases being added all the time and a great safety record as some of the reason’s passengers should fly with them.

Not to mention its now world-renowned low prices!

Plane of choice

Ryanair's aircraft of choice is the Boeing 737-800 – with over 450 in its fleet.

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Boeing 737-800 Specs:

• Carries 189 passengers
• Three toilets, two at the rear, one at the front
• Floor to ceiling – 7’ 1” max
• Plane length – 39.47m (129.5ft)
• Wingspan– 35.79m (117.42ft)
• Cruise speed – 528 mph (approx.)
• Engines(x2) – From CRM International: CFM56-7B jet engine (visit CFM to learn more)

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This model from Boeing is a popular choice and for good reason. It’s been in operation for over 20 years and is one of the most common choices for a number of airlines. It has a great safety track record, but the seats do not recline.

A great choice for Ryanair, but seat space and comfort may be sacrificed somewhat.

But don't worry: check out our guide to surviving long haul flights which is useful for really any flight you take!

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Ryanair’s popular destinations

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Whether it’s low cost Ryanair flights to Spain, Turkey, Italy or any other amazing destination, we always like to know which is a popular route as generally, the more travellers that go the better chance it will be worth the trip!

Now this isn't as clear cut as you might think, but from extensive investigation we have a reliable list that we think you'll love! We have pages on each of these if you want to explore further and even book your holiday there!

Countries:

• Italy
• England
• Spain
• Portugal

Cities:

• Barcelona
• Milan
• Madrid
• London
• Rome
• Paris
• Lisbon

Start checking these destinations out, they are awesome! And remember, when you search with us, you can even filter by your favourite airline (e.g. Ryanair!)

Useful information:

Ryanair phone numbers:

• Bookings and general queries: +44 1279 358 438
• Special assistance: +44 1279 358 588

Ryanair UK contact number: (as above)

‍Ryanair email:

• No monitored email service, Ryanair prefers the use of a contact form and will usually reply within 3-5 business days.

Ryanair complaints and claims:

• The fastest way to complain is to use Ryanair’s online complaint form
• Baggage claim (lost, misplaced or damaged property): Ryanair requests that you complete their baggage claim form 

Looking for help in making a successful claim for a flight delay, cancellation or refusal? We have you covered! We’ve partnered with the most reputable aviation claims companies in the world – if your claim isn’t successful you don’t pay a penny!

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Ryanair baggage size and allowance

The price of each Ryanair ticket guarantees one personal baggage allowance.

The current baggage size is:

-40cmx20cmx25cm –

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They are strict with this size and if you find that your personal bag is too large, you will be charged a fee and your bag will be stored in the hold of the plane. Always check at the bag drop desk just to make sure!

Ryanair have two great solutions for various needs:

• Priority & 2 cabin bags: For a reasonable fee, this allows gives you access to the priority queue and you get your standard personal luggage as described below, plus an additional 10kg bag which can be stored in the overhead storage facility on the airplane. i.e.
  

-40cmx20cmx25cm –

Plus

-55cmx40cmx20cm (10kg bag)

• You can also just purchase a separate 10kg extra luggage allowance

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Customer Ratings:

Trustpilot: No Profile claimed, so we don't think it's fair to include this rating. But you can check it out for yourself right here.

Trip Advisor: 3.0/5

We've found very mixed reviews looking at a sample of responses. The main areas of improvement for Ryanair when it comes to their customers experience are:

• Staff/passenger interactions
• Technical issues on Ryanair’s website

Looking at what recent customers have said, there are certain areas where customer service could be improved when dealing with issues concerning bookings, cancellations/alterations and clarity of information presented online.

However, in some areas we don't think Ryanair is at fault and some negative reviews will occur due to natural frustration if the outcome one expected isn't reached.

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Working at Ryanair

Glassdoor (cabin crew): 3.1/5‍

Pros: Good start to a career, colleagues, roster

Cons: long shifts

The overall feeling of staff, based on feedback on Glassdoor is that Ryanair is a good place to work, but has areas of improvement.

Conclusion

Ryanair's successes also come with its problems. Low cost/high rate gives amazing value for flights, but also may come with certain areas of lack which some can argue is the price to pay for a cheaper ticket.

No company is perfect and overall we think Ryanair is a good company with positive intensions.

With airlines starting to operate almost all routes again, Ryanair has had the time to reflect and refine it's business from top to bottom. We think they will go from strength to strength!